(TOR) Issues and Programs On Reading

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Reading Programs in the Philippines

Philippine Whole School Reading Program

The Whole School Reading Program (WSRP) was developed because of Education Quality
and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills - Phase 2 (EQuALLS2) that was launched in July
2006 to increase access to quality education and livelihood skills in the Philippines. With specific
emphasis on poverty- and conflict-affected areas of Mindanao to municipalities to strengthen formal
and alternative education and reintegrate out-of school youth into the economy. It is for the findings
that the National Achievement Test results revealed a correlation between low math and science
scores and gaps in students’ reading comprehension. The scores also revealed that many early grade
students (grades 1–3) and intermediate students (grades 4–6) were struggling readers. The WSRP,
therefore, was designed to include the whole teaching staff (all subject areas) and the whole student
population (grades 1–6) within a given school.

The Whole School Reading Program (WSRP) was structured as a school-based approach to
strengthen teachers’ English reading fluency and comprehension skills and students’ English reading
skills. Its main components are Training of primary teachers in early grade reading using the Guide
to Early Reading Instruction; face-to-face training of all school teacher; and distribution of over 1
million supplementary books and a teacher’s guide on how to use the texts for reading enhancement
activities.

Basa Pilipinas

Basa Pilipinas supports the implementation of the language and literacy component of the K-
12 curriculum for Grades 1 to 3. Language and Literacy component of the K to 12 Curriculum are
Oral Language, Phonological Awareness, Book and Print Knowledge, Alphabet Knowledge,
Listening and Reading Comprehension. This program has 3 main objectives:

1. Improve reading instruction

A Comprehensive reading instruction training plan for grades 1, 2, and 3 was done it is a session
on how to assess students’ reading progress was also included and time allotted for instructional
materials development to ensure that teachers left the training site with the necessary tools to practice
what they learned from the training. Basa Pilipinas Contributed to improved reading instruction for
at least 163,726 students. Basa’s overall expected goal is to improved reading skills for at least one
million children in the early grades.

2. Improve reading delivery systems

To achieve this objective, facilitation of a workshop was done, that focused on setting early grade
reading standards in English, Filipino and two Mother Tongue languages. The development of
campaigns for improved community awareness on the importance of early grade reading was
pursued and this showed that the task is not only for the school but also for the community because
there’s a strong connection between the two.
3. Improve access to quality reading materials.

Basa mobilized support from its private sector partners, Brothers Brother Foundation, National
Book Store Foundation and Petron Foundation, to distribute close to 25,000 early grade reading
books.

Every Child A Reader Program

Agenda for Basic Education Reform of the Aquino Administration is to ensure that, children
everywhere in the country, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary
schooling. In this program is states that every child must be a reader by Grade 1, with the
introduction of the mandatory pre-schooling. It is dependent on a full year of Kindergarten, to
initially make every child a reader by Grade 3. That is why this is sometimes described as the zero
nonreaders goal by Grade 4.

Every Child a Reader Program has spawned two major programs:

1. Philippine Informal Reading Inventory

The assessment component of ECARP which is done by the teachers one on one especially
for the oral reading portion.

2. It is patterned to the New Zealand Reading Recovery Program for Grade 1 students.

This short-term, school-based intervention program for low literacy achievers. It involves
intensive one-to-one lessons for 30 minutes a day with a trained literacy teacher for an average
period of 20 weeks. Public school teachers have been selected to train for this in New Zealand and
in turn, train their colleagues in the Philippines.

As a proof of achievement, every student should show written or oral evidence of having read
at least two books a year, one per semester prior to promotion to the next level. It is specified that the
books referred to are not textbooks and that one be in English and the other in the vernacular or the
mother tongue.

"When you give someone a book, you don’t give him just paper, ink, and glue, You give him
the possibility of a whole new life.”

--Christopher Morley

Issues on Reading
Poor Reading Comprehension Skills Among Filipinos

High school education in the Philippines faces two huge problems: Poor reading
comprehension skills and poor performance in Math and Science. It is tempting to correlate the two
areas and suggest that the dismal performance in math and science is due to poor reading skills. If
this is the case then the solution lies in addressing reading challenges in the elementary years of
education. Research, however, shows that there is indeed a correlation, but not a significant one.
Poor performance in math and science therefore not results not merely from poor instruction in
reading, but from poor instruction across the board.

Ombra A. Imam and coworkers specifically looked at more than 600 first-year high school
students, from both private and public schools in Cotabato City. Their findings were in agreement
with those of standardized international exams as well as the National Achievement Tests in the
Philippines. The study was designed to examine various reading comprehension skills and how each
of these skills correlates with performance in math and science. The correlation study with math was
published in the International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, while the study on
science was published separately in the Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education.

The results are as follows:

Reading Comprehension

Mathematics
Science

Seeing the dismal performance across the board, it is indeed tempting to suggest that the
students are not performing well in math and science because the students are unable to comprehend
what they are reading. This, however, is not true, if one correlates the scores between reading
comprehension and either one of the two, math and science. The correlation coefficient between
reading and math is only 0.059, which basically shows no relationship. The coefficient obtained for
reading and science is a bit higher, but still insignificant, 0.10.

