Monday, March 03, 2008 Helping slow readers through the Learn program
Mrs. Maimona Julor handles about 54 Grade III pupils in a class at Sandakan Elementary School in Maguindanao. The difficult situation facing school children in their village has taught her to be flexible in trying to deliver her lessons for the day.
However, it pains her to see some kids being left behind while the others learn new lessons. As a teacher, she wants all the pupils to pass and be at the next grade level the following year.
The challenge of handling students with difficulty in reading and comprehension has been a reality that she tried to address whenever she has the time.
Classroom situation is never conducive to learners who squat on the floor or squeeze themselves on available seats.
She was glad when she was included as one of the participants to a Teachers' Training held in Cotabato City. The training tackles opportunities and techniques in handling students with difficulties in reading and comprehension.
"I'm happy to have participated in this training because it enhances my skills in dealing with slow readers, we were taught simple but effective ways in handling them. We were provided with training manuals that we could use in school," she said. "Students with difficulties need special attention, however, because of some constraints, they're left behind," she added.
School children in some schools in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are in a difficult situation compared to their counterparts from other regions in the country.
"Sana may aklat yung mga bata o kopya man lang ng mga importanteng tinalakay para madala nila sa bahay (I hope the children have their books or even just copies of the lessons that we discussed that they could study at home)," Mrs. Julor stressed.
Based on the 2001 data taken from the study on the State of Education in Mindanao conducted by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), with an enrolment of about 414,530 students, Armm needs about 205,767 textbooks for the elementary level to compliment existing ones, which are about 208,763 books.
Maguindanao alone needs about 31,531 desks and 5,152 armchairs the study revealed. Added to this predicament is the need for qualified elementary teachers, which are about 616. Teachers' training, as part of continuing education, plays a crucial role in the learning process taking place in school.
"There's great potential with the strengthened capacity to teach reading to slow readers as what they've got out of this training," Shiela Algabre of Notre Dame University's Community Extension Services (NDU-CES) said. They were the ones who conducted the training for some selected teachers in the locality.
School children under the remedial program displayed improved reading level and confidence as a result of the interventions implemented by the trained teachers.
"Talagang natututo sila pag binigyan mo lang ng pagkakataon at panahon (They could also learn like the rest if only they're given the chance and time)," Mrs. Julor stressed.
"The challenge now is sustaining the spirit and strong commitment to teach. Are the teachers willing to do it without additional compensation?" Algabre added.
Notre Dame University (NDU) has deployed college mentors to some schools in the area to help slow and frustrated readers. The project is under the Learning English & Reading through Neighbor (Learn) mentoring program.
Mentors are college students of NDU who dedicate two hours every weekend teaching school children how to read. "Mentors render voluntary service to compliment what the teachers do during weekdays. However, the greater challenge to teach the kids really lies on the teachers themselves," she stressed.
Two neighbor public schools, namely Sandakan and Nuling Elementary Schools, were assisted as part of the private sector-public partnership in addressing specific education-related concerns. NDU as academe played a vital role in helping deal with the issue at hand.
The teachers' training is part of the Learn program designed to equip teachers with required skills in handling school children with difficulties in reading.
Complimenting them are reading camps being organized in schools. Funded under the Philippine-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP), the education initiative is being implemented by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in the depressed areas of Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Lanao provinces. (Press Release)
