Beginning reading is important in Grade One. When a learner enters school, it is the teacher’s role and responsibility to provide, plan and teach effective reading program that will enable the learner to become a skillful reader.
Ideally, learners will develop their reading skills gradually. Teachers should be aware of the learner’s reading level from pre-reader, emergent reader, early reader, developing reader, early fluent reader and independent reader. A number of reading approaches are available and teachers should provide a rich and varied literacy environment that includes interested reading material, displays and engaging multimedia resources that reflect the diversity of the learner’s learning styles and are suited to the learner’s reading level.
The Marungko Approach is designed to equip Grade One pupils the necessary reading skills to improve their achievement in reading. Likewise, it seeks to develop a trainingmodel to enhance teachers’ competence in the teaching of reading in the primary grades most especially in Grade One. The goal of this strategy in reading is to enable grade one pupils to instill in their minds to appreciate the songs and poems created for Filipino children and eventually to communicate in written and oral forms through effective reading instruction.
The Marungko approach provides materials to the success in teaching reading. It starts with letter sounds rather than name. Certain comical stories of letter to signify its sound are being introduced. Instead of the usual arrangement (order) of letters in the alphabet, it starts with m, s, a, I, o…
The sequence of letters in the MTB-MLE of the K to 12 Curriculum for Grade One is almost similar to that of the Marungko Approach. Considering that there is no single reading material available for Grade One pupils, it is of great help to design and craft a sole reading material for the learners that will serve as a gateway to improve pupil’s reading skills, thus leading to the betterment of the teaching and learning progression.