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MANILA, Philippines — Grade 1 students should be able to read independently and understand simple texts “with fluency, accuracy and expression” upon completing their level, according to a draft K-10 curriculum guide of the Department of Education (DepEd) that is under public review.
Based on documents released on Friday, DepEd is taking steps to raise the reading skills of young learners following reports of high “learning poverty” rates among schoolchildren in the Philippines, especially during the pandemic.
A draft guide states, among others, that students should “be able to demonstrate an understanding of basic text structures, such as the beginning, middle and end of a story, and use this understanding to make predictions, retell stories and answer questions about what they have read.”
They are also expected to engage in active reading and “respond to texts by making connections to their own experiences, opinions and ideas,” the department also said.
New deadline: May 13
The review of DepEd’s proposed new curriculum for language and literacy and for reading has been extended until May 13.
The agency also identified different strategies to teach Grade 1 students, including “guided reading,” in which the teacher works with small groups of students to read a book at their instructional level.
“Teachers can teach comprehension strategies such as predicting, questioning, summarizing, and making connections to help students better understand and remember what they read,” DepEd said.
They may also do an “interactive read-aloud,” in which the teacher reads a story aloud and periodically stops to engage the students in conversation and discussion about the material, according to the guide.
“This helps students develop critical thinking skills and promotes a deeper understanding of the text,” it said.