Our Work - Education projects

Summer Big Brother

An annual 15-day summer reading intervention program specifically designed for non-readers and frustration readers among incoming Grade 3 pupils.

Using a specialized reading module produced by CLAFI, this program endeavors to lessen the number of frustration and non-readers with the help and support of youth and teacher volunteers and the community.

SBB has been implemented in Sarangani since 2014, and has also since been adopted by communities in Compostela Valley in 2013, Iligan in 2015, Zamboanga in 2016, and Davao in 2017.

The SBB Module

Since 2014, CLAFI has worked in partnership with teacher-writers and supervisors from the DepEd-Sarangani to design the SBB reading modules. These modules are regularly revised and updated based on feedback after every year of implementation to ensure that they address the key concern of improving the reading and comprehension capabilities of incoming Grade 3 students who are still struggling and are at risk of falling behind or dropping out of school completely.

The SBB module allows these students to develop literacy competencies in the following progression:

  • Sounding or phonemic awareness
  • Word recognition
  • Vocabulary
  • Fluency
  • Reading Comprehension

To ensure that the program is also a fun experience for the learners, SBB integrates creative techniques such as using originally-written song lyrics to the tune of familiar children’s songs and nursery rhymes. The SBB module is designed to be easy to use by both teachers and youth volunteers who serve as “big brothers and big sisters” to the learners.

Adjusting SBB amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

In 2020, CLAFI worked with DepEd Sarangani to adapt the SBB modules to ensure that they could continue the program despite the challenges of the pandemic. The SBB modules were transformed into 30-minute Learning Activity Sheets (LAS), so that they can be used by learners at home.

This new SBB material was redeveloped based on the modes of delivery identified by DepEd Sarangani. In response to the new normal, the Learning Activity Sheet:

  1. Is a Self-Learning Module that uses printed learning activity worksheets;
  2. Gives Radio-Based Instructions;
  3. Uses Instructional Videos featuring a video version of the daily module lessons given to kids and parents;
  4. Provides SBB in Kotobee, an e-book that can be accessed using the Kotobee digital app;
  5. Offers the SBB module in the DepEd intranet system for pupils in offline areas.

Project Milestones

Under this program, CLAFI conducts Teacher and Youth Volunteers’ Training every year to help equip the Volunteers with right skills and communication materials aligned with SBB goals.

As a result, the program noted a 90% annual improvement on the reading capabilities of the children in its implementing areas. Since its implementation in 2014, SBB has helped improve the reading capacity of 9,857 non-readers and frustration readers among incoming third-graders.

It also stirred the spirit of volunteerism among all the community SBB volunteers.

Summary

9,857

Readers

3,418

Youth Volunteers

1,484

Teacher Volunteers

As a result of SBB’s effectiveness as a reading intervention program for non-readers, SBB was incorporated in DepEd Sarangani’s year-round Read at Home Program in 2021.

In this endeavor, CLAFI plays a vital role as DepEd’s partner in education by providing the following support:

  1. Production and distribution of all SBB materials developed in different modalities.
  2. Facilitation of virtual capacity building training for volunteers on specific reading techniques for slow readers.
  3. Distribution of 1000 sets of SBB 15-week LAS and 1000 face masks.
  4. Provision of antenna for DepEd’s intranet system learning modality dubbed ‘LR on WHEELS’ (Learning Resources on WiFi Hub for Expanded e-Learning in Sarangani) with budget from Consuelo Foundation.
  5. Provision of 100 tablets from Vibal Group Inc. to Datal Basak IP and Calay IP Schools for the LR on WHEELS modality.
  6. Recognition of outstanding implementers every quarter with rewards and incentives for best-performing schools and communities.