The welcoming library in Nufăru teacher local children how to read
18.01.2012
| The employees of RECL Nufăru (Tulcea County) are actively involved in the education of the youngest locals. Concerned that pupils are no longer in love with books, they joined forces with teachers and the librarian and created a strategy aiming to get young kids to read once again. |
Some 20 second graders and their teacher, Ileana Tincu, recently visited the Nufăru Commune Library, a KEP node, during their reading hour. Together with the RECL manager and the librarian, Veneţia Mitu, they tried to discover the best story books for their young age.
„Some of them learned to read before going to school: some got help from their parents, others from educators, other from the TV. From them we learned that subtitles might go too fast for them to read, but captions during news programmes are ideal for improvised reading exercises”, RECL manager Valentina Drăgan says.
Reading classes will take place at the library
„Daybreak Fairy”, „Pig’s tale” or the “Charmed prince” are only a few of the titles presented to young children like some of the most interesting they could read during their leisure time. They borrowed the books and will return them during the next visit with their teacher, when they will share their opinions. Visits to the library will take place regularly because, as the teacher says, children are no longer attracted to reading.
“There are many causes. First, not everyone can afford books. Year ago there was a series called Pupil’s Library which one could buy with pocket money. This is why bookshelves are disappearing from homes. Most of the parents are young and unfortunately children don’t have much to learn from them”, Ileana Tincu says.
The TV, enemy of reading
If small pupils can be encouraged to read through timely intervention, fifth to eight graders are a considerably bigger challenge. The TV is the biggest enemy of books – and it often wins.
“From the seventh graders we learned that homework takes an hour a day, but TV and computers constantly take 2 to 3 hours of time. Cartoons and games are among favourite activities. The internet is no longer a mistory, many pupils are now talking on messenger and have become familiar with the more frequent abbreviations. However, I was glad to see there is still room for books in their lives. Most know what we’re talking about when we mention famous characters like Harap-Alb, Făt-Frumos (Prince Charming) or Mr. Goe. With some you can even talk about some of our famous kings or Egypt’s pharaos”, RECL manager Valentina Drăgan says.
For secondary school pupils, RECL representatives, teachers and the librarian have planned activities aiming to reveal the joy of reading. “We are planning a strategy to give them some parts of homework that cannot be solved unless they borrow and read library books. We spoke with teacher Sorina Mangu and we will soon implement this plan”, librarian Veneţia Mitu explains.
The future of children, a constant concern of adults
Adopting inappropriate models from TV or unsuitable expressions are realities which educational leaders in Nufăru want to cut down through the new activities. „We have reached certain general, but still worrying, conclusions: following TV models, children are becoming increasingly violent, and their literary concerns are focused more around magazines promoting the same heroes as cartoons. Most teachers agree that children today are more intelligent. However, it is our task as adults to focus their attention and aptitudes in the best direction, to cultivate real values”, RECL manager Valentina Drăgan concludes.
Online resources:
The Library “Gheorghe Zamfir” in Vişina Managed to Create a Friendship between the Villagers and the World of Books
Târgu Frumos PAPI and Library organise „Book readers night”
Keywords: NufăruTulcealibraryreadingbookspupilsKEP