1

THE KINDERGARTENERS’ ALPABASA READING PROGRAM AND

THE PARENTS’ ROLE IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION

Shahani U. Manticayan
(Shahanibacolodan@gmail.com)

ABSTRACT

The study determined the role of parents in the implementation of Alpabasa

Reading Program among the kindergarteners. Considering that there is a restriction in the

face-to-face delivery of teaching and learning process. This study made used of a

descriptive research design which characterized the socially important phenomena that

have not previously been recognized. In many instances, the description could also point

toward causal understanding and to the mechanisms behind causal relationships. A

purposive sampling was used in choosing the respondents since all the non-readers and

frustration are purposively taken as respondents. Descriptive statistics such as frequency

count, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pearson’s correlation coefficient were utilized.

It was identified that the following were the role of parents in the implementation

of Alpabasa Reading Program in times of COVID-19 pandemic: (1) Good communicator;

(2) Active Caretaker; (3) Routine builder; (4) Vigilant guardian; and (5) Friendly teacher.

The gathered data revealed the following major findings: (a) majority of the

respondents were having scores below 12 which indicated that they belonged to did not

meet expectations performance; (b) the respondents showed a greater performance in

their posttest scores; (c) the Alpabasa Reading Program had a positive effect on the

learning of the respondents (d) kindergarteners haves betters posttest performance

compared to their pretest performance: (e) the Alpabasa Reading Program has a positive

effect on the learning of the respondents.

 Conclusions were derived that there had been a remarkable results in the

kindergarteners’ diagnostic test which implied that the use of the Alpabasa reading

program is effective in terms of the developing the respondents’ reading skills. Moreover,

in times of pandemic there had been vital roles to played by parents. They are not just

there to help their children in their modules but they need to be someone who their

children could depend on in the absence of their teacher. Parents should share their

concerns about the education of their child with the teacher. As a primary caregiver,

parents should provide a working space in their home for their children to study and

create an environment conducive to learning at home. Moreover, parents should manage

their child’s timetable of lessons and to ensure that they keep up with their schoolwork.

Parents should manage their child’s timetable of lessons and to ensure that they keep up

with their schoolwork and most importantly, parents should help children when they have

problems with learning tasks.

Keyword: Alpabasa Reading Program, Kindergarteners,

Roles of Parents
INTRODUCTION

Kindergarteners are small sponges that learn what is taught to them. If they are

taught to read in two languages simultaneously, they will learn. It was in 2011 that

Alpabasa was born. Alpabasa's first material was a 31-page book that turned in Filipino

flashcards focusing on syllabication. With support from Sa Aklat Sisikat, this first

Alpabasa material was shared with over 100 public school teachers. The vision of the

Alpabasa Reading Program is to make every Filipino child a reader.

The Alpabasa Reading Program has online educational videos that help children

learn how to read. According to Pabiton (2015). Changing lives one syllable at a time is

one of their goals. Regardless of age, when you teach someone to read you truly change

their lives and turn on their passion for success. The first stage of the program is an

assessment of children’s literacy skills and any less determined person would have been

discouraged.

Learners today are using educational videos as tools for learning everything from

basic skills. It is important to provide tools to help them process the information and

monitor their understanding as cited by Brame (2015). Using video clips to convey

appropriate and complementary information has been shown to increase learners’

retention and ability to understand what they are reading which eventually increase

students’ engagement with videos. Abstract topics that once seemed difficult to teach and

learn are now more accessible and understandable thanks to the availability of

educational videos for online learning.

The researcher observed that the children were in such need of their teacher but

they are not equipped enough to meet the needs of their learners due to the health
protocols imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This reading program was implemented

through limited face-to-face instruction to the identified struggling readers with the

stringent observance of health protocols.

This study was conducted to define the kindergarteners’ alpabasa reading

program and determine the parents’ role in its implementation, this focused more on the

how these program be of help in the reading performance of the learners which was also

interplayed by the their parents’ role while the program was being implemented. This

study identified the role of parents as to how they help in the implementation of the

intervention program.

