Category: Enduring Excellence/ Young Reader Newspaper of the Year Sponsoring Newspaper: Philippine Daily Inquirer 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City 1200 Philippines Project director: Minerva Generalao, Research Dept. Head Email: [email protected] Phone: +632 897 8808 local 346 Circulation: 250,000 copies nationwide from Mondays to Saturdays, and 270,000 on Sundays Brief description: The Inquirer Read-Along program aims to spread the joy and fun of reading among children aged 7 to 13 through interactive and wacky storytelling sessions with celebrities and other role models. Part 1. The Inquirer Read‐Along: Why we did it and What it is We have heard the sad news.
READING IS DOWN. Why we did it Declining newspaper readership in the Philippines and in many countries
Declining propor on of Filipino non‐ school book (NSB) readers, from 90 % in 2003 to 83 % in 2007. ‐ Na onal Book Development Board Survey Why we did it READING ON THEIR OWN is one habit top students of several public and private schools had all developed ‐ Ateneo de Manila University team survey Popular belief: Reading is at the core of learning Why we did it With television, computers and other mul media, books have competed with gadgets and have taken the back seat.
Most children only read when they are told to do so. Reading has become a chore to be done only when assigned as homework or is needed to pass an examina on. Our Dream: Empowered children who love to read on their own Our mission: To spread the fun and joy of reading Our program:
The Inquirer Read‐Along gathers children aged 7 to 13 for a story reading session with celebri es, famous role models or rela vely unknown achievers in their field and with wacky interac ve storytellers. During a read‐along Children listen During a read‐along Children think and ponder During a read‐along Children imagine and wonder During a read‐along Children share thoughts and feelings (They respond to ques ons before, during and a er a story is read, and win a prize, mostly a book) During a read‐along Children get to do things together During a read‐along Children (o en) get surprises During a read‐along Children have big smiles and laughter During a read-along In all, children have fun and joy in reading Our read‐along messages: Reading is IN
Children listen intently to a reading by a movie actor. (They read‐along with their idol.) Our read‐along messages: Reading is something that is easy to do
Children get reading ps. Our read‐along messages: Reading is fun How it is done An hour‐long session with at least three parts: . Read‐along with a celebrity or role model . Read‐along with a wacky and interac ve storyteller . Read‐along with Junior Inquirer to learn reading ps With fun games and ques on and answer por on Others: Opening prayer to be led by a child par cipant; closing group shot with the readers; reading of books in Filipino (na onal language) and in English, book and bookmark giveaways, snacks How we began
The Inquirer Read‐Along was launched in May 2007 . With 20 children par cipa ng (children of Inquirer employees and of Inquirer neighbors) . At the Inquirer Library . With a celebrity reader (a movie actress)
The original plan: To hold sessions twice a month, on Saturday mornings, at the Inquirer Library for 20 to 25 children. (Hence, the intended indicators of success: number of sessions = 24 per year; number of children a ending = 600) Our launching story was published in our newspaper A photo was on Page One The story was on the Inside Pages Warm, enthusias c response to the launching story
Quite a number of parents and NGOs called to have their children preregistered for the next session A problem for the venue (The Inquirer Library) could only accommodate about 25 children) – a “happy” problem. Solu on: Change venue We converted a mul purpose room into a brightly decorated “library” to accommodate more than 50 children The second read‐along
Held at the Inquirer Mul purpose Room, had more children a ending The story was published in the inside pages More enthusias c, even amazing, response . . .
