DepEd: National reading skills assessment to continue this year

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) will again administer a reading skills assessment test to public elementary school students to determine their reading proficiency or lack of it.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that the administration of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) to Grades 2 to 6 pupils will continue this school year.

Luistro said that it was important to assess the reading capability of students because reading is the foundation of all academic learning.

“If a pupil fails to master basic reading skills at the outset, it will be a constant struggle for them to get through other disciplines successfully, thus depriving them of the chance to become literate and productive individuals,” he added.

For Grade 1 pupils however, Phil IRI will not be used until such time that a national reading assessment in mother tongue have been implemented. Hence, all schools are encouraged to strengthen the locally-developed, school-based assessment in support of the Mother-Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education.

Based on DepEd Memo No. 143, series of 2012, teachers are still required to accomplish the pupil’s individual reading profile and consolidate reports for the schools profile.

The information culled from the assessment shall serve as one of the bases in making decisions for planning an appropriate school-based teaching and learning instruction as well as a reading program to improve the performance of the pupils. The assessment results shall also be considered in the preparation of the school improvement plan.

Literacy improvement is a high priority of the DepEd and the national government.