Alpabasa Reading Program was used in this study to introduce a program that can

help in improving reading skills among learners. This is a new reading program that

enchances reading skill among learners through video. With this new techinique

introduce, learners were attentive and eager to learn because of the idea that they are

learning through a new channel using their mobile phones and gadgets available at home.

Relatively, the researcher has permission from the health officers and barangay

officials for proper assistance. This study attempted to know if the Alpabasa Reading

Program would be effective in kindergarteners and help them easily learn how to read.

This is an intervention to existing programs in the department. This reading program

lasted for a month.

METHODOLOGY

Thus study used a descriptive research design to arrive to a reliable result.

Pertinent data and relevant information were gathered from the kindregarteners of Baloi
Central Elementary School. A descriptive analysis was used on the result of the

monitoring tool conducted by the parent or guardian of the respondents and the actual

monitoring of the teacher-researcher. A purposive sampling was used in choosing the

respondents since all the non-readers and frustration are purposively taken as

respondents. This study was conducted at Balo-i Central Elementary School, Balo-i West

District situated in Balo-i Lanao del Norte in S.Y.: 2020-2021. The school had 53

teaching and non-teaching personnel. It had 38 regular classes, 3 of which are

kindergarten classes. 46 regular teachers handling classes, 3 Mobile Teachers, 1

Guidance Coordinator, 1 Bookkeeper, 1 Disbursing Officer, 1 Elementary School

Principal I. Baloi Central Elementary School has a total population of 1587 as of the

school year 2020-2021.

This study made use of Alpabasa Reading Program which was learning sets and

instructional cards. It was program founed by Filipino Innovators. It is a video-based

program in teaching reading that aims to effectively teach kinder school children how to

read in a given time. The role of parents in the implementation of Alpabasa Reading

Program was identified through an in depth interview. Frequency count, analysis of

variance (ANOVA) and pearson’s correlation coefficient were utilized as statistical tools.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section presents the results of the data gathered, analyzed and interpreted

according to the objectives of the study.

Pretest Scores of the Kindergarteners in the Diagnostic Test

Table 1 presents the pretest and posttest scores distribution of the kindergarteners

in the diagnostic test. As noted in the result, all of the respondents were having scores

below 12 or they belonged to did not meet expectations performance. 100% of the total

population of the respondents’ scores signified that all of them got the lowest scores.

Table 1
Pretest Scores of the Kindergarteners in the Diagnostic Test
Raw Scores Performance Level Pretest Scores
F %
21-24 Outstanding 0 0.0
18-20 Very Satisfactory 0 0.0
15-17 Satisfactory 0 0.0
12-14 Fairly Satisfactory 0 0.0
0-11 Did not meet expectations 30 100.0
Total 30 100.0

In the diagnostic test, the kindergarteners' pretest and posttest scores are shown in

Table 1. As seen in the results, all of the respondents had scores of less than 12 or were

members of groups that did not perform as expected. The lowest scores were received by

100% of the whole population of responders.

Implementation of Alpabasa Reading Program

The Alpabasa Reading Program's execution began with a profile of the

respondents to determine which of them are capable of using gadgets and online resource

materials. The researcher then created four accounts on the website of the Alpabasa

Reading Program. These accounts were given to the parents so that they could log in and

teach their children using the website's offerings.

The parents were given schedules for when they would access the website and log

in to the account they had been given. This was done via video conferencing with Google

Meet; some people would rather call than join the video conferencing. A pretest was
given before the commencement of the intervention using the Alpabasa Reading Program

to see how their scores changed before and after the program was implemented. After the

Alpabasa Reading Program was implemented, a posttest was given to see how the

learners' reading skills had changed. This would determine the program's effectiveness in

improving the learners' reading skills.

Posttest Scores of the Kindergarteners in the Diagnostic Test

The table shows the posttest scores of the kindergarten in their Diagnostic Test. In

their posttest performance, nearly half (53%) of them were having very satisfactory

performance, 37% of them were belong to outstanding performance, and only 10% of

them were classified as satisfactory performance. The mean score of their pretest and

posttest were 2.13 and 19.70, respectively.

