School and parent partnership in developing students' reading

Irish M. Bacani, EdD

The Philippine Education System has changed since pandemic hit the Philippines.

Teachers, Learners and parents had undergone a lot of adjustments with the different modes of education introduced and implemented by the Department of Education.

These new normal modes of education were thought to be the safest options to begin the school year 2020-2021 while face to face classes are not yet allowed.

This new normal set up was expected to be good for the said school year, yet it got extended this School year 2021-2022 until Covid continues to drop. This time, teachers are more prepared, learners and parents have somehow adjusted in the situation.

However, there are still setbacks that teachers, parents and learners face in this New Normal way of education.

First is the limited transfer of knowledge.

Most of the public schools have adopted the Modular Distance learning for it is the mode of learning that is possible even for those who have no internet connection at home.

Although it is the most practical among the modalities, the transfer of knowledge among the learners is only based on what they read and understand on the lesson. Hence, the benefit is more on the part of the independent readers.

Second is the challenge in communicating with parents and learners. Social media is the fastest and easiest way to send group messages yet without the internet connection, it is useless.

Giving follow ups and remediation to learners are quite difficult when they are not responsive to your announcements and even to your calls; worst is when they have no cellphone at all.

The truth is, sending messages consumes a lot of teachers’time yet accomplished nothing.

Last is the challenge on the part of the parents in assisting their children.

Most of the parents are also working and so it is hard for them to assist their children during school days.

For parents with children in high school, this might not be a big deal for their children can learn on their own.

But not for parents whose children are still in Kinder and Elementary. These learners really need their assistance and full attention.

It may take much of the parents’time and energy to do it, but with love, it will bear sweet fruit.

To sum it up, these obstacles will always be part of this new normal way of educating learners.

This is not just a call for the teachers; it is also a call for the parents and learners to stay strong and patient while we are all waiting for the face-to-face classes returns. *****

The author is Teacher III at Dapdap High School if fulfilled

Learning to read does not happen overnight.

Reading is one of the five macroskills developed among students. It is the process of recognizing and interpreting written symbols or letters. It is a way of acquiring knowledge and ideas and it can fire up imagination. People may have a better understanding of the world they live in when they have the ability to read.

It is expected that when learners reach high school, they already demonstrate independent reading. However, there are teachers in secondary education who encounter struggling readers or sometimes non-readers. Students with reading difficulty struggle to grow academically because reading serves as the foundation to all subject areas and it may also affect their writing ability. Different programs have been implemented in schools. However, reading teachers should remember that effective reading activities and materials are based on reading levels and context of learners. Reading activities should also include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

It is an undeniable fact that there are children with reading difficulties yet this should not be their reason to feel demotivated and hopeless. Reading skill development is not the sole responsibility of schools, specifically teachers. Parents also play a pivotal role. Parents, being their children’s first teachers, should develop essential reading activities such as reading for pleasure. When children are exposed to enjoyable hobbies with pleasant reading materials, they eventually establish good reading practice. To be involved in children’s reading development shows that parents support their learning.

Coordination between schools and parents should also be strengthened. Teachers need to communicate to parents the reading status of their children and they should plan together in order to help develop or remediate reading problems. Teaching how to read does not end when children are given reading materials. They should be guided in school and at home if they are doing the right thing. Effective learning opportunities can be created when schools and parents serve as working team.

The ultimate goal why learning institutions and parents exert effort is to really help learners develop the skills of extracting meaning from symbols or any printed material and integrate it with what they already know. Cliché as it may sound, but the adage “It takes a community to educate a child” has been proven true. When schools and parents, supported by the community, work together it leads to positive student achievement and this can possibly achieve the goal of preparing them to be in a more competitive environment.

*****

The author is Head Teacher III at DMMHS