Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO

SAMPAGUITA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Sampaguita, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro

A NARRATIVE REPORT ON THE 3-DAY LIVE-IN DIVISION SKILLS

ENHANCEMENT ON STORYBOOK WRITING
August 16-18, 2023

The Schools Division Office of Oriental Mindoro - Curriculum Implementation Division

through the Learning Resource Management Section (LRMS) conducted a skills
enhancement for the Key Stages 1 and 2 teachers who are writers or willing to write stories
through the efforts of Sir Elmer P. Concepcion, Education Program Supervisor.
The opening program started at 8 o’clock in the morning with the singing of the
national anthem followed by a prayer. Sir Elmer P. Concepcion, gave the welcome remarks,
oriented, and presented the participating schools. Moreover, he sends his message that we
should produce quality books followed by the presentation program of activities, setting of
purpose, and importance of stories given. He also gave new tips After this, Ms. Eleonor Q.
Bicol, a Teodora Alonzo candidate from San Teodoro District, gave the participants the gist
of joining the competition and shared her experiences on the national level. Sir Roswell O.
Tolentino astoundingly introduced the lecturer to the 3-day live-in training, Sir Raymund
Magno Gralitos, a bilingual poet, children’s book writer, and translator has won the Palanca
Awards for Poetry in both Filipino (1998) and English (2000). His second children’s book,
“Chenelyn! Chenelyn!” won the 2000 Gintong Aklat Award for Children’s Literature. His 3 rd
children’s book, “Mga Lihim sa Gabi ni Ruming (Ruming’s Night Secrets)”, will come out by
the middle of the year.
The first day of the training covers the first topic, Introduction/Functions of Children’s
Literature in the Philippines. According to Sir Rhandee, children's literature in the Philippines
is a vibrant and diverse landscape, reflecting the country's rich culture and traditions. Stories
often draw from local folklore, myths, and values, offering young readers a glimpse into the
nation's heritage. Renowned authors like Genaro Gojo Cruz and Rene O. Villanueva have
contributed immensely to the development of Filipino children's literature, fostering a sense
of identity and pride among young readers. He also presented a brief history of children’s
literature and the books that he wrote. The first day was great as it inspires us how to create
a world that would add experience to a child the way they will enjoy life through stories.
On the second day, Pinamalayan East District started the session with a prayer
followed by the singing of a makabayan song, an energizer and a cheerful roll call of
attendance. Each district chanted a description of themselves and stated their purpose for
attending the seminar. After this, Sir Elmer introduced the screening committee members
from SDO – Oriental Mindoro. The supposed to be second topic on the first day was
introduced on the second day which is Profiling your target reader: Topics. Profiling target
readers in storybook writing involves understanding your audience's age, interests, and
preferences. This enables you to tailor the story's content, themes, and complexity to
resonate with them. Sir Rhandee told us that just by creating relatable characters and
situations, you can engage readers on a deeper level and make your story more impactful.
He also said that a well-defined target reader profile helps shape the tone, language, and
overall structure of your storybook.
In the afternoon session, the third topic was Character Design and Story Pitching. Sir
Rhandee explained that story design and character pitching are critical aspects of creating a
captivating narrative. Story design involves crafting the overall structure, plot, and pacing of
the story. Moreover, he said that it’s important to establish a clear beginning, middle, and
end, as well as incorporate key plot points and conflicts to keep readers engaged. Character
pitching, on the other hand, entails developing compelling and relatable characters. Each
character should have a distinct personality, motivations, and arc that contribute to the
story's development. By making characters relatable and multidimensional, readers are
more likely to connect with them and become invested in their journeys. Ultimately, a well-
designed story with carefully pitched characters ensures a captivating and memorable
reading experience for your audience. The fourth topic was about Plotting Your Story: From
Beginning to End. Sir Rhandee described plotting a story as structuring the narrative in a
way that engages child readers and keeps them invested. Moreover, Sir Rhandee said that a
well-plotted story maintains a balance between action, character development, and
emotional arcs. By carefully crafting each phase of the plot, you create a satisfying and
engaging reading experience from beginning to end. For the last topic for the day, Sir
Rhandee showed us how to illustrate picture storybooks. Illustrating picture storybooks is a
creative and collaborative process that brings the written narrative to life through visual
elements. In illustrating picture storybooks, you need to understand the story, design the
character, create a rough storyboard that outlines the sequence of illustrations for each
page, consider composition, pacing, and how the illustrations flow with the text, choose an
appropriate visual style that complements the story's tone, and page layout with a balance
between text and illustrations. Sir Rhandee emphasized that picture book illustrations play a
crucial role in engaging young readers and enhancing their understanding of the story.
Likewise, a well-executed visual narrative complements the written word, creating a
memorable and immersive reading experience. and Storyboarding. The second day was a
jam pack of learnings about storybook writing. Likewise, I like how Sir Rhandee showed
different children’s stories from different writers and creatively told those stories for us.
One part of the training was a short activity of writing 1-2 sentences about our
happiest and saddest experiences as a child. Sir Rhandee told us that this can be an
inspiration in creating short stories for children because the real-life experiences of a child
can be relatable for young readers too. Afterward, he chose some outputs and gave
feedback and tips on how it can be an effective story for children. I was surprised when my
happiest childhood memory was chosen by Sir Rhandee. It was about my childhood
memories of playing with my friends and discovering the gumamela flower as “palobo” or
bubbles. For me, the second day of training was like a candle that lit up my creative mind to
think of out-of-this-world topics that would interest young minds and young-at-heart people
like me. On that evening, after dinner, an amity hour was set. Each district showcased their
talents followed by awarding a certificate and handing a simple token of gratitude to our
lecturer Sir Raymund “Rhandee” Magno Garlitos from us participants.
On the third and last day, the training started with an opening prayer by one of the
participants followed by a Zumba dance and a roll call of attendees by district with a rhyming
song/children’s songs. Sir Thervel Saez, one of the members of the screening committee
and an English supervisor presented a topic on Fixing Possible Weaknesses in Writing
(Story). He discussed how to spot and fix some of the writing weaknesses such as boring
your readers to tears, lack of focus, lack of substance, dodgy flow, long-winded sentences,
gobbledygook, misplaced jargon, fluff, and a bad sense of rhythm. He added that to be a
good and skillful writer, you can become your own writing teacher and it is your task to spot
your weaknesses. Most importantly, to encourage yourself to embrace your learning and
have fun. Next to speak were Sir Elmer Alzarte, Mam Magdalena Lo, Mam Clarita Villaruel,
and Mam Magdalena Morales.
The program ended with the sharing of impressions of some teachers and awarding
of certificates to the people behind making the event a successful one.

Prepared by:

MARIA CRISTINA H. AGUANTA

Teacher III