Development of Mother Tongue-based Early Literacy Assessment Tools for Ilokano Children

Abstract

This study developed mother tongue-based early literacy assessment tools for Ilokano children. These tools include tests to identify the early literacy achievement of children, such as Panagilasin kadagiti Letra (Letter Identification), Panagbasa kadagiti Sao ken Sinan-sao (Word and Pseudo-word reading), Pannakaawat iti Panagbasa (Understanding about Reading), Panagsurat kadagiti Letra (Alphabet Writing), Panagsurat kadagiti Sao (Word Writing), and
Panagsurat iti Istoria (Story Writing).
The research and development (R and D) process was used in this study. It particularly employed Strickland’s (2006) ADDIE model: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate. The Analyze phase included bibliographical research and identification of early literacy achievement of children. In the Design phase, the information gathered were organized as basis in the making of assessment tools, determining how to assess the early literacy achievement of children, and designing the assessment tools in order to capture children’s achievement in reading and writing. The Develop phase included the writing, validation and refinement of the assessment tools. In the Implement phase, the assessment tools were tried out and their usefulness were determined.
The assessment tools were found to be highly valid as established by the composite means of the rating given by the validators. The reliability estimates indicated that the assessment tools are very reliable. In general, it was found out that the assessment tools measure what they intend to measure and that they produce very reliable results.
The teachers found the assessment tools to be very useful in identifying what children are capable of doing. Information gathered through the reading assessment tools guide teachers in teaching children how to read and write. It was recommended that the output of this study be disseminated and distributed to reading teachers of the Division of Ilocos Norte and in Ilokano speaking regions in the country.