Nakakabasa na Ako! (I Can Finally Read!), a guidebook for Filipino teachers to effectively teach reading to literacy-deprived children in the Philippines will be off the press mid-January 2023 announced Miguel Z. Patolot, the book’s publisher.
Authored by Teacher Julie Weygan Aparato, the book captures a dedicated educator’s decade of experience in teaching literacy-challenged Filipino street children to read.
Quoting Teacher Julie, “This book serves as a guide in establishing a literacy program at the community level targeting disadvantaged children, seven years and older, who are unable or are struggling to read.”
Much of the content of the book is based on actual experiences of the author in leading a community-based literacy program, which has helped at-risk children attain a literacy level that would eventually lead to these children’s improved academic performance.
“Classroom-based day-to-day experiences comprise the ultimate resource and guide to deliver an effective and practical reading system for the literacy-deprived children,” Teacher Julie said.
“I believe the best teachers are those who never lose hope and pursue what they see as challenges to the learner,” Dr. Cristina Lim Yuson, said in the book’s Foreword.
Yuson, Founder-Director of the successful Early Learning Center (1974-2003) concluded after her review, “A seasoned mentor who uses the play method might also accomplish more than the regular rote learning.”
“Identifying the kids, assessing their levels of literacy, involving the parents and doing repeated home visits—these are humbling tasks only a committed member would do . . . If regular teachers just follow these steps, I am sure our school kids would learn to read and enjoy reading for a lifetime.”
For her part, Portia Padilla, PhD, commented, “Nakakabasa na Ako! (I Can Finally Read!) shows poor readers do not always remain poor, or worse, become poorer – thanks to the able leadership and collective effort of people who do what they can, despite and against the odds, whether there is a pandemic or not.”
Padilla heads the Faculty, Reading Education, of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and is Program Chair, Language and Literacy Education, of UP Open University.
“Both personal and practical, this book invites us not only to read and learn, but more importantly, to act together for the benefit of our children.”
Key contents of Nakakabasa na Ako! (I Can Finally Read!) include: Organizing the Literacy Class, Informal Assessment Tools, the Curriculum, Approaches, and Activities; Reading and Recommended Techniques, Developing Reading Fluency; Migration to e-Learning, among others.
For inquiries and reservations, contact the publisher at miguelpatolot74@gmail.com.
