Four Pronged
The Four-Pronged Approach in Reading Instruction
By Raidis Laudiano, M.A.*
The four-pronged approach was first developed by Professor Basilisa Manhit of the College of Education, University of the Philippines, Diliman. The philosophical foundations of the four-pronged approach are the following: literature-based, holistic, and places emphasis on the process of transfer. This approach has evolved through the years with the consistent use by the teachers of the University of the Philippines Integrated School Kindergarten to Grade II (U.P.I.S. K-2) and with the input of the other members of the faculty of the Reading Education Area of the same university.
The four-pronged approach is composed of four parts: I. GENUINE LOVE FOR READING
The first prong aims to immerse the child in literature and develop a deep and lasting love for reading. Finding a good and interesting story or poem is the first step in this prong. The story/poem should be suitable to the age, interests, and vocabulary levels of the children. The message of the story should be very clear to the teacher. His/Her understanding of the material will be the basis of an appropriate objective which will guide the development of the lesson. The words, phrases, places, and important details of the story which may hinder the children’s understanding of the selection should be identified. Methods of clearing these obstructions should be planned. Unlocking of difficulties may be made through a variety of ways such as demonstrations, concrete objects, drawings, and other forms of representation, verbal/contextual clues and games. To develop a love for reading, the child must also have a need and desire to read or listen. The teacher must look for an incident in the story/poem which is familiar to the child. From this, a question for motivation may be asked so the children may freely share personal experiences and feelings about it. Linking these expressed thoughts and feelings to the story through a similarly
By Raidis Laudiano, M.A.*
The four-pronged approach was first developed by Professor Basilisa Manhit of the College of Education, University of the Philippines, Diliman. The philosophical foundations of the four-pronged approach are the following: literature-based, holistic, and places emphasis on the process of transfer. This approach has evolved through the years with the consistent use by the teachers of the University of the Philippines Integrated School Kindergarten to Grade II (U.P.I.S. K-2) and with the input of the other members of the faculty of the Reading Education Area of the same university.
The four-pronged approach is composed of four parts: I. GENUINE LOVE FOR READING
The first prong aims to immerse the child in literature and develop a deep and lasting love for reading. Finding a good and interesting story or poem is the first step in this prong. The story/poem should be suitable to the age, interests, and vocabulary levels of the children. The message of the story should be very clear to the teacher. His/Her understanding of the material will be the basis of an appropriate objective which will guide the development of the lesson. The words, phrases, places, and important details of the story which may hinder the children’s understanding of the selection should be identified. Methods of clearing these obstructions should be planned. Unlocking of difficulties may be made through a variety of ways such as demonstrations, concrete objects, drawings, and other forms of representation, verbal/contextual clues and games. To develop a love for reading, the child must also have a need and desire to read or listen. The teacher must look for an incident in the story/poem which is familiar to the child. From this, a question for motivation may be asked so the children may freely share personal experiences and feelings about it. Linking these expressed thoughts and feelings to the story through a similarly