There is no reason to think that the above findings only hold for schools in Cotabato City.
Cotabato City schools belong to Region XII. In 2012, the National Achievement Test scores for
grade VI pupils from Region XII (72.60) are actually higher than those from the National Capital
Region (59.87). These results can therefore be taken to represent those of the entire country. These
are results that point to the real challenges schools in the Philippines currently need to address. The
problems are occurring well before tenth grade or fourth year high school. And the problems are
across the board.

Global Issues on Reading

Reading problems is one of the rising issues in education. It maybe caused or acquired in the
early stage of learning development caused by social and environmental factors or from within the
own self such psychological and emotional disturbance.

Reading problems is a comprehensive survey of teaching strategies, formal and informal


assessment, theory, and research. The reader will find information both from the field of reading and
from allied fields, such as special education, bilingual education, medical science, and policy studies.
Together, these areas provide a coherent framework for helping students with reading problems.

From Lyon (undated), it is indeed a frightening situation to have reading disabilities which
composed anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of learning disabilities in general. Computing that from
the 2.5 million students who have a learning disability, it is indeed a very large number. It is almost
saying that the learning disability all fall in reading disability.
But as also mentioned by Lyon, it is not safe to say that they really do have such serious case of
disabilities and consider them as good for nothing. The case is that, they often have normal, above
average or even gifted in some academic or cognitive domain but they struggle in other areas.

Three Types according to world view

1. Psychological Problems
2. Emotional and Environmental Problems
3. Physical Problems

Psychological Issues/Problems concerning Reading

This issue may be developed from the early stage of learning development of an individual or
the worst is hereditary requiring serious treatment.

Some of the Example:

 Intelligence and Intellectual Factors


 Neuro-Motor Immaturity (NMI)
 Dyslexia
 Attention Deficit Disorder

Intelligence and Intellectual Factors

One student grasps the lesson quickly, another student learns the lesson in an unusual
or unique way, and a third student has great difficulty catching on. This variation is often
attributed to “intelligence” (Morris et al., 2012). In which intelligence refers to an
individual’s cognitive or thinking abilities or to the child’s potential for acquiring school
skills.

This is also the reason why there are different theories presented concerning cognitive
or intelligence. Especially Gardner’s (1999) multiple intelligences – used to identify different
individual intelligences.

Neuro-Motor Immaturity (NMI)

This is the omission or arrest of a stage of early development and also called neuro-
development delay.

A students’ problem in reading can be linked to intrinsic neurological and cognitive


factors within the individual students. It is to indicate that, for some non-specific reason, the
nervous system in a child has not yet fully matured.

Dyslexia

This is sometimes used to describe individuals with severe reading disabilities,


individuals who acquire reading abilities with extreme difficulty.
Dyslexia is a complex neurological condition, which is constitutional in origin. This is
the disorder in children who, despite conventional classroom experiences, fail to attain the
language skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, commensurate with their intellectual
abilities.

For more than 100 years, medical researchers tried to study neurological factors
within the brain that are related to reading problems. As of 1896, W.P. Morgan described a
condition called world blindness or popularly known as dyslexia – a complex visual
disturbance resulting from disease in the visual-association areas at the back of the brain; the
loss of the ability to read or understand the written word.

Attention Deficit Disorder

This is a behavioral disorder occurring primarily in children, including such


symptoms as poor concentration, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It is the laboriousness of
reading and the lack of fluency that is primarily the problem with the presence of this kind of
disorders.

Reading fluency that is not sufficient to provide a visual picture and to comprehend
the reading material will be the cause of this kind of disorder.

There are solutions to this kinds of psychological issues, it can be a serious medical treatment
with medical experts or can be done by teachers using differentiated instruction.

Differentiated instruction reflects a philosophy of teaching that enables the teacher to meet
the specific needs each of the students capitalizing on the unique strengths and weaknesses of each of
them (individual interest, talents, way of processing information, and other proclivities). This is
matching individual students’ characteristics to instruction.

Physical Factors

There are a variety of physical factors that affect reading problems. Some are discussed below.

Hearing Impairment

Because the ability to acquire reading skills may be severely affected by even
moderate or temporary hearing loss, students should be screened for auditory acuity, or the
ability to hear sounds. Auditory acuity is different from the ability to work with or distinguish
words.

Hearing loss has several causes: childhood diseases, such as scarlet fever, meningitis,
mumps, or measles; environmental conditions, such as repeated exposure to loud noises;
congenital conditions, such as the malformation of or an injury to the hearing mechanism;
temporary or fluctuating conditions, due to allergies, colds, or even a buildup of wax in the
ears; maternal prenatal infections, including rubella; middle-ear infection or problems; and
the use of certain medications, such as aminoglycosides and some diuretics.
Visual Impairment

The ability to see clearly is critical to the reading process. However, the relationship
between reading and vision is complicated. A particular visual impairment may impede
reading in one individual, but another person with a similar problem may be able to read
effectively.

Types of Vision Problems

Several types of visual impairment are of concern to the reading teacher. These
impairments include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, binocular vision problems, and color
perception. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the inability to see objects at a distance. Myopia
is caused by an elongated eyeball that focuses visual images in an improper way.

