The Showbiz Approach To Reading
Written by Cherry Pua Africa
Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre. An excellent delivery must touch the heart – it must make us laugh, ponder, skip with delight or even cry in sorrow.
- Gail Godwin
In “Couch Potatoes to Book Potatoes” series, Cherry Pua-Africa shares showbiz way to reading – using entertainment to teach and reach children. The approach develops teachers or even parents for that matter, who can excite our youngsters, whose senses have already been attuned to entertainment, to read and write.
The Showbiz Approach to Reading is all about engaging all the parts of ourselves that respond to learning – our mind, our hearts and our bodies. It is important that we connect with the learners not only with their minds, but with their hearts as well.
It is not easy to teach today’s generation. Children are growing up too fast, losing their child-like and innocent disposition the moment they turn six. We must constantly fill the learning vat with happiness and energy.
I remember a young boy from one of my classes calling his mom a zapper. A zapping parent is a kill-joy parent. We become zappers when we force a book into a child’s hands. Forcing a child to read creates a setback and it takes a very long time to make your way back. A lot of our youngsters today complain that zapping teachers and parents have made reading, writing and other classroom activities become very dull.
If your child starts referring to his teacher or you as a zapper, it’s time to change strategy. It’s never too late to transform the literacy activity into an enjoyable and process.
For more information on the Showbiz Approach to Reading, long on to www.geniuschilddevelopment.com.
Article author
About the Author
Cherry Pua-Africa is the author of stories such as The True Story of Humpty Dumpty that was recognized and awarded by Japan SV Association, The Culture Cat Series used by Cambridge Informatics throughout its franchise network and the Story Ring. She is also the producer of the educator's favorite storytelling CDs entitled The Story Ring and Never Ending Rhythm and Rhymes.
She is currently the Managing Director of Never Ending Story, a Singapore-based education consultancy firm providing training and coaching service to educators and school business managers and developing high impact school programmes. Cherry is also a director of ACT English in Thailand and has managed several kindergartens and speech and drama centres.
To date, Cherry's clients include Cambridge Child Development Centres (Informatics Singapore), ACTs of life Singapore, Singapore Repertory's Little Theatre Company, Singapore Asian Civilisations Museum, Total Child Centre Malaysia, Kinder Minds Philippines, etc. She has given high impact workshops at the National Storytelling Network in the USA, International Reading Association, Southeast Asian Education Ministers Organization, Chitrlada Royal School in Bangkok, SEGI College in Malaysia and so on.
Cherry is currently a columnist in the education section of The Star newspaper in Malaysia and Bangkok Post in Thailand. She was also a guest consultant in famous child-related TV programmes in the Philippines, being a former speaker of Gain's Multiple Intelligences and has appeared in Bangkok Post, Singapore Parent Magazine, Manila Bulletin, Manila Chronicle, The Nation, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Parents' Magazine.
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