The Philippine MTB-MLE curriculum includes fourteen domains of literacy that aim to enhance language competency in early education. Each domain, such as oral language, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension, focuses on specific skills necessary for cognitive development and effective communication. Understanding and mastering these competencies is crucial for teachers and contributes significantly to positive learning outcomes for students.

1. The Fourteen Domains of
Literacy in the Philippine
MTB-MLE Curriculum

2. MTB-MLE curriculum in the Philippine Kto12 Basic
Education Program has a fourteen domains of literacy.
Knowing and understanding them and getting familiar with
the competencies that are covered by each domain can
help teachers in promoting the delivery of the curriculum.
Further, this ensures that focusing on the development of
essential competencies in each domain will generate
positive results among language learners.
The following are the fourteen domains of literacy and
sample competencies for each domain.

3. 1. Oral Language
The primary purpose of language is to communicate with
children at the early years of schooling in caring, warm and
welcoming classroom environment to encourage them to
freely express their thoughts and feelings. Teachers need
to think about using strategies that motivate children to
communicate with each other with ease and much fun. In
the context of the DepEd MTB-MLE program, oral
language refers to one`s knowledge and use of the
structure, meanings, and uses of language in oral
communication. Roskos et.al (2009) present an expanded
notion of oral language with five primary areas, namely:

4.  A. Semantics : Developing meanings for the words children here and
say in their conversation with other.
 B. Syntax(Grammar): Learning the rules of how Words linked together.
 C. Morphology: Figuring out how to manifest the smallest units of
meaning in the language called morphemes. The word boys, for
example, have two morphemes. Boy(meaning a young male child.) and
–s (meaning than one boy.)
 D. Phonology: Understanding the sound structure language. From birth
onward or even before childbirth children learn all the sounds or
phonemes of their language.
 E. Pragmatics: Understanding the social uses of language and basic
social rules like saying “hello” and “goodbye saying “please” and “thank
you”, and taking turns in conversation. To maximize children`s oral
language development, permanent connection between oral language
abilities and literacy skills must be establish. Oral language is the
foundation of learning to read and write.

5. 2. Phonological Awareness
 This refers to the ability to know the phonological or sound
structure of language as distinct from its meaning. Types of
phonological awareness include word awareness, syllable
awareness, and phoneme awareness. Phonemic awareness
is the understanding that spoken words or syllables can be
taught of as a sequence of the key to learning to read is the
understanding that words are made up of one or more
sounds. Children need to understand that each letter of
alphabet system has one or more sounds and that this letter
sounds are used to make word. (Christina and Lynch 2000)

6. 3. Book and Print Knowledge
This domain pertains to knowing the parts of a book
and how print works. It also refers to the awareness
of how print looks. Further, is the ability to
understand that print is made up of letters that
letters correspond to sounds and words as that text is
read from left to right across the page

7. 4. Alphabet Knowledge
 It is the ability to know the letters of the alphabet and
understanding that the alphabet represents the sounds of
spoken languages. An emergent reader should know the each
letter of the alphabet has a name, a distinct sound, and upper
and lower case. Alphabet letters are the building blocks of
writing system. Alphabet knowledge also refers to the
understanding to the left-to right spelling of printed works
represents their phoneme from first to last.

8. 5. Phonics and Word Recognition
One of the goals of beginning reading is to be able to identify
written word by sight or deciphering the relationship between
speech sounds and the letters in written language.
Emergent and beginning readers are expected to understand the
system of matching sounds we speak with printed letters that
are used for reading and writing.
Mother Tongue. Like other language that used alphabets
provides a systematic code that allows learners to recognize
words accurately.

9. 6. Vocabulary Development
 This refers to the knowledge of words and their meanings in
both oral and print representation.
 Vocabulary is organized into two large type:
1. Expressive Vocabulary – those words children can use to
express themselves in oral or written form.
2. Receptive Vocabulary – Those words children can understand
what heard in context or read. Rokos et al (2009)

10. 7. Spelling
 Early or beginning readers and writers should be able
convert oral language sounds into printed language
symbols. Children have to make the mental connection that
the visual symbols of letters and spelling represent distinct
sounds, Spelling sound pattern in Filipino language are
easy to learn but in English, irregularities between sound
and letters are very evident. Research makes clear that
once children learn the systematic way of spellings stands
for sound, They extent this knowledge in discovering
spelling regularities when they encounter the same spelling
pattern again and again especially in respective and
predictable texts.

