LAOAG CITY—At a time when schoolchildren are glued to television sets or cellular phones during their free time, several schools in this city and the province are trying to catch children’s attention to promote fun reading.
At the Laoag City Elementary School, at least four corners under its stairs are being used as reading nook for all pupils, said Athelene R. Sampayan, Master Teacher I of LCES, last week.
“During their lunch break, pupils gather in the nook to read, scan and do some assignments instead of running around at noon time,” Sampayan said, adding that pupils are motivated to read when passing by the reading corner.
To promote reading with comprehension, which has become a major concern in schools nationwide, the Badio Elementary School (BES) in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, also declared a 4 o’clock reading habit among its learners.
“When they go to the school canteen, our pupils, particularly those from Grade 1, pass by a reading corner where they read out loud as a group,” said BES Principal Aileen Rambaud.
Since they intensified the reading habit of their pupils, Rambaud said some of them have indeed showed great improvement.
Similar to other schools, Principal Orlando Pascua of Filipinas East Elementary School also established a reading park near the school playground. While taking time to play, the pupils stand near the newly installed reading readiness corners as they read selected short stories and words to enrich their vocabulary.
Early on, the Department of Education has launched a program called READ to LEAD as part of Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs, or Every Child Can Read) initiative, an advocacy to make every learner a reader at grade level.
Under DepEd Memorandum 173, Series of 2019, the 3Bs initiative encourages the department’s offices from central, division levels and up to schools to intensify their advocacy for reading and make every learner a reader at their grade level and turn teachers into effective reading instructors.
On March 5, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones is expected to visit some Ilocos schools to consult with teachers and students about various concerns, and to discuss possible ways to address them.
Image credits: Orlando Pascua