TABUK CITY, Kalinga—Schoolchildren nine years old and younger will now start learning by using local dialects.
The locally-developed self learning modules (SLMs) is now being circulated by the Department of Education Schools Division of Tabuk City that will be used by kindergarten and Grades 1 to 3 pupils using 10 local dialects.
The dialects to be used as medium of instructions for the grade levels are Iloko, Gadang, Finahaw, Winutwut, Sinumacher,Tinongrayan, Biniga, Guinilayon, Ninanong, and Sinadanga, said Helen Orap, Education Program Supervisor- Learning Resource Management and Development System.
The use of the 10 dialects is part of the mother tongue-based education under the K to 12 program of the Department of Education, said Orap.
She said that all subjects for kinder to Grades 1 to 3 should be taught using the first language of the learners. The exceptions are English and Pilipino.
Since learning materials from the DepEd Central Office are in Iloko, all other indigenous cultural communities should contextualize their own learning with the development of localized materials in any form.
She added that “curriculum guides are used so that learning materials to be developed are aligned with the expected competencies. Working orthographies (conventional spelling system of a language/dialect) are used to ensure that language used is correct.”
The use of the same language spoken at home in the early grades will help improve the pupils’ language and cognitive development in addition to strengthening their socio-cultural awareness, explained Orap.
