Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc., Adarna House, Inc., and the Department of Education held a story-telling event for 60 public school teachers, three education supervisors, and  three district supervisors and principals at the Bambang Central School in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya.

The workshop on the art of oral narration, the session focuses on the tools a storyteller can use, and how these tools can be maximized to the storyteller’s advantage. It gives tips on choosing stories, preparing for storytelling sessions, and developing different ways to tell a story. It aims to develop  genuine love for reading among children through storytelling.

Grade 2 teacher Vanessa Patricio sees the project as “not just a plain story-action or variation of voice but a springboard for enjoyment, reading and learning techniques.”  Grade 5 and 6 teacher Josie Laboreda adds, “being TYKF’s recipients of storybooks, we sustain the usage of these books to encourage pupils to read more and learn how to tell stories.” 

Sta. Fe Central teacher Marjorie Frani says that storytelling is another way of teaching beyond the traditional form, and Grade 2 teacher Eliza Baldino finds that it helps them in storytelling classes with techniques to be used for effective teaching. 

Grade 4 teacher Blessing Balasuit is thankful for the session saying that teachers are not usually equipped to encourage pupils to read, “thus learning strategies of storytelling help teachers to appreciate and share to pupils, co-teachers, and even to district level officials.”

Grade 3 & 4 Teacher Ma. Magdalena Attaban appreciates the storytelling lessons for the ability to have “strategies in teaching and for kids to love reading.”

The 2013 Tan Yan Kee Library Summer Class was held from April 2 to June 2, 2013 with an overwhelming response from participants and parents alike.  

Activities included Chinese History  and Chinese Literature classes.  The scope of these classes ranged from learning, reading, storytelling, and understanding Chinese History and Idioms; learning, understanding, and appreciating Chinese Tang poetry; singing Chinese inspirational and mother’s day songs; art activities such as drawing, coloring, doll-making, mother’s day greeting cards; composition writing; acting in short plays, storytelling, reporting, narrating poems, and song interpretation; learning and improving Mandarin and Fookien.

Culminating events were the Mother’s Day Celebration during which the children narrated, sang, and did song interpretation and the 2013 Summer Class Graduation rites on June 9 where short plays, storytelling, reporting, narration, singing, and song interpretation were done both in Mandarin and Foookien.

Parents’ feedback showed that they were particularly happy with their children’s improved proficiency in the Chinese language and had acquired a deeper understanding of Chinese history, culture, and values.  Students, on the other hand, said they earned new friends from different schools, enjoyed reading Chinese storybooks and comics as well as learning new songs and crafts.  

Teachers Aniceto Cham, Leslie Anne Cham, Merlyline Ham, and Diane Hung,, who were brought in to conduct the summer class, felt that the students left an impression of excitement and anticipation.  

The TYK Library personnel are Florentina Go, Ellamae Valenzuela, and Lan Chen Chiu.