Table 2
Posttest Scores of the Kindergarteners in the Diagnostic Test
Raw Scores Performance Level Pretest Scores
F %
21-24 Outstanding 11 36.7
18-20 Very Satisfactory 16 53.3
15-17 Satisfactory 3 10.0
12-14 Fairly Satisfactory 0 0.0
0-11 Did not meet expectations 0 0.0
Total 30 100.0

This manifested that most of the respondents showed a greater performance in

their posttest scores. As gleaned from the table 1, there was really greater difference in

their pretest scores from the posttest scores results; this only mean that the intervention

made to the learners though Alpabasa Reading Program with the help of the parents and

the teacher were effective.

 It was supported by Ucus (2015), that if one was engaged in any practical activity,

involving physical work, all the senses were used to perceive knowledge through all the

senses. Hence, the inflow of knowledge was through many channels and naturally was

quick, complete, and accurate. This was learning by direct experience. It was an ideal

method of making pupils acquires complete knowledge.

The Roles of Parents in the Implementation of the Reading Program

Parents are considered as their child's first teacher from the moment they are born,

and as they develop into adults, their traditional tasks include educating, directing, and

nurturing children to become strong members of their communities. Most parents allow

the school to take over a large chunk of their children's formal education when they join

formal schooling. Parents are more of a supply when it comes to formal education.

Unless parents accept full responsibility for homeschooling their children and ensuring

that they have the resources and support they need to access education and learning.

Most parents are doing everything they can to avoid and mitigate the significant

disruption to learning caused by school closures in extremely difficult circumstances.

Parents play a vital role in connecting their children with their schools. The importance of

a healthy and robust collaboration between parents and other caregivers, as well as

instructors, is well-recognized and investigated in education. Several studies have

indicated that collaboration between parents and teachers improves children's academic

success, work habits, social skills, and emotional well-being. Parents are important

stakeholders in education because they have the power to hold schools responsible for

their children's education.

 This study discovered that the best success stories occurred when a parent was a

(1) Good communicator: Parents should communicate their concerns about their child's

education with the teacher. They should also let the teacher know if the child has any

special needs or limitations that necessitate extra assistance. (2) Active Caretaker: As the

primary caregiver, parents should set aside a working place in their home for their

children to study and build a learning environment at home. (3) Routine builder: Teachers

need parents' cooperation to guarantee that their children participate in the remote

learning program on a regular basis and complete their given chores on time and to the

best of their abilities. Parents, in particular, are responsible for managing their children's

lesson schedules and ensuring that they complete their coursework on time.

(4) Vigilant guardian: Parents should take reasonable steps to protect their

children from damage online, including privacy violations, cyberbullying, sexting, and

other types of harassment. Aside from utilizing parental controls, parents should talk to

their children about how to stay safe online, including recommending reputable third-

party assistance and resources. Educators recommend that youngsters not be left

unattended online for more than a few hours. Parents and guardians should monitor their

children and the content they are watching on a frequent basis, and lastly, (5) A helpful

teacher: When children have difficulties with learning tasks, parents should assist them as

much as possible. Parents must instill in their children the value of excellent cleanliness

and good health. Parents must mentor their children in order for them to remain positive

and develop the life skills necessary to survive and prosper in times of adversity.
Difference Between the Pretest and Posttest Scores in the Diagnostic Test of the
Kindergarteners

Table 3 presents the difference between the pretest and posttest scores in the

diagnostic test of the kindergarteners using the Paired T-test analysis. Result revealed that

there is a high significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the

kindergarteners in their diagnostic test (t=-38.264, p=0.000). This result suggested that

the kindergarteners have better posttest performance (M=19.70) as compared to their

pretest performance (M=2.13). Thus, the null hypothesis of no significant difference

between the pretest and posttest scores in the diagnostic test among the kindergarteners

was rejected.

Table 3
Difference between the Pretest and Posttest Scores in the Diagnostic Test of the
Kindergarteners
Paired Variables Diagnostic Test t-value P-value Remark
Mean SD (df)
Pretest 2.13 2.06 -38.264** 0.000 Significant
Posttest 19.70 1.86 (29)

Furthermore, the findings indicated that the Alpabasa Reading Materials

intervention had a stronger impact on the respondents' reading performance. Game-based

learning has been found to foster a good attitude toward learning and increase memory

abilities, according to Mihaela and Boghian (2014), as well as its capacity to link learners

and help them build self-constructed learning.

