ARMM Beginning Reading Program Pilot (Grades I-II Teachers)

The ARMM Beginning Reading Program Pilot for Grade I and II teachers is a joint BEAM and EQuALLS2 (USAID) development program. It arose as a response to support DepEd's Every Child a Reader (ECARP) strategy to make every child a reader in English by Grade III, from our needs analysis of teacher's training needs and from the Action Plan No. 2 "Beginning Reading Program" of ARMM Leaders following a Study Tour to Australian in 2006. Teachers do make a difference - the quality of teaching has a huge impact on whether a child learns to read. Teachers must have a PASSION for reading and KNOW and be able to TEACH strategies on how to read and assess their students.
Both projects were working in schools in the ARMM and the decision was made to collaborate on this pilot to maximize the resources an support available for the ARMM. The decison was made to pilot the program, evaluate it, revise it in the light of the evaluations and then make it available for a wider roll out.
The pilot began in January 2007 with commitment given by the Secretary of Education, DepEd-ARMM. An ARMM Reading Coordinator (Geneva C. Hajal) was appointed and a Technical Working Group (TWG) of Education Supervisors from the Island Divisions, BEAM and EQuALLS2 officers, established to oversee the development, implementation and evaluation.