Student teachers push children’s literature
Today students from the University of Belize Children’s Literature programme put on a display to showcase storybooks and puppetry written and performed by students. The displays were created primarily to inform the public about the importance of literature in the development of children’s speech and communication skills.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The storybooks were written by practicing teachers taking the Level 2 Children’s Literature Course. The texts appeared to be designed by experts with careful attention paid to both content, and illustration.
Denise Robateau, Lecturer, UB
“We want children to read more, we know that it is a necessity. Many primary school students are not reading, they are not writing, they are not speaking, and they are not listening. In children’s literature we try to make that connection. We promote books and the foundation of the course is to motivate students to read. Our society is not a reading society and parents, teachers are important in a child’s reading process, so actually this display is for everyone, the society on a whole.”
Josephine Palacio Terry, Student, UB
“From my specific display, we are looking at how to do puppetry through literature. How to get across our poems, our stories, our songs, our rhymes and jingles.”
Since there was a lack of children at the event, I got into a little roll play for this student’s presentation.
Josephine Palacio Terry
“Hello, I’m mister tiger. What can you tell me, today? I live in the jungle.”
Jose Sanchez
“Okay, I live in Belize City.”
Josephine Palacio Terry
“If you live in Belize City then you need to go to the jungle where you are going to find the jaguar.”
Jose Sanchez
“What is the Jaguar?”
Josephine Palacio Terry
“The jaguar is one of our endangered species which lives in Belize in the rainforest.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do people eat Jaguar’s?”
Josephine Palacio Terry
“Well I don’t think so, but I know Jaguar’s would eat you.”
Jose Sanchez
“I’m scared.”
Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
The display was held at UB’s Faculty of Education in West Landivar. Robateau is exploring the possibility of publishing some of the books.