Furthermore, when performing any practical work involving physical labor, all of

one's senses are used to perceive knowledge through all of one's senses. As a result,

information came in through a multitude of channels and was intrinsically quick,

thorough, and precise.

Relationship between the Alpabasa Reading Program and the results of the
diagnostic tests results of the kindergarteners

Table 4 shows the pretest and posttest results of the Kindergarteners in the

Diagnostic Tests. As seen in the results, all of the respondents had scores below 12 or

belonged to a group that did not perform as expected. Nearly half (53%) had very

satisfactory performance, 37% had outstanding performance, and only 10% had

satisfactory performance on the posttest. Their pretest and posttest mean scores were 2.13

and 19.70, respectively.

Table 4
Pretest and Posttest Scores of the Kindergarteners in the Diagnostic Test
Raw Scores Performance Level Pretest Scores Posttest Scores
F % F %
21-24 Outstanding 0 0.0 11 36.7
18-20 Very Satisfactory 0 0.0 16 53.3
15-17 Satisfactory 0 0.0 3 10.0
12-14 Fairly Satisfactory 0 0.0 0 0.0
0-11 Did not meet expectations 30 100.0 0 0.0
Total 30 100.0 30 100.0

As a result, the pre- and post-test scores of the diagnostic tests done by the

researcher revealed a favorable outcome. The null hypothesis of no meaningful

association was rejected, as evidenced by the study's findings. This demonstrates that the

Alpabasa Reading Program has a considerable impact on the outcomes of the

kindergarteners' diagnostic test, which was conducted after the program was

implemented. This simply means that the respondents' learning was improved as a result

of their use of the Alpabasa Reading Program.

Hutchinson et al., (2014) backed up this claim, claiming that classroom teaching

materials were the outcome of practical reason and purposeful invention. They were born

out of observations and a desire to address the needs of pupils. Materials should be
tailored to the needs and interests of the students for whom they were designed, as well as

temper attitudes and preferences. If the main purpose of language education was to allow

learners to become communicatively competent in the target language, which was

English, new sorts of language teaching resources were required.

Furthermore, a material such as a module, according to Nunan (2011), allows the

student control over his learning. It's a collection of learning possibilities organized

around a well-defined topic, with elements including instructions, stated objectives,

teaching-learning activities, and evaluation using criteria-referenced measurement. In

relation to the claim, if instructional resources are accepted as capable of having a

significant impact on learners when used in a teaching lesson, it is reasonable to think

that their use can contribute to the expected awareness of teaching and learning.

Furthermore, according to Denila (2018), using technological innovation presents

a substantial challenge to teachers, particularly for passive pupils, underachievers, and

students who are uncomfortable with the issue. These students should be provided with a

welcoming and pleasurable learning environment. They need a sense of accomplishment

as well as a success cycle that leads to feelings of self-worth. Even the most flawless

curriculum and syllabus are useless unless they are backed by efficient teaching methods.

Teachers must adopt and/or design effective teaching strategies that suit each student's

learning type in order to provide effective instruction.

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that during the pretest administration of the diagnostic test that

majority of the respondents are had the scores of 12 which had fallen into they did not

meet the expectations and that 100 of the respondents got the lowest scores.

In the implementation of the Alpabasa Reading Program, it was concluded that parents

had a very important to role to play. They were the one assisting their children in the

implementation of the Reading Program. Thus, on the administration of the posttest and

due to the role played by the parents in the implementation of the alpabasa reading

program, the result of the posttest manifest greater results than the pretest scores, which

means that the alpabasa reading program was effective.

There had been identified roles of parents in the implementation of Alpabasa

Reading Program Implementation. It was identified that the following were the role of

parents in the implementation of Alpabasa Reading Program in times of COVID-19

pandemic: (1) Good communicator; (2) Active Caretaker; (3) Routine builder; (4)

Vigilant guardian; and (5) Friendly teacher.

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