To the second read‐along story and to the next stories of the read‐along More parents, NGOs and schools called to send their children to the session A lot of invita ons to have a session in Metro Manila and across the country – a bigger “happy” problem Three‐pronged strategy to respond to the numerous invita ons Make the program Portable Adaptable Replicable Portable read‐along
Sessions are held outside the Inquirer Main office in Maka Sharing of resources and responsibili es. . Host partner provides the venue (decorates it for the fun ambiance and provides the mats, chairs) and equipment like LCD and screen; invites the children and provides their snacks. . The Inquirer Read‐Along Team takes care of invi ng the readers and of hos ng. It just brings the Read‐Along standee, registra on forms, IDs, the token gi s of Guyito dolls for the readers. At the first read‐along in a shopping mall’s bookstore, the stage is set with the placing of the read‐along standees. Since then, the read‐along has been brought to many different places: schools, orphanages, hospitals, malls, village halls, reloca on areas for the displaced vic ms, among others. Adaptable Themed stories . Universal themes like concern for the environment, peace, love, respect, coping skills; themes related to the celebra on of the day (Mother’s Day, celebra on of People Power) . Concrete issues in the area: Children of war, vic ms of typhoons, respect for diversity, etc. • A best prac ce for the program has been to harness the exper se of Inquirer’s reporters, researchers and photographers to share with the public the stories of each Read‐Along, which, despite having a fixed program, has each been unique. • This makes the story worth sharing and publishing on Page 1 and in the inside pages of Sec on A. No. of children a ending: From 25 to over 500 children Themed sessions Themed sessions Replicable
Sessions to be done in the provinces by the Inquirer bureaus Read‐Along 101 training workshop on: Book‐based interac ve story telling and fun hos ng For the bureau reporters, correspondents and staff to be reinvented into hosts, writers, organizers and secretariat for the provincial read‐along. Replicable Read‐Along 101 training program have been conducted for teachers, college students, daycare workers and other volunteers in the following places: . Inquirer Maka Main Office . Bacolod City . Marinduque . Iligan City . Cagayan de Oro City Replicable Special events Conducted in coordina on with the Inquirer bureaus and network of volunteers, sponsors and donors across the country . Launching of the read‐along in four ci es na onwide on November 13, 2008 . Simultaneous read‐along in 25 ci es and provinces on December 4, 2010 . 3 other simultaneous read‐along. Use of “technology” made possible the 9 simultaneous read‐along using a video conferencing facility with the Philippine Navy in May 2011 and May 2012. Another 14 simultaneous read‐along sessions in SM malls across the country during the celebra on of Na onal Children’s Book Day in July. . 2 Read‐Along Fes vals in 2011 and 2012. The fes vals aim to bring together children, storytellers, and other like‐minded organiza ons to celebrate the joy of reading through a marathon of events. Special event Launching of the read‐along in four ci es
Launching of the read‐ along by the 4 Inq. bureaus Special Event 25 simultaneous read‐along across the Philippines More than 2,000 children from Batanes to Tawi‐Tawi regaled with stories on the common theme “inspiring individuals and empowering communi es” in 25 simultaneous Inquirer Read‐Along sessions held in the morning of December 4, 2010 as part of the newspaper’s 25th anniversary celebra ons Par cipated in by more than 70 returning and first‐ mer storytellers na onwide, including Inquirer president and CEO Alexandra Prieto‐ Romualdez and her sons Luca, Ben and Nico, who did the honors at the Inquirer main office in Maka Conducted by more than 120 Inquirer employees from the main office in Maka and in the four Inquirer bureaus who volunteered with reading advocates, NGO and corporate partners Ini ally considered as “ambi ous,” “not doable in a year’s me” and even “impossible” A successful project – a tes mony to what planning, training, judicious use of resources and volunteerism can do Special Event 25 simultaneous read‐along across the Philippines Special Event 25 simultaneous read-along across the Philippines Special Event 25 simultaneous read‐along across the country Special Event 9 Simultaneous with the Navy Special Event 1st Inquirer Read‐along Fes val With the Filipino child and the stories of the world as its theme focus, the fes val’s ac vi es include . Six storytelling sessions. Each read‐along session had three readers: a celebrity, a trained storyteller and foreign na onal who told a popular story from his/her country. . A storytelling compe on. The winner of the storytelling contest was crowned the fes val king . Living museum of well‐loved storybook characters . Seminar for preschool teachers on methods and techniques on how to impart early love for reading (on how to encourage a child to get the reading bug early) Special Event 1st Inquirer Read‐along Fes val Special Event 1st Inquirer Read‐along Fes val Special Event 2nd Inquirer Read‐along Fes val A MARATHON OF STORYTELLING SESSIONS: A total of six storytelling sessions in two days – three sessions each day, with each session having three sets of