THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS OF MOTHER TONGUE AS A SUBJECT

K to 12 emphasizes a holistically developed Filipino with 21 st century skills such as

information, media and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, life and career skills and
communication skills. Parallel to these skills are learning areas that will contextualize the skills
mentioned. These are languages, arts and humanities, mathematics and science and technology
and livelihood education. Communication in the mother tongue is a key competence in the
language area. It is very important because it fits in with the principle of equality and access for
all.

As articulated in the K to 12 Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF), Grades 1 to 10

learners must:
 Possess foundational knowledge across a range of learning areas with core
competencies in communication; scientific, critical, and creative thinking; and the use of
technologies.
 Have an understanding of right and wrong; one’s history and cultural heritage; and deep
respect for self, others and their culture, and the environment.

“Foundational knowledge across learning areas and core competencies in

communications” fits the focus of this lesson – Mother Tongue (MT) as a subject. As a subject,
MT falls under language arts. How then, do we begin to teach Mother Tongue? We start with
the guiding principles.

The Eight Guiding Principles in Teaching and Learning in MTB-MLE as stipulated in K to 12

Mother Tongue Curriculum Guide:

1. Known to the unknown. Learning requires meaning. We learn when we use what we
already know to help us understand what is new. Another premise to this first principle
is that second language learners use what they know in their own language to help
develop other languages. This positive transfer effect has been found to be significant in
reading.
2. Language and academic development. Learners who were found to have well
developed skills in their first language have been shown to acquire additional languages
more easily and fully and that, in turn, has a positive impact on academic achievement.
3. Cognitive development. The use of the learners’ home language in the classroom
promotes a smooth transition between home and school. It means that learners get
more involved in the learning process and speeds up the development of basic literacy
skills.
 4. Discovery learning. Learning something new is easy if it is anchored to what is known.
Reading in the first language is faster because what has been experienced through
listening and speaking will simply be seen in print.
5. Active learning. Peer interaction is the best means for learners to think-talk together
creatively to solve problems. Purposeful talk allows them to make sense of new ideas
and information and what better means to do it than in the first language.
6. Meaning and accuracy. Successful language learning involves listening, speaking,
reading and writing activities meaningfully and accurately.
7. Language learning or language transfer. We learn a new language best when the
learning process is non-threatening and meaningful and when we can take small steps
that help us gain confidence in our ability to use the language meaningfully.
8. Affective component: valuing the home language/culture. Valuing students with
talents in their home language more powerfully enables learning than just valuing
learners of English whose home language is irrelevant to academic success.

Based on the changes that the K to 12 has implemented, standards and competencies in
the teaching of Mother Tongue are identified.

The learning area standard states that Mother Tongue should be used appropriately and
effectively in oral, visual and written communication in a variety of situations and for a variety
of audiences, contexts and purposes including learning of other content subjects and
languages, and to demonstrate appreciation of various forms of literacy genres and take pride
in one’s cultural heritage.

The learning area standard for Mother Tongue also incorporates the core skills for
language arts with the focus in teaching for meaning and accuracy. Story trach focuses on
meaning while primer track focuses on accuracy. This will be the standard by which reading
strategies in teaching mother tongue will evolve.

The five core skills in language arts are also presented with standards for each track.

CORE SKILLS STORY TRACK (focus on meaning) PRIMER TRACK (focus on

correctness)
Listening Listen in order to understand, think Recognize and distinguish sounds;
critically, and respond creatively. recognize parts of words.
Speaking Speak with understanding, to Use correct vocabulary,
communicate knowledge, ideas, pronunciation and grammar.
and experiences.
Reading Read with understanding to apply, Decode by recognizing parts of
 evaluate, and create new words and sentence.
knowledge.
Writing Write to communicate knowledge, Form ideas neatly and properly,
experience goals. use correct grammar.
Viewing View in order to understand, think Recognize and distinguish print
responsively and respond and non-print material and be
creatively. able to critic materials
objectively.

Since Mother Tongue is to be taught in Grades 1 to 3, the key stage standard that should
be attained by the time the learner finishes Grade 3 is that they should have enjoyed
communicating in their first language on familiar topics for a variety of purposes and audiences
using basic vocabulary, and phrases; read L1 texts with understanding, and create their own
stories and texts in their L1.

Each Grade level has a standard as well. The table below [resents each one.

GRADE LEVEL GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS

Kindergarten The learner demonstrates skills and strategies in phonemic
awareness, alphabet knowledge, sound-letter correspondences,
decoding, vocabulary and comprehension as they enjoy listening
and responding to a variety of texts in their Mother Tongue.
Grade 1 The learner demonstrates basic communication skills in talking
about familiar topics using simple words and both verbal and non-
verbal cues to understand spoken language, shows understanding
of basic vocabulary and language structures, reading process,
writing system and appreciates aspects of one’s culture.
Grade 2 The learner demonstrates communication skills in talking about
variety of topics using developing vocabulary and simple phrases
and sentences, simple to complex spoken language using both
verbal and non-verbal cues, understands vocabulary and
structures, appreciates and understands the cultural aspects of the
language and the writing system used, and reads and writes simple
and short literary and informational texts.
Grade 3 The learner demonstrates communication skills in talking about
variety of topics using expanding vocabulary and phrases, shows
understanding of spoken language in different contexts using both
verbal and non-verbal cues, vocabulary and language structure,
cultural aspects of the language, reads and writes literary and
informational texts.
 Each grade level has to develop the learner to demonstrate knowledge and skills
independently and in meaningful contexts. These knowledge and skills are reflected in the
domains of literacy in the K to 12 by which Mother Tongue belongs and verbalized in the
content and performance standards in the teaching of MT from grades 1 to 3. These standards
are non-negotiable.

The domains are the following: oral language, phonological skills, book and print
knowledge, alphabet knowledge, phonics and word recognition, fluency, spelling, handwriting,
composing, grammar awareness, vocabulary and concept development, listening
comprehension, reading comprehension, attitude towards reading and study skills.

The Mother Tongue as a subject is to be taught in four quarters. There are more or less
ten lessons in a quarter. Each lesson has a theme. This theme is distributed across the domains
that need to be taken in a week. That means that a lesson lasts for a week. A domain or two
may become the focus of the day’s lesson. The lesson for the day is delivered in 60 minutes.
The domain in focus for the day is delivered via activities that aim to develop the performance
and content standards.

YOUR TURN!

Hunt for the meaning of each domain. Write it in your notebook. Look up for some activities
that match the domain described and list them down opposite each domain.