P.R.O.P.E.

L
Providing Reading Opportunities for Proactive and Engaged Learning
(A Reading Program of Zamboanga Del Norte Division
Anchored on Region IX’s “Zeal for Progress in Reading”
and in Response to DepEd’s “Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa”)

I. Rationale

One of the approaches by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) to promote literacy worldwide, as an integral part of lifelong learning
is ‘Scaling-up functional literacy levels for youth and adults who lack basic literacy skills. It has
been at the forefront of global literacy efforts, advancing the vision of a literate world for all. It
views acquiring and improving literacy skills throughout life as an intrinsic part of the right to
education.

To determine the countries’ literacy status, the Program for International Student
Assessment (PISA), an international assessment that measures 15-year-old students' reading,
mathematics, and science literacy every 3 years, revealed that the mean score in reading
performance among the 15-year-old students in the Philippines is one of the lowest among PISA-
participating countries and economies (340 PISA Score, rank 76/76, 2018).

In the Schools Division of Zamboanga del Norte, per reading assessment using the 2018
Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil IRI) from Grades 1-12, out of 34, 370 learners
tested, 5.77% (1,984) are Non-Readers while 28.55% (9,811) of those learners are in Frustration
Level. The former means that those readers were unable to recognize and sound-out letter-sound
connections for single consonants, consonant blends and others (RM-IX No. 446, s. 2021) while
the latter means that those readers find reading materials so difficult that they cannot successfully
respond to them (Flippo, 2014).

Alarming data such as these gave rise to the issuances of relevant Memoranda as reading
initiatives of the Department of Education (DepEd) through DepEd Memo No. 173, s. 2019
(Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa/3Bs Initiatiative) and Regional Memo No. 446, s. 2021 of
Region IX (Zeal for Progress in Reading).

It is therefore high time to full swing our own reading initiative in the province of
Zamboanga del Norte as we gravitate towards fulfilling the improvement of the literacy
competence among our learners, through the Division Launching of PROPEL (Providing
Reading Opportunities for Proactive and Engaged Learning) Reading Program beginning
S.Y. 2022-2023, as its first year of division-wide implementation with its founding advocacy
that “All teachers are reading teachers.”

Thus, in this Reading Program, the “Whole School Approach in Teaching Reading” will be
the main strategy. This would involve teachers across all subject areas in all grade levels, as all
teachers resonate our common goal in providing reading opportunities for all learners targeted at

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 improving their literacy competence, eventually promoting quality education for all.

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 II. Program Objectives

Bearing the key principles of DepEd’s 3Bs Initiative and our Region IX’s Zeal for
Progress in Reading, PROPEL (Providing Reading Opportunities for Proactive and Engaged
Learning) Reading Program of the Schools Division of Zamboanga del Norte targets the
following objectives:

General Objective:

P.R.O.P.E.L. Reading Program aims to evidently support Region IX’s Zeal for Progress
in Reading Program by implementing division-led reading initiatives in the schools of
Zamboanga del Norte, thus contributing to DepEd’s goal in strengthening the “Every Child a
Reader Program (ECARP)/3Bs Initiative” of the Department.

Specific Objectives:

Anchoring on the 4 Key Stages stipulated in Regional Memo. No. 446, s. 2021 (Zeal for
Progress in Reading), PROPEL Reading Program specifically aims to:

1. capacitate teachers to become reading teachers by providing relevant trainings and

assistance from division level to district-based to school levels;

2. develop supervisory skills among school heads in providing technical assistance to all
teachers as reading teachers;

3. enhance learners’ easy access to reading materials readily available at every classroom;

4. integrate PROPEL reading opportunities to learners reflected in the teachers’ daily

lessons;

5. ensure LAC-based reading skills enhancement topics for continuous PROPEL skills
development among teachers;

6. incorporate reading formative assessments per quarter at school and district levels;

7. strengthen reading program initiatives in the school and district levels through
research development and policy formulation; and

8. provide due recognitions to schools with effective reading instruction and

commendable reading program implementation.

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 III. Program Components

Cuttance and Kennedy (2001) asserted that even as the most valuable resources are
available in schools, teachers are still central to school improvement efforts directed at students’
learning outcomes and achievement progress.

