Approaches to

Teaching Reading
{ A Philippine Perspective
Basic Education Curriculum
It is believed that the Basic Education Curriculum is
the product of efforts to strengthen the global
competitiveness of the Philippine Education
particularly in the elementary education.

This curriculum was an output of several revisions

of the curriculum.
 Legal Basis
1987 Constitution - Article XIV

Section 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all
citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate
steps to make such education accessible to all.

Section 2. The State shall:

(1) Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and

integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people
and society;
 Legal Basis
1987 Constitution - Article XIV

Section 3.

(2) All educational institutions shall inculcate patriotism and

nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights,
appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical
development of the country, teach the rights and duties of
citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral
character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative
thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and
promote vocational efficiency.
 Legal Basis
These general purposes and goals of the education in the
Philippines have been translated into the educational policies
commonly known as the basic (elementary and secondary)
education framework.

Moreover, the 1982 Education Act states the goals of both

elementary and secondary education.

Sec. 21. Objectives of Elementary Education. — The objectives of

elementary education are:

1. To provide the knowledge and develop the skills, attitudes, and

values essential to personal development and necessary for living
in and contributing to a developing and changing social milieu;
 Legal Basis
2. To provide learning experiences which increase the child's
awareness of and responsiveness to the changes in and just
demands of society and to prepare him for constructive and
effective involvement;

3. To promote and intensify the child's knowledge of, identification

with, and love for the nation and the people to which he belongs;
and

4. To promote work experiences which develop the child's

orientation to the world of work and creativity and prepare
himself to engage in honest and gainful work.
 Legal Basis
Sec. 22. Objectives of Secondary Education. — The objectives of
secondary education are:

1. To continue to promote the objectives of elementary education;

and

2. To discover and enhance the different aptitudes and interests of

the students so as to equip him with skills for productive endeavor
and/or prepare him for tertiary schooling.
 Background
 1983-1984 DECS launched Program for Decentralized Education
(PRODED)

- elementary education to give emphasis on sciences,

technology, math, reading & writing

 1989 DECS introduced New Secondary Education

Curriculum (NSEC)

- improve quality of graduates and expand access to quality

education through student-centered and community-oriented style
of education
 Background
 2002 Restructured Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC)

⁻ Aims to produce more functionally literate students by

empowering them with life skills

⁻ Reduce number of subjects from 8 to 5 subjects: Filipino,

English, Science, Math (to prepare students for global
competitiveness, and MAKABAYAN (to develop personal
and national identity)

⁻ The approach to the subjects is integrative. Hence, Filipino

and English with reading, writing and grammar, including
literature, cultural and current affairs.
 Goals in Teaching English Language
The teaching of English is dependent on the teachers. There are
several models and techniques in teaching English to learners.
However, it is more important first to understand why there is a
need to teach the language especially to basic education learners.

Possible Reasons:
1. Develop communication competencies
2. Use the English language correctly and appropriately to
communicate effectively
3. Communicate completely, not necessarily to use the language
exactly as the native speakers of English do.
4 Goals of Teaching Language in Communication Competence
Areas:

1. Linguistic competence
⁻ Knowing how to use grammar, syntax and vocabulary
⁻ What word/s should I use? How shall I put them together to
construct phrases and sentences?

2. Sociolinguistic Competence
⁻ Knowing how to use and respond to language
appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the
relationships among the people communicating
⁻ How can I express a specific attitude (courtesy, authority,
respect) when I need to?
⁻ How will I understand the attitude of the person I am
talking to?
3. Discourse competence
⁻ Knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to
construct longer stretches of language so the parts make up
a coherent whole.
⁻ How words, phrases and sentences put together to create
conversations, speeches, email messages, business
correspondences, newspaper articles?

4. Strategic competence
⁻ Knowing how to recognize and repair communication
breakdowns, work around gaps in one’s knowledge of the
language
⁻ How do I know when I have misunderstood or someone has
misunderstood me? What do I say then? How can I express
my idea or side of my story?
Communication efficiency includes:

• avoiding confusion in the message delivered (due to faulty

pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary, or choice of words)
• Avoid offending communication partners (due to socially
inappropriate styles)

• Further, teachers should be more cautious on how to teach their

respective pupils. It is their responsibility to teach them how to
makes themselves understood and proficient to the fullest.

• Doing such involves practice, learning and teaching of the 4

basic but essential skills: LISTENING, SPEAKING, READING
& WRITING.
Advantages of learning 2nd language (according to some studies):

1. Self development
⁻ The student becomes “better person” through learning 2nd
language

2. A method of training new cognitive processes

⁻ By learning another language, students acquire methods of
learning or new perspectives on themselves and their
societies

3. A way-in to the mother tongue

⁻ The students’ awareness of their 1st language is enhanced by
learning 2nd language

4. An entrée to another culture

⁻ Students can come to understand other groups in the world
and to appreciate the music and arts of other cultures
5. A means of communicating with those who speak another
language
⁻ We all need to cope with people from other parts of the
world whether for business or pleasure

6. The promotion of intercultural understanding and peace

⁻ The highest goal of language teaching is to foster negotiation
rather than war or changes in the society outside the
classroom.
 Goals in Teaching Reading
1. Developing students’ awareness of the reading process and
reading strategies by asking them to think and talk about how
they read in their native language.

2. Allowing students to practice various reading strategies by

using authentic reading tasks- teachers encourage students to
read to learn (and have an authentic purpose for reading) by
giving students some choice of reading materials.

3. Practice reading in class and outside the class- Teachers to

constantly encourage students to read and be able to
comprehend and allow them to feel the benefits of reading
comprehension.
4. Read to activate and reinforce other skills (grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing).

5. Reading to become a better reader. Reading skill is a

continuous process and learners must continue to read to
continue to learn.

6. Read to develop critical thinking skills. The most important

and ultimate goal of teaching reading. It aids communication.
from having a phone conversation to writing a business plan,
people need to prioritize, make conclusions, draw
comparisons, make inferences, etc. Reading can provide
opportunities to utilize and sharpen such skills.

7. Read for enjoyment. Students should ideally discover not only

the usefulness but also the pleasure of being able to read in a
second language.