SAN Vicente Elementary School—the first public grade school to receive a six-year reaccreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges this year—partly attributes its successful reading program to computers.
SVES has pioneered the method of using computers to test and improve the reading and comprehension ability of grade school students in the CNMI through its Renaissance Reading Program.
Under this program, students would read a certain book available at the school’s renaissance library. Once they have finished the book, they can immediately use a computer where questions about the stories they have read would appear.
The computer would then give points or scores based on how accurate the students have answered the questions. This is so far the fastest way to evaluate a student’s reading and comprehension ability, according to SVES Principal Janet Villagomez.
Erik Engelskjen, in-charge of SVES computer lab, said most of the quizzes inputted in computers are based on award-winning children’s books in the United States.
Engelskjen exposes SVES students to the use of computers. Third and 4th graders go to his class at least once a week while 5th and 6th graders spend twice a week at the computer lab.
But Engelskjen said there are many more educational software for children available in the market that the Public School System should consider buying.
“We need more. The government is very good in buying computers but we don’t have a software to load. There are many children’s learning software available (that they could buy),” he said.