storytellers composed of celebri es and professional storytellers. Special Event 2nd Inquirer Read‐along Fes val THEME: The Filipino Child and the Stories of the Earth All stories used in the Fes val focused on the importance of caring for the environment and the treasures of the planet Parts 2 and 3. Development: Financing, partners and promo on Read‐Along key elements Books, books, books Fun ambiance. It’s fun me. Bright and happy atmosphere. Colorful balloons, bun ngs, mats, games. Celebrity storytellers Trained interac ve and wacky storytellers Inquirer volunteers (as organizers, secretariat, hosts, writers and documentors) Donors, sponsors, volunteers (NGOs and corpora ons) Tarps, IDs, read‐along T‐shirts, bookmarks Documenta on Wri en story RESOURCES Registra on form (5 columns; name, age, school, contact phone number, other notes) children need to fill up themselves Bookshelves and books for the children to browse and read before start of the program Giveaway bookmarks (hand made by the staff) Feedback/Assessment Forms (for children & accompanying adults Equipment: Computer, LCD, microphone PowerPoint presenta ons: two for each reader ‐ 1) to introduce reader 2) PowerPoint of book to be read so children can read‐along (We scan each pages of the book to be read) Claim stubs and giveaway prizes for Q and A por on and other games Token gi s (Inquirer published books, Guyito dolls, Read‐Along t‐shirts for the readers) Snacks (one solid, one liquid) for the children; snacks for the guests Tarpaulins: program backdrop; welcome; Program standee with the slogan: Read More, Be More. Fun ambiance: balloons, colorful rubber mats, colored bun ngs (handmade by the staff) Chairs for the accompanying adults and readers Cameras for print and video for documenta on Financing Main Budget: Philippine Daily Inquirer @ P1,500 to P7,000 (est US$35 to US$ 160) per session But mostly, almost zero cash out because of dona ons from partners: . Books and prizes for games . Token gi s for readers . Snacks and giveaways . Transporta on for children Volunteerism from celebri es – They are not paid their professional fees; just given token gi s (such as Inquirer published books, Guyito ‐Inquirer mascot‐ dolls and Inquirer t‐ shirts) No entrance fee; the sessions are open to the general public.
How do we create awareness By doing what we do best: Write a story about a read‐ along. Though space is a premium, a story on the session is usually on Page 1, Sunday issue ‐ published the day a er with advisory on the next session. Or, in the inside pages of Sec on A. Around 200 read‐along stories have been published in the Inquirer. Each story published in the Inquirer is also posted in the Inq.net; Special Events have also been covered by Radyo Inquirer We use our Read‐Along logo and Guyito (Inquirer’s mascot, a young water buffalo), and the message: “Sarap Magbasa” (Reading is fun) well, almost everywhere: In the shirts of the volunteers, tarps, IDs children wear, IDs of volunteers, stubs for Q & A prizes and the bookmarks we give to the children, in the house ads, etc. Parts 4. Evalua on and Results How we monitor and evaluate
Children and accompanying adults (parents, teachers, NGOs) are interviewed for feedback (some interview quotes are included in the story) We give assessment forms to be filled out by children and adults A secretariat keeps records (registra on, compila on of stories, matrix of sessions, etc.) The staff hold regular planning and assessment mee ngs A er a year of the Read‐Along, two Focus Group Discussion sessions were held for children (who had a ended at least five sessions) and for accompanying adults. (The results of the study inspire us to con nue the program and to see to it that celebri es are briefed so they too give an interac ve and fun reading sessions like the trained storytellers) Our gains and accomplishments Our key indicators: No. of sessions, no. of children, support from celebri es and volunteers Amazing growth: From a program based at the Inquirer Library to be done by Inquirer Research and Junior Inquirer, it has become a company‐wide program across the country A program with a cast of thousands and historic special events. Thousands of happy children, experiencing the joy of reading The Inquirer is known as a reading advocate Our Read‐Along accomplishments: Over 300 sessions held With Over 16,000 children par cipants
Our other accomplishments
7 Special events . Considered historic firsts 8 Inquirer Read‐Along 101 training workshops . About 500 new storytellers Over 200 stories published in the pages of the Inquirer and also online at Inq.net More than 100 Inquirer volunteers (Full‐ me employees from the Editorial and Business groups and the Bureaus) Documenta on
The Inquirer Read‐Along Story as told in the pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Some tes monies from over 200 stories published) Tes monies as told in the Inquirer By Celebrity readers
“I believe in this program because there’s nothing like getting kids excited about reading. It’s nice to see faces light up when they listen to a story being read.” - Sandy Prieto- Romualdez, Philippine Daily Inquirer President and CEO "Kids learn a lot from reading. I hope that by being here and seeing beautiful sea creatures, they’ll grow up thinking they are very lucky to [live in a country] with a rich marine life and that they have to keep it that way. We hope that we are training a whole new generation to appreciate the beauty of Philippine seas, which we don’t have in America.” - Kristie Kenney, former US Ambassador to the Philippines
