Development of big books using mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) for climate change and disaster response
Paper Details
Development of big books using mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) for climate change and disaster response
Abstract
This short communication reports the development and classroom use of Big Books designed through the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) approach to introduce climate change and disaster response concepts to early grade learners in the Philippines. In line with national MTB-MLE policy, Big Books were developed in the Ilocano language and used during guided reading sessions. Classroom observations showed that mother tongue-based instruction enhanced learners’ comprehension, participation, and ability to articulate ideas related to disaster preparedness. Teachers also reported improved instructional clarity and learner engagement. These findings suggest that culturally and linguistically responsive Big Books can serve as effective instructional tools for early disaster and climate change education.
Aldrich DP, Meyer MA. 2015. Social capital and community resilience. American Behavioral Scientist 59(2), 254–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764214550299
Ball J. 2011. Enhancing learning of children from diverse language backgrounds: mother tongue-based bilingual or multilingual education in the early years. UNICEF.
Benson C. 2004. The importance of mother tongue-based schooling for educational quality. UNESCO.
Department of Education. 2012. DO 16, s. 2012 – guidelines on the implementation of the mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE). Republic of the Philippines.
Ladson-Billings G. 1995. Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal 32(3), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465
Lindholm-Leary K. 2014. Student outcomes in bilingual, dual immersion, and English immersion programs. Center for Applied Linguistics.
McGee LM, Richgels DJ. 2012. Literacy’s beginnings: Supporting young readers and writers, 6th ed. Pearson.
Neuman SB, Roskos K. 2007. Nurturing knowledge: building a foundation for school success. Scholastic.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). 2019. Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction.
Zevenbergen AA, Whitehurst GJ. 2003. Dialogic reading. Reading Research Quarterly 38(1), 112–134. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.38.1.6
Analyn I. Diola*, Philip G. Nonales, Christopher Espero, 2025. Development of big books using mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) for climate change and disaster response. J. Biodiv. Environ. Sci., 27(6), 99-101.
Copyright © 2025 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.