Reading program steps up children’s performance

VILLANUEVA, Misamis Oriental–Grade schoolers in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental now stand to gain competitive edge in their academic performance after going through a comprehensive three-year English Reading Proficiency Program sponsored by energy firm Steag State Power Inc. (SPI).

In a report submitted to SPI recently, program implementer Synergeia Foundation cited a significant drop in the rate of non-English readers among grade schoolers from 93% to 53%.

Former Finance Undersecretary and Synergeia Foundation President / CEO Dr. Milwida Guevarra said sizeable improvements have been realized especially in the performance of children in the National Achievement Test or NAT.

“On the average, grade six children are now able to answer 8 out of 10 questions correctly in English, Math and Science, and the reading skills of grade one children have dramatically improved,” Guevarra said.

Moreover, the ratio of grade one students with advanced reading skills increased more than ten folds from a measly two percent to 21 percent while the number of pupils who have reading competencies appropriate to grade one increased from three to ten percent.

“Its success is anchored on the active involvement of the whole community. Through Steag’s support, the community positively responded to several interventions such as reinvention of the local school board, training of Grade One to Three teachers, training of parent leaders, and provision of children’s workbooks and teachers’ manuals” Guevarra added.

The program is a joint undertaking between SPI, Synergeia Foundation, Deped and the local government of Tagoloan designed to help improve the children’s learning performance and reduce drop-out rate. It is a a component of SPI’s Social Empowerment through Education (Seed) Program, which is one of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives designed to help improve quality of life of the people in its host communities in Misamis Oriental.