Reading with a taste of chocolate

Janely Sugey Triful Centurión, Luz Marina Reto Díaz and Tatiana Yudit Vásquez Tantaleán, members of the Rural Libraries Network and students at the ‘Víctor Andrés Belaúnde’ Privately-Managed Public Higher Education College in Jaén, are undertaking their work placements at the ‘Inmaculada Concepción’ School in Montegrande, Jaén. Janely, Luz Marina and Tatiana are reading facilitators; they are very familiar with the books in the Network’s collection and use them in their activities and practical placements.

Today they are sharing with us their experience of the ‘Reading with a Taste of Chocolate’ picnic-workshop, which links the knowledge found in the Rural Libraries’ books with their pupils’ family and community experiences. 

The students share their account with us: “We feel that the workshop created an atmosphere quite different from that of a normal lesson, as the pupils were able to read more comfortably and freely: sitting or lying on cushions, even without their shoes on, whilst chatting amongst themselves. We also appreciated that no specific book was imposed on them; rather, they had the freedom to explore, observe and choose the text that most caught their attention.”

For his part, Deputy Headteacher Marcos Sánchez explains that the school has been implementing a comprehensive reading programme using the STEAM+H methodology (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics + Humanities), with the aim of providing better conditions for reading, comprehension and critical thinking. “The challenge is to bring texts closer to pupils so that they can read freely, supported by teachers acting as facilitators. Because if teachers, school leaders and families do not read alongside children and teenagers, we lose an important opportunity to connect with reading. We cannot expect better results in reading comprehension if we do not provide better physical and pedagogical conditions,” says Mr Marcos. “Thank you to the Cajamarca Rural Network for providing us with regional literature that reflects the thinking of rural communities and ordinary people, enabling students to recognise themselves in their culture and in the folk wisdom that identifies them as people of Cajamarca.”

We commend these initiatives and are proud of them and of the deputy headteacher’s educational leadership. What a wonderful reading experience, what a lovely way to bring pupils closer to books – without stress, without homework, without pressure. They will remember these moments for the rest of their lives!