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GUIDING OUR TEACHERS: A Briefer on Using the MELCs of the Mother Tongue

About the Process

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent shortened academic year, the Department of Education, through the Bureau of Curriculum Development-
Curriculum Standards Development Division, has produced a list of the most essential learning competencies (MELCs). This was done in order to ensure that
the Grade Level Standards set for each learning area are still attained. A sole determiner was used in the process of identifying the MELCs – the ENDURANCE
criterion, which states that a learning competency (LC) is considered enduring if it is useful in lifelong learning. Despite the irrefutable importance of the Mother
Tongue (MT) in literacy building, not all the LCs in its curriculum satisfied the above mentioned criterion.

In the first key stage, that is from Kindergarten to Grade 3, the medium of teaching and learning is the student’s first language. Therefore, MT as a subject is
significant in providing the literacy and oracy skills necessary in acquiring the content knowledge in other learning areas. Accordingly, the MELCs identified are
those that work in close association with other competencies in other subjects, thus maintaining the curricular quality of integration. Consider the Grade 3 LC
cited below:

Example:
Interprets a pictograph based on a given legend

The example above deals with the skill to draw meaning from nonprose texts – knowledge which is especially useful in Math.

MELCs are also considerably less than the original number of LCs in the curriculum because of two factors. First, recurrence is limited. Although any language
curricula would require recurrence as this is the nature of language learning, this was done with restriction in identifying the MELCs. However, this does not
mean that the teacher is prohibited from teaching an LC more than once. Following the principle of curriculum flexibility and differentiated instruction, he/she
is strongly advised to put focus, and therefore repeat an LC should circumstances require.

The second factor considered in determining the MELCs is the LCs’ ability to be clustered together. Consider the example below:

Example:
Get information from various sources: published announcements and map of the community

As can be seen, this LC would entail a number of other competencies in order for it to be achieved. Among the competencies needed are: (1) distinguishing
different sources of information; (2) comparing and contrasting different sources of information in terms of structure and content; (3) interpreting nonprose
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texts. This consequently calls for unpacking and sub-tasking on the part of the teacher, so that bigger or broader LCs may be broken down into manageable
sub-competencies.

It should also be noted that domains were no longer retained as these may cause confusion among end users. The original Curriculum Guide (CG) for Mother
Tongue was designed in such a way that domains work together through horizontal alignment since one lesson does not tackle only one macro skill, but multiple
skills. However, during the examination of LCs using the ENDURANCE criterion, some skills under a particular domain can no longer be retained. Organizing the
MELCs by domain, through columns as in the original CG, would render the document seemingly incomplete and harder to follow due to the absence of
horizontal alignment. See table below which shows Week 1 of the First Quarter of Grade 1; note that entries in red are not considered MELCs (domains with
no LC entries were no longer included):

Development (VCD)
Oral Language (OL)

Attitude Towards
Knowledge (BPK)

Awareness (GA)

Vocabulary and
Book and Print

Reading (ATR)
Fluency (F)

Grammar

Concept
MT1OL-Ia- i-1.1 MT1BPK- Ia-c-1.1 MT1F-Ic- IVa-i-1.1 MT1GA-Ia- e-1.1 MT1VCD- Ia-i-1.1 MT1ATR- Ia-i-2.1
Talk about oneself and Use the terms referring Read Grade 1 level Use appropriate Use vocabulary Browse books read to
one’s personal to conventions of print: words, phrases and expressions orally to referring to: them
experiences using -front and back cover sentences with introduce: -People (Self, Family,
appropriate -beginning, ending, title appropriate speed and -Oneself Friends)
expressions page accuracy -Family -Animals
author and illustrator -Friends -Objects
-Others -Musical Instruments
-Environment

Relative to this, the schedule and time allotment of LCs in quarters are suggestive in nature. As discussed, the teacher is given the autonomy to unpack the
MELC depending on the needs of the learners. Based on this premise, therefore, the duration of an LC is relative. What is required, however, is that the list of
competencies be achieved in the specified grade level.

Lastly, given the detailed nature of the content and performance standards in the Mother Tongue Curriculum, the process of determining the MELCs required
that some of these standards be forgone. See figure below showing the content and performance standards for Grade 1:
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Nevertheless, it is assured that all Grade Level Standards are maintained through the chosen MELCs.

How to Use the MELCs

Given the nature of the MELCs, the teacher is advised to re-teach certain competencies needed for their achievement. It is also recommended that the teacher
unpack the MELCs into more specific learning competencies as guided by the original Mother Tongue Curriculum Guide. Consider the following example:

GRADE LEVEL/
MELC SUB-COMPETENCIES
QUARTER
Identifies and uses verbs appropriate for
the grade level
Uses the correct form of the verb that
Uses the correct form of the verb given
G3 Q3 agrees with the subject when writing an
the time signal
event, or an interesting experience
Uses the correct form of the verb that
agrees with the subject
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The sub-competencies listed above are only some of the LCs subsumed by the MELCs. The teacher may include more or less than those identified depending
on the needs of the learners. Teachers are given the leeway to formulate learning objectives deemed necessary for their students’ cognitive development as
long as they adhere to the existing curriculum standards prescribed by the Department of Education.
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Grade Level: Grade 3

Subject: Mother Tongue
Grade Level Standards:
The learner demonstrates communication skills in talking about variety of topics using expanding vocabulary, shows understanding of spoken language in
different contexts using both verbal and non-verbal cues, vocabulary and language structures, cultural aspects of the language, and reads and writes literary
and informational texts.

Quarter Duration
Most Essential Learning Competencies
1st Quarter Correctly spells the words in the list of vocabulary words and the words in the selections read
Writes poems, riddles, chants, and raps
Differentiates count from mass nouns
Notes important details in grade level narrative texts:
a. Character
b. Setting
c. Plot (problem & solution)
Uses the correct counters for mass nouns (ex: a kilo of meat)
Uses the combination of affixes and root words as clues to get meaning of words
Uses expressions appropriate to the grade level to relate/show one’s obligation, hope, and wish
Identifies and uses abstract nouns
Identifies Metaphor personification, and hyperbole in a sentence
Interpret the meaning of a poem
Writes correctly different types of sentences (simple, compound, complex)
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Identifies idiomatic expressions in a sentence

2nd Quarter Identifies interrogative pronouns
Use expressions appropriate to the grade level to react to local news, information, and propaganda about school,
community and other local activities
Identifies Metaphor personification, hyperbole
3rd Quarter Writes reactions and personal opinions to news reports and issues
Identifies the parts of a newspaper
Interprets a pictograph based on a given legend
Interprets the labels in an illustration
Uses the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject when writing an event
Gives another title for literary or informational text.
Identifies the author’s purpose for writing a selection.
4th Quarter Makes a two-level outline for a report or an interesting experience
Writes a 3-5 step procedural Paragraph using signal words such as first, last, then, and next
Identifies and uses adverbs of manner in different degrees of comparison
Identifies and uses correctly prepositions and prepositional phrases