Read this: Developing the young through reading

MANILA, Philippines – If you can read this, thank a teacher.

Most may think of reading as a basic skill, yet this is one aspect of literacy that is often taken for granted. Reading in its highest form is a journey in search of enlightenment.

Thankfully, there remain staunch advocates of reading like Sr. Felicitas Bernardo, who strongly believes that reading is the foundation of one’s development. Sr. Felicitas, a school administrator and active member of the Reading Association of the Philippines (RAP), links the importance of reading to the quality of education offered by a school. “Remove reading from any curriculum and it will crumble, because reading is the foundation for knowledge. If a school is serious about giving quality education to their students, they should invest in reading programs that will bring this about,” she explains.

Reading with comprehension is key to information and knowledge — reading literacy is fundamental because it impacts the development of one’s verbal and written communication skills. 

The Reading Association of the Philippines, one of the pioneer organizations whose focus is to enable as many people as possible to read with comprehension, drives this vision. Sr. Felicitas joined RAP “because I strongly believed in their advocacy … they have this intense passion to share the love of reading with everybody. Because of RAP, we were able to develop our teachers — reading became our flagship program, thanks to their effective training programs”.

For Sr. Felicitas, continuous training and learning is a very important aspect of quality education.   “The teacher and the school share the responsibility to continue the development of the teacher. Like students, teachers need materials to further their growth, especially in terms of teaching capabilities and strategies. The school has to equip them with the proper tools so that they can teach their students well,” she notes.

Because she takes her role as educator to heart, Sr. Felicitas is always on the lookout for reading resources that give the best value in terms of quality and content. “There are a lot of supplemental resources available, but we choose those that match the needs and skill level of the students for these to be effective.” 

One such resource she considers invaluable in making classroom-based learning meaningful and enjoyable is Teacher Created Materials, a range of educational resources made by teachers, for both teachers and students. Its flagship product, Reader’s Theater, is an innovative interactive reading program that builds fluency skills in listening, writing, and speaking. 

“We use Reader’s Theater for various subjects, not just English, because the materials are very good for developing fluency. Students don’t memorize words and phrases … they understand what the story is all about. And the content cuts across various subject areas — so you not only practice fluency, you also enrich the understanding of core subjects like math and science,” says Sr. Felicitas.

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Teacher Created Materials products are exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Rex Book Store International. Interested parties may call 740-2487, 711-7169, and 712-4101 local 105 or visit www.rexpublishing.com for more details.