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Department Education
REGI ON V
Division of Masbate
District of San Fernando
SAN FERNANDO CENTRAL SCHOOL
San Fernando








and



SY 2011-2012




LINDA B. GUTIERREZ
ESP-II
SAN FERNANDO CENTRAL SCHOOL





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READ-A-THON CONTEST AND A WORD A DAY, A SENTENCE A WEEK
READING SCHEMES: TWO INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS TO CURB PREFATORY
READING PROBLEMS OF THE SFCS STUDENTS


I. PREFATORY DISCUSSION/CONTEXTUAL ANALYSES

In an attempt to overcome and surpass the hurdles facing the students who are, according
to the action research made by the writer of this innovative work done in 2010-2011, non-readers
and who are found to hardly spell even the most common words embodied in one or even more
San Fernando Central School pupil/s, two innovative concepts, both made and have been
conceptualized by the author of this humble work were incorporated in the educational paradigm
of San Fernando Central School to curb the problems awaiting the abovementioned children in
the future or pragmatically and realistically, its aftermaths in their lives. If it is true that reading
is the key that unlocks the door of enlightenment, and reading is, to one of the aphorisms by a
philosopher, one of the keys towards success, then it is but logical and imperative, that the
human mind should be focused on this great art and on the advantages awaiting the mind that
delights itself with this learning phenomenon. Teachers should not only encourage their students
to read but should also guide their students towards the proper art of reading and the proper art of
understanding what has been read for a blank reading produces blank effects. Truly, reading
deficiencies caused by causes known and unknown to educators must continuously be given
ample attention, thus the discovery of schemes and innovative plans to exterminate such
deficiencies through careful research and practical study on the causes or probably, the solutions,
if not the panacea.

Isaac DIsraeli in his work, Literary Character, wrote, There is an art of reading, as
well as an art of thinking, and an art of writing. If reading wherefore is an art and not an exact
mathematical science and if it is not an art of predestination where there are persons solely
selected to receive salvific thrones sanctified from the rest, then it is possible and probable that
deficiencies in learning brought by defective and unguided reading acts of students can be
corrected by proper innovative reading exercises done in the classroom or outside it implemented
by teachers and administrators who are inclined in continuous research and innovative study to
solve basic reading problems of students. The results of my action research on the reading
performance of Grade V pupils motivated me to devise two innovative educational reading
schemes to lessen the number of non-readers and the number of those who are found to hardly
spell even the most common English word, to encourage teachers to engage in exhaustive
innovative research to curb common and basic reading problems which is, according to my belief
not a rocket science.


II- RATIONALE/EDUCATIONAL and MORAL SIGNIFICANCE


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The raison d etre of these innovative concepts came from the will of the proponent of this
innovative work to lessen or curb totally the increasing number of non-readers in San Fernando
Central School. This work aims to eliminate traditional approaches of teachers in solving modern
educational problems especially in the teaching-learning process,that are considered
inappropriate trends already. The proponent seeks to encourage her teachers to continuously
engage in independent innovative researches by pragmatically applying new trends, new
innovative options and new innovative exercises in the teaching-learning process to improve the
transfer of learning. If our postmodern educational trends are considered student-centered, then
teachers should be incessant in finding ways and constantly creating innovative instructional
materials especially ways to improve the reading abilities of students for reading as we all know
is the door to comprehension and comprehension is the key to wisdom, scientific aptitude and the
understanding of practical arts.

In the first devise called, A word a day, A sentence a week, a word shall be posted and
written in a small portion of the board by the classroom teacher and such word shall be read and
explained by the teacher to the students delivering to them the proper pronunciation and the
proper meaning to the written word. The word for the day shall be memorized by all students
together with its meaning, and students or some students shall be called by the teachers to deliver
the word to her together with its meaning and its suitable pronunciation. Wrong pronunciation
shall without delay be corrected by the teacher. Each word for every day of a certain week is a
part of the general purview, meaning that such word is really a part of a sentence. The next word
for the corresponding sentence for the week shall be written and posted the following day until
all part of the sentences have already been posted. As, stated, each parcel and part of the sentence
shall be explained to the students and the right pronunciation shall be delivered by the teachers
for the students to imitate. It is therefore logical to assume that students, non-readers and readers
alike, will be familiar with not only with the meaning of each sentence presented to them per
week but also with the right pronunciation of every word in each sentence presented.

