OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS
By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.
Today, our country will commemorate the National Day for Reading. As per Republic Act 10556, it was declared that every 27th of November is “Araw ng Pagbasa”. The national working holiday will celebrate the importance of reading in general as an important cog in learning. The Department of Education has set up several activities today in schools nationwide as the culminating set of activities for National Reading Month which is in turn celebrated every November. This year’s activities overarching objectives include promoting the love of reading among kids. Apparently, less and less children read by choice. Worse, those who read understand less of what they read.
Although records indicate that our national literacy rate is still steadily improving, a recent study by the World Bank showed that there are still areas where our children are “learning poor” or unable to comprehend or understand basic material. In response, DepEd has implemented a series of programs including a half-day read-aloud activity in an attempt to curb declining reading comprehension skills.
Many have opined that the declining comprehension level is a result of kids and even young adults losing interest in reading for pleasure. The recent slate of Booksale branches closing all over the country is one of the clear signs that printed books are really becoming less popular every year. Once upon a time, Booksale was the go-to place for popular and affordable second-hand books. I used to visit Booksale branches every time I was in a mall to look for paperbacks, coffee table books and comic books. Today, less people see reading books as a top choice for among leisure activities. As such, several academicians have suggested that it is time to promote programs that put fun back in reading. One such program is allowing comic books and other forms of fantasy literature to become staple reading materials in schools. Once sneered at by stiff leaders of academe as an improper form of educational reading material, comics and fantasy books are being tapped as a way to lure kids back to reading activities.
Comics allow readers to interact with both images and text which could lead to better comprehension and visualization of the story. Many voracious readers of our generation started reading after being exposed to comics. These early readers then graduate to short form fantasy books about mythological creatures and beings. To support these activities, schools can create parallel activities such as cosplays, games and even contests related to these reading materials. Understandably, some conservative academic leaders will not be open to this approach. There are times when oblique approaches are needed to solve some basic problems.
