DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) — The Dagupan City National High School (DCNHS) is enhancing senior high school students’ reading skills through a reading advocacy program dubbed “Larawan, Istorya, Buhay, Repleksyon at Obra (LIBRO) Project Para sa Iyo,” aimed at developing and improving students’ reading and comprehension abilities.
DNCNHS Principal IV Willy Guieb said the program is supported by a newly constructed Book Nook, which was built in partnership with the Inner Wheel Club of Downtown Dagupan District 379 (IWCDD D379) and Edric Publishing House.
Inaugurated on Sept. 24, the Book Nook provides a dedicated space for students to engage in reading and literacy development.
Guieb emphasized that the Book Nook will serve as the primary location for remedial reading and will be accessible to students needing additional literacy support.
“When we say ‘nook,’ it’s like a kind of personal space. This concept was designed to create a personal interaction between the tutor and the tutee, making the intervention more relaxed and comfortable,” Guieb explained.
He said teachers, peers, and volunteers will assist in these activities, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
Guieb said the initiative, which began in 2018, started with a student named Angelu, who struggled with reading and comprehension. It was later discovered that peer tutoring could help her improve her reading skills.
The initiative evolved into a program named D.E.A.R. Angelu Plus in 2019, which involved remedial reading sessions. However, it didn’t continue due to the senior high students’ work immersion.
During the pandemic, a new project called READemics Online and Offline was launched in 2020 to help assess the reading skills of senior high school (SHS) learners. This year, the LIBRO project was introduced to address the growing number of students struggling with reading.
To address educational gaps among students, the school utilizes a peer tutoring approach, where students assist each other in improving their reading comprehension.
Jen Dalmacio, the custodian of the Book Nook at DCNHS, emphasized the benefits of peer tutoring, stating that both the tutor and tutee gain from the experience.
She added that the method fosters positive social interactions and a sense of belonging among students.
Underscoring the importance of the program, Dalmacio shared the initial results from the first two weeks of the LIBRO project’s implementation. Among 119 students assessed, only 23 were able to read basic words, and just five could comprehend academic texts at an advanced level.
By the second week, notable progress was seen. Out of 105 students, the number of word-level readers dropped to 13, while those able to read academic texts with comprehension in an advanced level increased to 18.
This improvement underscores the program’s potential in addressing reading challenges among students.
Mary Jean Ang, former president of IWCDD D379, pointed out the ongoing challenge of students transitioning to college with inadequate reading skills.
“I’m a college teacher, and we’re facing difficulties with freshmen lacking strong reading abilities. This highlights the urgent need for programs like this, and it’s a great opportunity for the Inner Wheel Club to help,” Ang said.
Rhianna Sabriel Ebojo, president of the project LIBRO, said the advocacy has been instrumental in helping non-readers improve their skills since high school.
“I hope this initiative inspires others. Since we have the ability to read, we should share it with those who need help,” she said.
Likewise, DCNHS expressed its gratitude for the growing support from private stakeholders, including organizations like the Inner Wheel Club, for recognizing the program’s innovative approach.
Susan Yadao, president of the Inner Wheel Club of Downtown Dagupan District 379, affirmed that one of the club’s primary goals is to provide quality education, giving children the chance to catch up academically, especially those struggling with comprehensive reading.
The school affirmed that the one-on-one reading program will continue to offer free services to anyone seeking remedial reading support, creating more opportunities for improvement. (AMB/EMSA/JSZ/PIA Pangasinan)