This PROPEL Reading Program anchors on Constructivism theory, which posited that
the learner is an active contributor to the learning process, and that teaching methods should
focus on what the student can bring to the learning situation as much as on what is received from
the environment. The said theory solders the role of the reading teacher across all subject areas as
a facilitator and provider of reading opportunities to learners through activities, discussion,
and reflection.

Founded by this, the PROPEL Reading Framework presented on the next page
delineates that the direction of this program starts with capacitating all teachers across learning
areas by providing them with relevant trainings to help them become committed and effective
reading teachers.

The reading opportunities integrated to the lessons as reflected in their Daily Lesson Logs
(DLL) or Lesson Plans (LP), shall be geared to develop pro-active and engaged learning among
our pupils and students. Engaged learning allows learners to participate in real-life activities
through collaboration, exploration, and discovery with peers. It does not focus on one subject,
but the integration of many or all subjects (Belt et. al, 2021) while proactive learning means
keeping an open mind, suspending judgment, questioning assumptions, and seeking out
information, reading techniques and perspectives (Wiley, 2015).

Coupled with division/district/school-based professional development programs,

teaching-learning (reading) materials, research and policy development; strengthened by
partnerships among stakeholders; intensified by regular monitoring and quarterly assessment,
and acknowledged appropriately though rewards and recognition- all these are deliberately
encapsulated in Regional Memorandum No. 446, s. 2021 (which this reading program is
anchored upon), PROPEL Reading Program of and for Zamboanga del Norte is purposively
gearing towards improved literacy competence among our learners, both in elementary and
secondary levels.

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ng Assessment
Results P.R.O.P.E.L.
Providing Reading
l Head/Teacher Opportunities for Improved
rofessional Proactive and Literacy
opment Program Engaged Learning Competence
Among Learners
hole School of Zamboanga
Approach Provision of Contextualized del Norte
Reading Materials and gadgets
for RBI (transistor/handheld
unity Partnership radios, USBs) and TVBI
(tablets with reading kit)

Monitoring and Evaluation

Figure 1. P.R.O.P.E.L. Reading Program Framework of Zamboanga del Norte

(Providing Reading Opportunities for Proactive and Engaged Learning)
 N-avigating
IV. O-pportunities
Program to Implementation
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R-eengineer for Tel No.: (065) 212-5843 with a
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PROPEL
E-mpowerment Reading
Program of Zamboanga del Norte Division targets to accomplish the
following phases of implementation at designated time frames:

Implementation
Activity Timeline
Phase
Phase 1 Preparatory Phase July, 2022
Phase 2 Launching August, 2022
Reading Teachers Capacitation Phase in Year Round starting August,
Phase 3
the Division, District, and School 2022
Phase 4 PROPEL Program Implementation Starting S.Y. 2022-2023
Every Quarter (by school,
Phase 5 Monitoring and Evaluation
district, division)
Phase 6 Awards and Recognition Every Year-End

V. References

Philippine Informal Reading Inventory. (2008-2009). N.p.: Department of Education.

R.A. 10533, The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013

Wiley. 2015. Excerpt from “Bridging the Skills Gap: Teaching the Missing Basics to Today’s
Young Talent” by Bruce Tulgan.

https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=PHL&treshold=5&topic=PI
http://depedro9.info/?go=regional-memo&t=446-2021

https://ozpk.tripod.com/000engaged#:~:text=%22Engaged%20learning%20is%20the%20process
,discoveries%20based%20on%20their%20choices.

https://trainingmag.com/teaching-proactive-learning/

https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=tll_misc

https://chancellorsc.eq.edu.au/Supportandresources/Formsanddocuments/Documents/curriculum/whole-
school-approach-reading.pd

N-avigating
O-pportunities to Capitol Drive, Estaka, Dipolog City, 7100 "Be and Do Much Better Each Day
R-eengineer for Tel No.: (065) 212-5843 with a
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N-avigating
O-pportunities to Capitol Drive, Estaka, Dipolog City, 7100 "Be and Do Much Better Each Day
R-eengineer for Tel No.: (065) 212-5843 with a
T-ransformation & e-mail address: zn.division@deped.gov.ph Sense of Urgency"
E-mpowerment