Microsoft recently expanded capabilities in its Reading Progress tool to include Filipinos, and it is now available to the 27 million students and 950,000 teachers within the Department of Education's nationwide system.

Microsoft's Reading Progress is a free application built into Microsoft Teams and is powered by artificial intelligence to support and track students' reading fluency, specifically reading accuracy, speed, and pronunciation. The tool works on all platforms, including Desktop, Mac, web, iOS and Android.

"Inclusive skills development and learning are at the core of our work around education. Filipinos' innate English proficiency sets us apart within the global workforce, but our proficiency in our mother tongue is equally important.

The availability of Filipino and local dialects in the Reading Progress tool will empower all our students to develop strong literacy skills for success in and beyond the classroom. Microsoft will continue to introduce innovations and support the education sector to create sustainable impact toward skilling the nation and its future workforce," said Clarissa Segismundo, Microsoft Philippines Education Programs Head.

Reading Progress is now available to all DepEd regions across the Philippines, delivering critical reading skills online and in face-to-face environments.

Teacher Divina Gracia Barrion Cuya, who teaches Grade 1 Special Science class at Tiwi Central School in Albay, shares how the Reading Progress tool has significantly helped her teach reading in English and its impact on it the learning of her students.

"Reading Progress was a huge help for my learners and me during the pandemic, and it allowed me to teach my students to read more effectively and engage them as we go through their reading milestones. This innovative platform has empowered teachers like me to easily monitor and assess students' Progress in reading using any device," Cuya said.

The Reading Progress tool was designed to enable teachers to connect with students individually and identify opportunities for differentiated instruction. With functions such as assignment review, teachers can collect valuable data and Education Insights dashboards that help visualize class performance and individual growth. These innovations have empowered educators like Divina to deliver lessons more engagingly and track students' Progress.

"Since utilizing Reading Progress, my learners' reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary have all dramatically improved. They also enjoy spelling and, most importantly, developed a deep, genuine love for reading," Cuya said.

According to DepEd, students must develop a strong foundation in their mother language before effectively learning additional languages. Research also shows that children learning in their mother tongue better understand the curriculum. The Reading Progress tool's new features and availability to all public-school students and teachers will help implement DepEd's Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education program.

Cuya shares firsthand insight into the struggle of students in reading Filipino. A report in 2020 by the DepEd Region V found around 40,000 grade school students struggling to read after taking both Filipino and English tests. With the new features now available in the Reading Progress tool, teacher Divina is confident in improving her student's Filipino reading skills.