Book fair turns students on to reading
Ever since Gutenberg’s Bible rolled off the press over five centuries ago, worried parents have lamented that their children don’t read enough. Today I visited one school where instead of just complaining about the problem, they’re actually doing something about it.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
These days it’s hard to pull the children away from the TV. and have them pick up a book let alone read it. To get children interested in reading, the principal and staff of Queen’s Square Anglican School held its first book fair.
Carol Babb, Principal, Queen’s Square Anglican
“I think they are not reading as they should because they are not being exposed to books sufficiently. If we want our children to read then we have to provide the resources. And the idea for the book fair is for us to provide the resources, to wet their appetites, to tell them and encouraged them about reading, to tell them that reading will open a whole sea of knowledge to them. They can visit places they have never been before, they can learn about food they have never tasted before, so in reading there is so much fun, there is so much information, there is so much knowledge.”
The children set up several stalls that displayed a variety of books and related artifacts. Other boys and girls got the opportunity to interview some Belizean authors. The information collected was then compiled and exhibited.
Michael Pitts Jr., 12 years old
“Well Evan X Hyde is a very good writer although he stopped writing 23 years ago and about 10 of his stories are very good.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What kind of stories he’s written?”
Michael Pitts Jr.
“He has written fictional stories that link up to people indirectly. Some of them have actually happen to himself.”
Indira Thompson, 14 years old
“Well Miss Helen Rocke, from an early age started to write short stories. In 1993 she wrote her first short story about Jimbo, the Governor of Wool. In 1994 she her first book was published. Here we have some different things that she wrote. Here’s the location where she was born and these are the stories that she wrote too.”
Carol Babb, the school’s principal, says she hopes the fair motivates the children to read and even become writers themselves. One student who has been inspired is 12-year old Michele Lopez. Michele, who had the job of writing about Belizean author and poet, Corinth Lewis, says she liked one poem best.
Michele Lopez, 12 years old
“To me, my favorite is “A Mother’s Debt” because it shows about the children especially in the United States, who charge their mothers for doing simple chores and her mother wrote back to her and told her about all the things that she had done for her including her love which is no charge.”
The children not only read about Belizean authors but had the privilege of listening to them as well. Glenda Bailey, whose work appears in the book “If Di Pin Neva Ben,” entertained the students with an excerpt from the Creole story, Warrie Massa.
Glenda Bailey
“…when yo go da di plum tree and di mango tree, an unu tek wah stick and whap and whap di tree, membah only pull weh yo could eat. No pull down the lee plum, cause deh same plum could get big and yu could eat it again…remembah Warrie Massa when yo go dah the tree.”
Just as the children enjoyed hearing a good story, they agreed that they should also be reading them.
Kayley Edwards, 11 years old
“Well to me it is very important because whenever you read it builds up your vocabulary and you can learn much about other countries and their history.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Do you read more than you watch the television?”
Kayley Edwards
“Well I would watch at the same rate because sometimes I would watch television at least for an hour and read at least for another hour.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What books do you like to read?”
Kayley Edwards
“Well I like to read history books and books that teaches about different places.”
Andrea Locke, 12 years old
“It is important for me to read because it increases your vocabulary, it widens your imaginations and it lets you know more about the world.”
Christian Babb, 11 years old
“It helps to build your vocabulary and helps you to have and open mind to things you do.”
While it’s important for the schools to get students interested in reading, parents as well have their part to play. Mothers and fathers are being encouraged to read to their children and discuss whatever story is being told. Babb says this is not only an excellent way to bond with the children but it will also help them to develop their reading, writing and comprehension skills.
Carol Babb, who is also the president of the Belize District branch of the Belize National Teachers Union, says a recent reading survey conducted by the Ministry of Education in ten pilot schools revealed that seventy percent of the students were reading two to three grades below their level.
