Bata, Nakakabasa Ka Na Ba?” Partnering with Schools to Restore Reading Confidence
At ESL Philippines, our hearts are fully committed to elevating education and strengthening reading comprehension among Filipino children. We believe that reading is not just an academic milestone—it is a gateway to confidence, learning, and opportunity.
In 2023, this commitment took shape through “Bata, Nakakabasa Ka Na Ba?”, ESL Philippines’ community reading campaign under the ProRead Program, launched in partnership with Fernandez College of Arts and Technology (FCAT) in Baliwag, Bulacan.
ESL Philippines works closely with public, private, and semi-private schools, supporting learners who continue to struggle with reading despite years of classroom instruction. FCAT was chosen as a partner-beneficiary because it serves a diverse student population, including children who had reached upper elementary levels yet remained unable to read.
Through the campaign, ESL Philippines conducted free reading assessments for identified non-readers from Grades 2 to 6. These assessments revealed that many of the students showed clear signs of dyslexia and reading-related learning difficulties—conditions that often go unnoticed and are frequently misinterpreted as lack of effort or motivation.
Rather than allowing these children to fall further behind, ESL Philippines provided a free one-week structured reading intervention class. Using evidence-based strategies, students who had struggled for years began decoding words, understanding patterns, and—most importantly—experiencing success in reading for the first time.
Following the pilot intervention, ESL Philippines extended discounted continuation rates to FCAT, allowing the school and families to sustain the children’s progress through a longer-term reading program. This ensured that gains achieved during the free intervention would be strengthened and maintained.
The “Bata, Nakakabasa Ka Na Ba?” campaign reflects ESL Philippines’ broader mission: to help schools identify reading gaps early, address them with compassion and expertise, and restore a child’s belief in their own ability to learn. It is a reminder that no child should reach higher grade levels without the fundamental skill of reading.
This program is offered as part of ESL Philippines’ school partnership initiatives, open to public, private, and semi-private schools nationwide. Through free assessments, pilot interventions, and flexible partnership models, ESL Philippines continues to advocate for one simple but powerful goal:
Every child deserves the chance to read.
📩 For school partnerships and program inquiries, please contact ESL Philippines.
