Story telling is a good approach and an effective way of helping the children enhance their attention and concentration and cultivate their thinking skills and intellectual potentials. Children with disabilities like deafness or hearing impairment have the right to education and to enjoy life just like any children. They should be given full opportunity to achieve and maintain acceptable levels of learning.
A group of deaf teachers and interpreters from University of the Philippines headed by Ms. May Cabutihan (s-l interpreter) together with Cathy Alonzo and Ricky Arenas conceptualized the idea of giving a Reading workshop to some deaf elementary and high school students. This idea was a part of their requirement in the university taking special education especially teaching the deaf and also to share to the children other aspects of teaching and learning Reading as a subject in school and as a skill.
This activity was made possible on August 31, 2008 with the assistance of the Philippine Association of Interpreters for Deaf Empowerment (PAIDE) through the help of their interpreters namely Sir Mike Potian and Ms. Nemz Abiday. Also present then were Ms. Vivian Hipolito and Jerly-Ann Villanueva. Our group (Elma (me), Lynn, Anthony and Carlito) S-L interpreting trainees from level 5 (Practicum) were also invited to take part. The deaf students of San Isidro Elementary/High School in Antipolo City were the recipients of the activity. They were headed by their teacher/moderator Ms. Marose Aydalia. Some parents were also present to witness and observe the activity.
The group was divided into two, the elementary group and the high school group. The teachers and the interpreters facilitated the two separated activities. Everybody had fun during the event. Deaf teachers, the animators especially gave a tremendous amount of talent and expertise. They were so good in story-telling and animating that really made the children more amazed and excited in taking part.
During the workshop, small children with our assistance (PAIDE interpreters and trainees) enjoyed pasting the cut out story characters and in sequencing the events of the story read to them by their teacher. The high school students were also able to showcase their best in arts through the vase of love they made and prepared as a symbol of how much they treasure someone in their life.
The activity took place for almost 3 hours but it was a great success to all the students, interpreters and facilitators. The deaf children showed everyone present there, their appreciation to the effort and time given to them through their big happy smiles.
By Priscilla S. Roxas