“It is very fulfilling when children recognize you and ask to read more stories for them,” smiles parent-volunteer Adora Ladia, the General Parents-Teachers Association (GPTA) President in Muladbucad Elementary School in Guinobatan, Albay. Adora is one of the four parent volunteers engaged by the school to improve the reading proficiency of the children.
The story-reading activity allows for a question and answer time at the end of every story to gauge the level of comprehension of the children. During regular days, story-reading is one of the most-liked activities since the story-teller usually gives away tokens to those who can answer questions correctly. This is usually done in a big group of children.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Marites Reluz, GPTA Treasurer and also a parent-volunteer, shared that she became a volunteer because she was very grateful that her children learned how to read in their early years. She wanted to encourage them to also help other children how to read. Since last year, her daughter became a pupil-educator who helps slow readers improve themselves.
Establishment of school-based reading program is Department of Education’s (DepEd) drive to ensure that all children are early-grade readers to facilitate better learning in the higher grades. For Muladbucad ES, Educo has provided age-appropriate reading materials, references and storybooks. The Reading Coordinator was also trained on remedial reading and creative reading.
Mrs. Marny Balana, also from the GPTA and a parent-volunteer, recalls Educo’s program in their school.
“We were trained on how to make our reading center more attractive as well as in the use of recycled materials in reading,” she says.
Mrs. Reluz further shares, “We learned to use role playing and singing to enhance comprehension.”
Mrs. Marigen Legesniana, also a GPTA officer, expresses her gratitude towards the program.
“I was very happy when I was chosen to attend the ‘Pagsurat Bikol’ workshop. I learned the importance of mother-tongue to help children understand what they are better,” says Marigen.
When asked about her experience as a parent-volunteer for reading, she says, “This also helped my child learn how to read. When I got back from the workshop, I used the Guinobatnon (local dialect) words to help her jumpstart her reading. This has triggered better understanding of the words and from then on, she developed her love for reading.”
The parent-volunteers have strengthened the partnership of the community, the local government and the school in realizing the vision for children through the “Every Child a Reader Program” (ECARP) of DepEd.
The school-based reading program has also engaged the barangay officials to become more pro-active in school-related activities. Last year, the barangay council has donated prizes (school supplies) to the winners in the Reading Festival. The council members also participated in Story-reading activities.
For SY 2015-16, Muladbucad ES has ranked 1st in Hekasi (97.98) and 5th in English (95.47) in the National Achievement Test in the province of Albay.
Principal Elizabeth Paliza shares that, “To achieve this, pupils should already be independent readers by Grade 3 for them to reach their potential in learning by Grade 4. Learning starts when one learns to read.”
“Pupils also need to be already well-trained on how questions are formulated, as part of their learning process. This should be patterned on how national examination questions are also formulated so that a child is already familiar with the pattern,” she elaborates.
In the coming “Buwan ng Wika” (National Language Month) celebration, teacher Arlene Quimson, the School Reading Coordinator, will be conducting a seminar workshop for GPTA, Supreme Pupil Government (SPG) and Library Club Officers on creative reading as part of capacity-building.
“The pupils now know the word ‘library’,” replies teacher Arlene when asked about the most significant change in the school.
“Although there was a library then, the books were not age-appropriate for children. Since most books were just donated, these were more appropriate as higher level reference materials. It did not help in encouraging the use of the library,” she explains.
She further shared that “Basa Tayo Ate at Kuya (Let us read, big sister and brother)” and “Karton-Kariton (carton and pushcarts)” were some of the creative ideas used to promote reading. Since the reading center cannot accommodate all the children during library hours, reading materials are brought outside the center and to the trees where, under the shade, the children can still read their favorite books. These are handled by the SPG and Library Club officers.
To sustain the reading interest of the children as well as the teachers’ enthusiasm to promote reading to their pupils, the program has been integrated into the school’s improvement plan (SIP) and annual implementation plan (AIP).
Moreover, the school actively encourages their alumni to support their reading center through donation of books and reading materials.
Since 2005, Educo has assisted the school in many ways such as through provision of school supplies to all enrollees for 5 years, supplemental feeding, repair of 3 classrooms to promote conducive learning facility, and provision of furniture set for the reading center/library.
# Story by Mariella, MEL Specialist
