GENERAL GUIDELINES

Story Telling/Oration/Declamation
1) The Pieces are provided.
2) Each Track should have their representative to compete.
3) The Pieces will be delivered in a dramatic way considering the costumes
4) Criteria for Judging are as follows:

Clarity and Projection of Voice 30%

Mastery of the Piece 30%
Gestures and Facial Expression 30%
Audience Impact 10%
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Total: 100%

Speech Choir
Unlike Readers Theater (which is meant to be read), "Choral Speaking" requires a group of
students to orally interpret and recite from memory.  Choral Speaking enables groups to present oral
presentations of poems and other texts. Talk about conveying meaning by:
 emphasizing particular lines/phrases/words,
 Using a range of voices, eg. one or two voices,
 assigning different sections to different speakers,
 varying pace, voices, volume,
 including possible gestures or actions
To be able to present a good speech choir, keep in mind the following:
1. A good number for speech choir is 25-30 members equally participated by each track.
2. The contest piece is THE BELLS by Edgar Allan Poe.
3. Divide your participants into several voices depending on the piece
4. Arrange the contest piece before giving it to your participants. This means that you have
already assigned parts for each voice, for the solo and for the unison (meaning all three
voices). Keep in mind though that even if all three voices speak together but their voices
should be clearly distinct from each other.  This is called blending.
5. Memorize the piece. If you are the conductor, the more you should memorize it. Before giving
the contest piece to your participants, see to it that you have double-checked its pronunciation.
6. Drill into your participants to feel the piece. Their facial expression should reflect what they are
speaking. Facial expressions can’t be taught. It should come from within. It should not look
artificial but should come from their hearts.
7. Deliver with the intent to be understood; hence, for dramatic speech choir, actions and props
are necessary. The voice and the facial expression counts also.  Remember the audience
should understand what you are talking about.
8. The conductor may stand at the back of the judges. He may conduct in any manner he wants
as long as he is able to guide his participants for an effective speech choir presentation.
9. Participants will be evaluated according to the following:

Mastery of the Piece 10%

Tone of voice 30%
Facial Expression & Gestures 40%
Costumes and Props 20%
Total: 100%
Spelling Bee
1) Three Finalists per track will compose the participants
2) Questions are divided into four (4) categories: Easy, Average, Difficult and Group. Each category
consists of 5 words to be spelled which all in all have the total of 20 words.
Easy (5) = 1 point
Average (5) =2 points
Difficult (5) =3 points
Group (5) =5 points each for correct answer
3) Each word will be asked by the following modes:
1st: Pronouncing the word
2nd: Giving the meaning
3rd: Pronouncing the word for the second and last time
4) Each group will be given the chance to choose among the members (without repetition) to compete
for every round.
5) Time Allotment will be as follows after hearing the “go” signal:
Easy- 5 sec.
Average- 8 sec.
Difficult- 10 sec.
Group- 15 sec.
6) The Score Master will be responsible in doing the tally of the scores written in the Manila paper
while the other officer will do the same in the official score sheet.
7) Announcing the winners will be on March 8.

Readers Theater
Readers Theater is a dramatic presentation of a written work in a script form.  Readers read
from a "script" and reading parts are divided among the readers. No memorization, costumes,
blocking, or special lighting is needed. Scripts are held by the readers. Lines are not memorized. The
focus is on reading the text with expressive voices and gestures.
Reader's theater is often defined by what it is not -- no memorizing, no props, no costumes, no
sets. All this makes reader's theater wonderfully convenient. Still, convenience is not its chief asset.
Like storytelling, reader's theater can create images by suggestion that could never be
realistically portrayed on stage. Space and time can be shrunk or stretched, fantastic worlds can be
created, and marvelous journeys can be enacted. Reader's theater frees the performers and the
audience from the physical limitations of conventional theater, letting the imagination soars.
Reader’s Theater is "theatre of the imagination". Reader’s Theater "succeeds in giving the
same suggestive push to the imaginations in the audience that the act of silent reading gives to the
imagination of the perceptive silent reader” Everyone needs to talk - to hear and to play with
language, to exercise the mind and emotions and tongue together. Out of this spirited speech can
come meaningful, flavorful language, worth the time and effort of phrasing, rehearsing, and reading
aloud? "

Criteria for Judging are as follows:

Projection / Volume of voice- 30%
Characterizations- 40%
Audience Engagement- 15%
Stage Presence- 15%
Total: 100%

Mechanics
Readers’ Theater
1) The Piece is provided.
2) 10 students from each track will compete.
3) Props and Costumes are allowed to add more style in the presentation.