Cornerstone Resumes the Free Reading Program
by: Emma A. Dellosa and Irene D. Abar
On November 19, 2022, at the school AVR, at 9 am, learners in Grades 3 and 4 participated in an Orientation program and Reading Assessment initiated by the Cornerstone Group, an organization that offers free Reading Programs to children in public schools. This is a new phase in their program to teach slow readers and non-readers how to read.
Through Reading Tutorials and Values Formation, this program seeks to assist primary school pupils who struggle to read. The Cornerstone Program is in line with CFC’s (Couples for Christ) the primary goal of bringing Christ’s transforming love to families and the underprivileged. Christ is referenced in the term Cornerstone itself.
CFC collaborates with various parties to support education programs with the goal of delivering complementary services. As part of a partnership for education programs, CFC works with additional partners who share the goal of delivering complementary services to public schools through Brigada Eskwela, empowerment programs for teachers and principals, the provision of school supplies for kids, tutoring, scholarships, and preventive dental and health programs.
Parents, teachers, volunteers, and students who take part in the program were present. Fifty pupils, 25 from Grade III and another 25 from Grade IV were tested on their reading comprehension. On succeeding Saturdays, they will attend school from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. These pupils will have individualized instruction to help them learn to read with their tutors from Couples for Christ, Singles for Christ, Youth for Christ, and some Grade III and Grade IV Teachers.
The School Principal, Mrs. Teresita S. Rodriguez, in her opening remarks thanked the Cornerstone Team for their invaluable service. This group includes Ms. Alyssa Mae P. Cahutay, the Team Leader, Mr.Erl Ancot, the Chapter Coordinator for CFC, Mrs. PurificacionP. Bangalan, the Cornerstone Supervising Head CFC and Mr. Pedro Bangalan, the CFC -Cornerstone Pioneer,Mrs. Raquel P. Lancita, the School Coordinator for CFC, and Josephine Caballes, the Assistant Team Leader. She also acknowledged the instructors who participated in the orientation. She emphasized the program’s significance to our pupils who are struggling to read.
The Cornerstone in FEES started its program in August 2014, the School Principal then was Mr. Carlito T. Adducul. Next to him as School Principal was Mrs. Apolonia F. Soriano the predecessor of the FEES most recent Principal, Mrs. Teresita S. Rodriguez. The Cornerstone assisted numerous pupils in learning to read with their Cornerstone Reading Program. They have assisted numerous pupils in reading and graduated from their program during the seven years of the program’s success. Cornerstone will continue its activities, which include giving free reading lessons to learners after having temporarily stopped the program for two years consequential to COVID-19 Pandemic.
An introduction to the program’s goals was given by Mrs. Purificacion Bangalan, a retired teacher and Guidance Counselor and one of the coordinators. She added that this program has a partnership with Ateneo De Manila University and that they receive training on how to run this kind of program as part of that partnership.
During the break-out session, students’ tutors accompanied them to the adjacent rooms so they could receive their reading evaluation. By reading and sounding out the alphabet, volunteers were able to evaluate them. While the assessment was going on, Mr. Erl Ancot was leading the parents’ Values Formation.
The Grade IV Chairperson, Mrs. Jecelyn R. Anos, and the Cornerstone School Coordinator, Mrs. Irene D.Abar, provided their feedback and ideas on the result of the evaluation of their tutees. He expressed her appreciation for the program’s supporters, including the volunteers and her coworkers. She also urged parents to make time for reading with their kids at home.
Mrs. Loida Banag, a Master Teacher encouraged the parents to really take time to patiently teach their children how to read and read with comprehension.
The activity ended with sharing of prepared snacks and water to satisfy everybody’s hungriness as their minds and hearts were satisfied with love, wisdom, and inspiring words.