In the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, the Philippines scored the lowest in reading comprehension with an average score of 340, the lowest among the countries surveyed and below the OECD average of 487.

In continuous effort to bridge the learning gap in the Philippines, BINHI is working towards aligning the English Learning Kits to the Science of Reading (SOR) approach beginning School Year 2022-2023. SOR research has identified the 5 Pillars of Reading* as:

Phonemic Awareness – the ability to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes, and it’s one of the best early predictors for reading success.

Phonics – the ability to understand that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (the letters that represent those sounds in written language) in order to associate written letters with the sounds of spoken language.

Fluency – the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and expressively, either to oneself or aloud.

Vocabulary – the growing, stored compilation of words that students understand and use in their conversation (oral vocabulary) and recognize in print (reading vocabulary).

Comprehension – the ability to understand, remember, and make meaning of what has been read—this is the purpose for reading.

*as defined by the National Reading Panel