Program wants Filipino kids to read again

By Anna Valmero A habit of reading opens up opportunities to access information and widen learning. Students under the Bright Minds Read (BMR) program showed improvement in the Regional Achievement Test especially in Filipino, under which the program is implemented. BMR Grade 1 and Grade 2 students from Region 5 scored the highest points in mean performance level (MPL), compared to Grades 3 to 6 of non-BMR students, said Zonito Torrevillas, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines (RMHC). MPL ratings are as follows: Grade 1 pupils got 73.19; Grade 2, 75.77; Grade 3, 63.32; Grade 4, 64.54 Grade 5, 583.74 and Grade 6, 66.10. The reading program aims to instill in elementary students that reading is enjoyable, develops comprehension and critical thinking. The program also hopes to improve grammar skills of these young students, said Kenneth Yang, RMHC president. BMR is a program by RHMC in partnership with the Department of Education-NCR. It aims to develop the reading skills of Grade 1 and Grade 2 public school students, through the use of big storybooks included in BMR kits. Torrevillas said developing reading at this early stage is critical because it is the foundation years of education. DepEd’s Adopt-a-School program helps coordinate teachers for training on how to implement the BMR program. Yang said RMHC is working to provide BMR kits to 37,000 public schools by end of 2013. Now on its fifth year, the program has served 2,000 schools. A kit includes 32 storybooks, teacher’s lesson plans and students’ worksheets. “The road to zero non-readers program in the Philippines is very heart-warming,” said Yang. “Before the program, Grade 1 non-readers in the country were at 40 percent. After the program it is now only at 4 percent. So we are confident we can achieve, if not close the gap, for the zero non-readers by 2013.” Sharon Cuneta, ambassador of the program, said she plans to promote the program through the television and print media. “It’s nice to use this position where people attach credibility to you to advocate for programs like these,” said the actress who recently went back to school. “Reading is a foundation for bigger, better things to come. It is a discipline in itself in that it prepares you for school and stimulates imagination as opposed to the television in which you cannot react or interpret much,” Cuneta said. To boost awareness of the program, wife of Kenneth Cindy Yang was chosen as ambassador of the charity. She joins long-time McDonald endorser Cuneta in encouraging customers to help the BMR program through the Canister Campaign or by buying a Happy Meal. Cindy said that she plans to get support for BMR by tapping action form corporations and friends. “Personally, I believe that reading opens doors for children to dream big and work their way to a brighter future,” Cindy said.