ARAL Reading Program Speaks Literacy Breakthrough
By: Lilia H. Serna
Since its launch on September 15, 2025, Timoteo Paez Elementary School has transformed its classrooms and hallways into vibrant hubs of literacy through the DepEd ARAL Reading Program targeting Key Stages 1 and 2 learners. The initiative focuses on struggling learners identified through Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) and Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) —including Low and High emerging readers in Grades 1–3 and Frustration-level readers in Grades 4-6. Teacher tutors have reimagined reading sessions with dynamic group activities, turning classrooms into storytelling theaters and corridors into “reading trails” where students decode words through games, phonics challenges, and collaborative story-building.
From guided read-alouds to interactive word hunts, every activity is designed to turn frustration into fascination.. The program’s heart lies in its small-group tutorials, where learners receive tailored support to conquer hurdles in fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. For younger grades, playful phonics drills and picture-word matching games rebuild foundational skills, while older students tackle age-appropriate texts with confidence-boosting strategies like peer-led discussions and “reading buddy” pairings.“Reading isn’t just a skill—it’s a superpower,” says one teacher. The program emphasizes how literacy unlocks doors to critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression.
From guided read-alouds to interactive word hunts, every activity is designed to turn frustration into fascination.. The program’s heart lies in its small-group tutorials, where learners receive tailored support to conquer hurdles in fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. For younger grades, playful phonics drills and picture-word matching games rebuild foundational skills, while older students tackle age-appropriate texts with confidence-boosting strategies like peer-led discussions and “reading buddy” pairings.“Reading isn’t just a skill—it’s a superpower,” says one teacher. The program emphasizes how literacy unlocks doors to critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression.