Parental support played a crucial role in the success of reading improvement strategies at Bukal Elementary School. The school's improvement plan included conducting a symposium on responsible parenthood, which highlighted the importance of parental guidance in students' reading development. By involving parents, the school ensured a supportive home environment, which is essential for the effective execution of reading strategies like home reading corners and remedial sessions. This support helped secure commitment to the objectives, further driving the project’s success .

Bukal Elementary School innovated its teaching strategies by introducing alternative learning methods and employing a Continuous Improvement (CI) approach to address literacy challenges. They implemented home reading corners with instructional materials to support independent learning, facilitated remedial reading sessions through home visitations, and enhanced teacher effectiveness by organizing SLAC sessions and online training focusing on reading instruction. These adaptations not only maintained educational progress but also supported a consistent path toward achieving learning objectives in a remote setting .

The CI Projects at Bukal Elementary School were significant in achieving the educational goals during the pandemic by addressing the immediate challenges in literacy and adapting to alternative education methods. With a rise in non-readers, the school focused on Project REAL, which targeted improving reading skills through strategic interventions. These initiatives included an improved SIPOC process, identifying root causes, and implementing tailored solutions like reading corners and teacher training. The projects aligned with the Department of Education's goals and demonstrated adaptive problem-solving and innovation in a challenging context .

Stakeholders, including teachers, parents, pupils, and others, provided feedback asking how the school could improve pupils' reading skills and what they wished from the teaching methods. From these responses, the school identified that non-readers and low comprehension could be rooted in the lack of a comfortable reading environment at home and the need for teachers equipped with innovative reading strategies. This input guided the school in defining the improvement areas and led to the creation of a more focused Improvement Plan, addressing the core issues raised by their community .

The root causes for poor reading comprehension identified by Bukal Elementary School were the lack of a comfortable reading corner at home with reading materials, and the need for teachers equipped with innovative and effective reading strategies. To address these, the school provided home reading corners and instructional materials, conducted home visitations for remedial reading sessions, and improved teacher capacity through SLAC sessions, webinars, and training focusing on reading instruction. This holistic approach aimed to tackle barriers to reading proficiency by enhancing both the learning environment and teaching efficacy .

Bukal Elementary School utilized the SIPOC model as a framework for identifying and addressing educational challenges during the pandemic. By first developing an OLD SIPOC, they mapped out existing processes, stakeholders, and problems, particularly focusing on reading comprehension issues. They then refined this into an IMPROVED SIPOC, which provided clarity on inputs, processes, outputs, and the relevant stakeholders involved. This model facilitated identifying root causes like inadequate home reading environments and teacher training needs. Consequently, they developed targeted strategies, including creating home reading corners and enhancing teacher capabilities, to systematically address these issues. This strategic approach was pivotal in the successful implementation of Project REAL .

Project REAL was highly effective in improving literacy rates at Bukal Elementary School. Initially, there were 25 non-readers. With the implementation of the project, 20 of these students improved their reading abilities, indicating an 80% success rate. While 5 students remained under the frustration level, the significant improvement among the majority underscores the project's effectiveness. The success can be attributed to comprehensive strategies such as home reading corners, tailored remedial sessions, and ongoing teacher training .

Bukal Elementary School faced the challenge of increasing non-reader rates among pupils amidst the new normal of education, with the percentage rising from 25% to 28.7%. To address these issues, the school adopted alternative learning strategies and augmented available resources to enhance learning. They launched the CI Projects, particularly Project REAL (Reading Engagement Among Learners), focusing on improving literacy and eliminating non-readers. The approach involved listening to input from teachers, parents, pupils, and stakeholders, identifying core problems in reading skills, and implementing a comprehensive improvement plan that includes providing reading materials, home visitations for remedial sessions, and teacher development through seminars and webinars .

Home reading corners had a significant impact on improving students' reading abilities at Bukal Elementary School. By providing a dedicated space for reading equipped with various materials, students had the opportunity to practice reading in a supportive and resource-rich environment. This setup facilitated independent learning and reinforced the skills taught during remedial sessions, contributing to the improvement seen in 80% of the previously non-reading students. The reading corners were a cornerstone of Project REAL’s success by creating conducive conditions for reading development outside the traditional classroom setting .

Teacher training was crucial in enhancing reading instruction during the implementation of Project REAL at Bukal Elementary School. By conducting SLAC sessions and organizing online webinars focused on reading strategies, teachers gained innovative methods and tools to effectively support students struggling with reading. This ongoing professional development ensured that educators were well-prepared to address diverse learning needs, facilitating better outcomes. The enhanced instructional competence contributed significantly to improving students' reading abilities, as evidenced by the successful reduction in the number of non-readers .