Any word, as a part of the sentence presented per week, shall be posted with
corresponding visual representation if possible. Not only will this innovative work or devise
practically diminish the possibility of a student who is truly a non-reader without totally having a
grasp of any idea for he is in a tabula rasa, this will also advance objective morality through the
inculcation of positive moral structures in sentence delivery if teachers are that concerned with
the value of nurturing intellectual ability with the touch of moral sense. Exempli gratia, the
sentence, God loves you and me and the World, the first sentence, God will be posted and
explained by the teacher to the students and such explanation will be inculcated in the minds of
the pupils, not only will they know the meaning of the word or term, the teacher also will have
that chance to spread positive values among his or her students by not only explaining the
meaning of God in the particular day that such term has been presented but also at the conclusion
of the week where the abovementioned term has been fully explained and discussed, fully read
and understood also by the students, teachers will have a chance to explain fully why God loves
us and the World and how did God show His love for you and me through presenting addendums

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to the explanation. Not only will students learn how to read a sentence. Not only will the number
of non-readers be lessened, moral values shall also be given emphasis here. Positive moral
principles shall be taught even at an early stage for the benefit of the students and the school.
Entertaining words and phrases shall also be utilized to avoid ennui in the implementation of this
program in every grading level. Thus, a word a day shall be a sentence a week, and possibly
when the school year ends, such will result in a book a year, if this program will be continuously
utilized by the schoolmasters, our venerable teachers.

The second scheme is what I call read-a-thon contest, from the clandestine places called
classrooms, San Fernando Central school will conduct an end-of-every-grading-period reading
contest for every grade level. In this event, a limited time will be allotted for the contestants of
every year level, who are competing against students of the same grade level, to read silently the
given paragraphs to be read, and after which the contestants shall be given time also to read
aloud the selection given, then some judges or one of the judges will ask each contestant about
what they have read. At this particular point of the contest, the skill of comprehension will be
tested. 5 questions coming from the judges for each contestant will challenge their
comprehension. In this type of innovative competition, not only will there be an outright
evaluation of the reading competencies of almost all students for there will be a contest for each
grade level, there will also be an outright checking of pronunciation, thus wrong pronunciation of
words and phrases will be remedied at the classroom for the teachers will be required to take
note of their observation to be used in restructuring their teaching methods. Through these two
innovative concepts, the writer hopes that in the succeeding years there will be an improvement
in the reading performances of pupils, that teachers will be more inclined in discovering new
practical and effective methods to curb the problem of the increasing number of non-readers and
that more innovative tools will be made so that the teaching-learning process will be worth
entering into and through it there will be a more meaningful knowledge generation.


III- OBJECTIVES

This innovative work has the following aims:

1. Primarily, to decrease the number of non-readers;

2.To encourage teachers to continuously involve themselves in the fashion of discovering
new trends and techniques in teaching and use them in the teaching-learning process;

3. To require teachers to use the most appropriate teaching techniques in each subject
especially in the transfer of knowledge through reading, explaining the term read and
comprehending the meaning of the term, phrase or sentence delivered including the delivery of
the proper pronunciation;

4. Require teachers to think of different strategies to encourage students to read, to
improve reading comprehension and to retain their love of reading even at their homes;

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5. To encourage students to perform well and attentively listen to every lesson, through
the use of reading mechanism such as, A word a day, a sentence a week;

6. To inculcate positive moral values on students through the use of godly and morally
acceptable principles expressed through phrases utilized in, A word a day, a sentence a week
program;

7. The solicited price used in rewarding students who will excel in the read-a-thon
contests are indirect help to students who deserve to be helped and be given a price for an
excellent performance. The mentioned prices will also encourage and inspire other students to
perform well and involve themselves in scholastic activities such as read-a-thon contests;

8. Lastly, this project aims to improve reading competencies of the students of San
Fernando Central School.

IV-METHODOLOGIES

At the inception, the writer and implementor of this program, the School Head of San
Fernando Central School will conduct an orientation meeting together with all teachers about
these two schemes. A deliberation about the sentences that will be used and the selected passages
that will be utilized will be conducted. Teachers will be given wide latitude to choose what
general idea they would prefer, such general idea will be the general premise for all offered
sentences per month. The general idea or general premise shall cover one moral value that should
be conveyed to students, meaning, that all sentences that shall be offered for one month are all
connected to such one moral value, the general idea. As a follow-up program for the mentioned
reading scheme above, read-a-thon contests shall be conducted every end of the grading period
as a practical evaluation of the reading capabilities of pupils, and the results of which will be
used by teachers in the continuous revision of their teaching techniques. Careful evaluation of
the materials used in the two schemes will be done and deliberation of the results shall be
conducted together with the judges of the read-a-thon contests who are Master Teachers, the
implementers of the program, the School Head and the students, if necessary to get a hold of
their sentiments regarding the programs.

V-IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

San Fernando Central School utilized and implemented these two programs in the last
school year 2011-2012 and will continuously implement and adopt these programs until
annulled.

VI-Budgetary Requirements
NONE

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VII- Monitoring and Evaluation

1. The School Head of San Fernando Central School will continuously evaluate the
implementation of these innovative programs and the will conduct or spearhead incessant
deliberation together with the teachers regarding the general topics to be used in the
implementation of these programs;

2.Suggestions from teachers regarding the revision if needed of the materials to be used
in the implementation of the programs will be taken;

3. The conduct of Read-A-Thon contests will be strictly implemented.

VIII- Writer/ Head Implementor/ Innovator and Support Staff

Proponent- Mrs. Linda B. Gutierrez
Principal II, SFCS
Support Staff: All teachers of San Fernando Central School