Although the problem of myopia is not highly related to reading difficulty, a student
with myopia could have difficulty seeing objects such as writing on the blackboard (Lerner &
Johns, 2012). A substantial portion of the population is myopic; the condition often begins
between the ages of 9 and 12. Myopia is usually correctable with eyeglasses.

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is the inability to see objects clearly at nearpoint (that


is, 13 inches or less). In children, it is often caused by an eyeball that is too short to permit
focusing. Children are typically hyperopic until they reach the age of 7 or 8; thus, primary-
grade textbooks generally contain large print. If hyperopia is a continuing problem, it can be
corrected with lenses. Because reading is done at nearpoint, hyperopia can affect the ability to
read.

An astigmatism is the blurring of vision because of irregularities in the surface of the


cornea. This condition is generally correctable with lenses.

Binocular difficulties refer to the inability to focus both eyes on the same object, one
of the most complicated of the visual functions. Both eyes focus together easily on an object
that is far away, but as that object moves closer, the eyes must turn inward to maintain their
focus. If the eyes cannot focus together, a double image may result. This condition is not
tolerated well by the brain, and the image of one eye may be suppressed, possibly leading to
a deterioration of that eye. In severe cases, the eyes appear to be crossed. Binocular vision
problems may blur vision and also cause the reader to become easily fatigued; thus, they can
interfere with reading.

Unfortunately, binocular vision is not as easily correctable as other visual problems.


Three strategies used to correct binocular problems are surgery (often used to correct a cross-
eyed condition), corrective lenses in eyeglasses, and visual exercises to strengthen eye
muscles. Opinions differ among eye specialists about the value of visual exercises as a
treatment in overcoming binocular difficulties (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1992;
Solan, 2004).
Gender Differences

More boys than girls are identified as having reading disabilities. In fact, about four
times more boys are in special reading programs (Shaywitz, 2003), yet research sponsored by
the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) shows that as many
girls as boys may have reading disabilities, but the girls are not being identified. Girls with a
reading disability are considered an underserved population (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Several reasons have been suggested for more boys than girls being identified with reading
disabilities:

◆Boys mature physically later than girls. At the age of beginning reading instruction, boys
may not have developed certain skills that aid in reading, such as the ability to pay attention
and the ability to manage pencils and books.

◆The school environment may affect boys and girls differently. Most primary- grade
classrooms in the United States are taught by female teachers, and boys may have more
difficulty relating to them. In addition, rewards tend to be given for being neat and quiet in
the primary grades, and these qualities are more characteristic of girls than boys.

The fact is that more boys are placed in special reading classes. Teachers must make these
students feel welcome and happy in the reading environment.

Other Physical Problems

Good physical health is also an important basic condition for learning. The pupil who is
listless, tires easily, and cannot maintain attention may have an underlying medical problem.
Prolonged illness, especially if accompanied by high fevers and long periods of absence from
school, can also contribute to a reading problem.

General Health and Nutrition. Nutrient deficiency in infancy or early childhood has been
shown to result in anatomical and biochemical changes in the brain. Early malnutrition
impairs growth, both of the body in general and of the central nervous system in particular.
Other health concerns include nutrition problems, rheumatic fever, asthma, lack of sleep,
biochemical imbalances, and endocrine problems. A general physical examination is often
recommended as part of a complete assessment for reading problems.

Injuries and Illnesses That Affect the Brain. Concussions, or swelling of the brain, can
affect cognitive functioning. Concussions are often caused by injuries. If a brain injury results
in unconsciousness, a student has experienced a concussion. In addition, some illnesses, such
as spinal meningitis and brain tumors, can destroy cognitive functioning.

Language As A Factor On Reading

Nine (9) Factors That Influence Language Learning for Kids

1. Motivation
- Is the child being forced to learn, or do they want to learn the language? - when a
child understand the importance of understanding a language and can see how it directly
applies to their life, they learn faster.

2. Support at Home

- Is another language spoken at the child’s home? What’s their exposure level to
different language?

- Exposure is an important factors in language comprehension and acquisition.

3. Prior Linguistic knowledge

- Is the language they’re learning their first foreign language?

- Once a child has studied and acquired a language, their skill at learning another will
increase.

4. Learning Environment

- How does the child feel in the classroom?

- Another key factor is how comfortable students feel in their language learning environment.

5. Teaching Strategies

- How is the language taught?

- The strategies a language teacher uses have a big impact on language learning.

6. Comprehensible Input

- How attainable does the language feel to the student?

- In this context, the titular “input” is the language curriculum.

7. Student Personality

- Is the student introverted or extroverted?

- Introvert students have been shown to take longer to acquire a language because they’re
more hesitant to make mistake,

- Extrovert students, likely to go out on the limb and try out their newly learned vocabulary.

8. Age

- How old is a student’s when they start learning a foreign language?

-While students of all ages can learn a foreign language, there is a consensus that certain
aspects are affected by the age of the learner.
9. Comfort in their Country of Residence

- How happy are the students in the country where they are studying a language?

-A final Factor in language learning is the child’s comfort in the current country of residence.

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