"Kids should develop the habit of reading and become aware of their surroundings. Children are the key to conservation, and they can do a lot with available information. The goal of Kuya Kim, the TV personality, is to make them aware,” - Kim Atienza, television host “I believe that one is never too young to be an environmentalist. Actually you really have to start them young so that it becomes second nature to them to be disciplined about throwing trash.” -Christine Bersola-Babao, broadcast journalist “I’m going to use this experience [in the Read-Along] as a motivational tool when I get back home [to India]. I’d tell our kids there, ‘You know the kids in Manila? They were so behaved and participative.’ I hope that inspires them." Miss Earth 2010 Nicole Faria of India "Reading transports us to a much bigger world out there. We come to know other cultures and peoples, beliefs and even conflicts in other parts of the world. [As a leader], you have to stay on top of current events. You have to be open to insights and opinions of other people. You do this through reading. Reading gives you a very healthy attitude." Charo Santos-Concio, President, ABS-CBN
“I’ve always wanted to bring my son to the read-along since the program started, but he was too young. So when he turned six, I took the opportunity to sign him up for a session. I find the Read- Along concept very inspiring. I will definitely bring my son again and my youngest daughter when she is old enough.” Annavi Caraan, mother of 6-year-old Louise Caraan, first-time Read-Along attendee Tes monies as told in the Inquirer By Partners
“Reading is the key to education, which is the only way out of poverty.” Lala Salanga, volunteer teacher for Edukasyon Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran (EKK) tutorial program, which augments the teaching of Baseco, Manila's impoverished elementary school students “I think the children enjoyed [the Read- Along] a lot. This is a first time for them. We think that the children who have less should have more in experience.” Evelyn San Buenaventura, Quota International of Manila “I was happy to have had this opportunity to perform and to show others that my blindness is not a hindrance to showing what I’m truly capable of." Maricor Book, blind third year student at Ramon Magsaysay High School and Read-Along performer "Storytelling and community adaptation are part of the school's curriculum. Being here [at the Read-Along] is like hitting two birds with one stone. They get to experience a reading session and they also get to interact with other children." Marijo Mabuhay, school director of Stepping Stone Learning, Resource and Therapy Center, an institute for children with special needs Tes monies as told in the Inquirer By kids and parents
"At first I thought I should have just stayed home, slept longer or watched TV. But now I'm glad I chose to go to the Read-Along. It was really enjoyable and definitely more productive than just staying home. I learned a lot of new things and I think I have developed an interest in reading." - Clifford Cruz, 12, first time Read-Along attendee “We really wanted to come because we always enjoy the sessions. We get to read new stories, meet celebrities and learn new things. Today, I learned how to conserve water and how to dispose of trash properly." Erika Rueda, 8, regular Read-Along attendee from Virlanie Foundation "They really knew how to capture the attention of the children. It was very interactive. I also learned that storytelling is effective in teaching lessons." - Jane Otero, mother of Read-Along participant Arnee Jane. “We really wanted to come because we always enjoy the sessions. We get to read new stories, meet celebrities and learn new things. Today, I learned how to conserve water and how to dispose of trash properly." Erika Rueda, 8, regular Read-Along attendee from Virlanie Foudation “The session was fun. I admit that I expected to be bored but I was wrong. The readers were very lively and even if my stomach was already grumbling, I could not keep myself from listening to the stories.” Beatrix de Guia, 11, Read-Along attendee Updates We have good news and bad news. THE BAD NEWS: Decline in readership in the Philippines con nues Type 2003 2007 2012 Total reading 94% 92% 88% Newspapers 86% 72% 67% Books 90% 83% 80% Magazines 66% 51% 43%
National Book Development Board/ Social Weather Stations 2012 Readership Survey The Good News More and more Filipinos are beginning to read non‐school books (NSB is the term used to describe books that are not prescribed, or are read voluntarily) at a much younger age. “This underscores the vital role that parents, family, day care centers and preschool teachers play in encouraging a love for reading.” – NBDB 2012 Survey Age when respondents started reading Non‐School Books:
Age 2003 2007 2012 Up to 6 yrs old 3% 4% 6%
7 - 12 28% 34% 39% In sum, Read‐Along makes a lot of good sense. Our mission con nues . . .
. . . We have expanded our network of friends to include champions who will establish their reading programs in communi es and celebrity ambassadors who will work with us in our planned read‐along caravans In daycare centers and primary schools. . . Thank you for le ng us share our story. ‐ The Inquirer Read‐Along Team