KCFI kicks off its 2023’s programs for early literacy and numeracy
Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) kickstarts 2023 with the resumption of its Basa Bilang pilot in Department of Education - Schools Division Office of Santa Rosa City, Laguna. KCFI and DepEd - Santa Rosa City have been partners since 2017. Basa Bilang aims to help teach early language literacy (reading) in Filipino and English and numeracy (mathematics) so that by the end of Grade 3, the pupils are readers, proficient in math, independent learners, confident problem solvers, and critical thinkers. The focus of this year's Basa Bilang pilot intervention is on teaching grade 1 oracy and beginning reading.
Sixty episodes of Ready, Set, Read! video lessons covering 12 weeks of grade 1 English topics based on the DepEd curriculum were distributed to pilot grade 1 teachers of the 18 public elementary schools in DepEd - Santa Rosa City on January 3, 2023. Present during the turnover ceremony were KCFI and partners Rotary Club of Makati Premier District (RCMPD), represented by its Charter President Carol Mercado, Miriam College's Center for Strategic Research (CSR) Executive Director (OIC) Dr. Carmen Peñalosa and DepEd - Santa Rosa Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, Mr. Ernesto Lindo; and KCFI Schools and Community Engagement Manager, Ms. Sue Saavedra. RCMPD, through Rotary's Global Grant, helped provide funding for the creation of the Ready, Set, Read! video lessons and for training selected grade 1 teachers of DepEd-Santa Rosa on Knowledge Channel's Learning Effectively through Enhanced and Evidenced-Based Pedagogies for Reading (LEEP-Reading). MC has agreed to conduct an assessment of this pilot program.
Selected grade 1 teachers with their principals are set to attend LEEP-Reading on February 6-8, 2023. Through LEEP-Reading, these pilot teachers will learn new and engaging teaching techniques including that of effectively using Ready Set Read! videos in teaching oracy and reading. They will be mentored and monitored for three months and assessed.
Since Basa Bilang's inception in 2019,
KCFI has been able to develop three animated educational programs on early literacy and numeracy – Wikaharian for Filipino literacy, recipient of Special Citation for Best Children and Youth Program during the 43rd Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMAs) in 2021; Ready, Set, Read! for English literacy, which was also awarded a Special Citation for Best Children and Youth Program during the 44th CMMAs last 2022; and, MathDali for numeracy, which received the 2018 Anak TV Seal Award and Best TV Show of the Year for Education award during Biyaya ni Juan's GAWAD Juan 2021 – all broadcasted on KCFI's online, offline, and on-air platforms.
Besides receiving awards, the programs have positively affected students' learning and education outcomes. For example, a case study on the pilot of Wikaharian in 2019 found significant improvements in student viewers' reading skills, where even at-risk readers could read better, letting them catch up to their regular reader peers.
Basa Bilang Project is part of Knowledge Channel's mission to bring a transformative learning experience for learners. In its efforts to help beginning literacy and numeracy, Knowledge Channel welcomes its upcoming new shows lined up for broadcasts, such as #ILY1000 hosted by actor Marlo Mortel and actress Mary Joy Apostol, Ready Set Read with Seth Dungca, AgriKids, Wikaharian 2 with Teacher Michelle Agas, Mathdali Grade 1 with celebrity host Robi Domingo, Puno ng Buhay with celebrity hosts MayMay Entrata and Elijah Canlas, WOW with Edric Calma, and Heroes of Zero.
Do you have a school in mind that would benefit from Basa Bilang Project? Please email us at info@knowledgechannel.org, on Facebook (facebook.com/knowledgechannelfoundation), or visit our website (knowledgechannel.org).