11. 8. Grammar Awareness
 This refers to both the language we use and the description of language as
a system. It is the ability to understand the rules of how words are linked
together to convey meanings. From birth, children acquire their home
language by their exposure to family conversations and daily activities.
According to the research, by age 4 most children have grasped the
grammar rules of their home language and increasingly use language for
many functions. As such in the early stage, grammar is not given much
emphasis but as learner move up the grades, explicit instruction in
grammar is provided to enable them to accurately and quickly understand
message expressed orally or in written form. Teachers should purposively
teach children about language and how to effectively develop listening,
speaking, reading, writing and viewing skills, and strategies. Children learn
about the language in meaningful contents by listening to stories, rhyme,
chants, poems, and other test types through read aloud.

12. 9. Fluency
 Is refers to the fluidity of utterances (oral fluency) Or the Oral reading of
texts smoothly (reading fluency), not hindered. Word-by-word reading and
other word recognition problems that might adversely affect
comprehension. It is also writing a without thinking about how to form a
letter before writing (writing fluency) (crystal,1994) in the DepEd MTB-MLE
Curriculum Guide the notion of fluency seems confined only to reading
fluency Reading fluency has three elements, namely:
 A. Automaticity: The ability to recognize words quickly and without much
conscious attention.
 B. Accuracy: The ability to recognize words correctly, It reflects two
important concept: knowledge of the Print-sound relationship and an
understanding of meaning.
 Prosody or Proper Expression: The ability to read aloud with appropriate
intonations and pauses indicating that the learners understand the
meaning of the text.

13. 10. Reading Comprehension
 Comprehension is a constructive interactive process involving three
factors the readers, the texts, and the context in which the text is read
(Gunning, 2010). This literacy domain gives prime importance to the
ultimate goal of reading which is to understand the meaning of written
Unpacking the text is a complex task that employ a variety of skills and
strategies. This domain refers to the process of constructing and
negotiating meaning from print (Gunning 2003). The ultimate goal of
reading is understanding the meaning of written language.

14. A. Schema. This is the organized knowledge that an individual has
about people, places, things and events (Rumihart, 1984 in Gunning,
2003) that are triggered when constructing and negotiating meaning
from print.
B. Activating prior knowledge. According to Cameron(2009) prior
knowledge is the unique set of knowledge each individual learner
brings to the reading experience. It is a combination of the learners
attitude, experience and Knowledge.
C. Comprehension Strategies: In the DepEd MTB-MLE Curriculum
Guide, 2014, comprehension strategies include preparing, organizing,
elaborating, releasing and monitoring the reading process. There are
three factors that influence learners that influence learners ability to
understand texts such as: The complexity of words and sentences,
including comprehending informational or factual texts. These types of
texts use top 3 levels of information: topic, main idea, and supporting
details (Aguirre,2005).

15. Conceptual complexity
 The simplicity and complexity of the information in the text
affects comprehension. Conceptual density, or the Number of
ideas packed into a few words, and the accessibility of the
conceptual reference also impact Learners’ background
knowledge about the topic. The knowledge and experience
children bring to their Reading affects comprehension the
richer the background knowledge the easier for the learners
to transact the meaning of the text. Otherwise, children will
find difficulty in understanding the reading

16. D. Text types
• Narrative Texts
 This type tells a story. Its purpose is to present a View of the world
that entertains or informs the reader or listener. Some example of
narrative text types are:
 • Stories
 • Fantasy novels
 • Bedtime stories (spoken)
 • Historical fiction
 • Information Text
Also known as factorial text.This type uses top-3 levels of information:
topic, main idea, and supporting details (Aguirre, 2005). It presents
informative and ideas that aim to show.

17. Listening Comprehension
 At the kindergarten level, children are engaged in
listening Activities where the teacher reads aloud
stories to them. So the focus at this stage is on
listening comprehension

18. 11. WRITING AND COMPOSING
 This is the process of using and writing system or orthography in
the conduct of people lives’ and in the transmission of their culture
to the next generation.
 Is it also refer to the process of result of recording language
graphically and hand or by he other means as by letters,
logograms, and other symbols.
 In the MTBMLE curriculum guide, composing refer to the ability to
formulate ideas into sentences, or longer text and represent them in
the conventional or non-conventional orthographic pattern or written
language. As the performance standard for the third level point.
Learners are expected to express the ideas effectively in formal and
informal composition to fulfil their own purpose of writing

19. 12. HANDWRITING
In the MTB-MLE curriculum guide of
DepEd, this domain refers to the ability to
form a letters through manuscript and
curved styles. Performance standard by
the end of the third grade is writing
legibly in cursive style.

20. 13. ATTITUDE TOWARDS LANGUAGE,
LITERACY AND LITERATURE.
 The domain refers to process of reflecting ethical
consideration on the use of ideas and information. The use
of language and appreciating context and situation
considering the culture and audience (Language, art and
multiliteracies curriculum, DepEd K-to 12 curriculum, 2011
draft.) It refers to the ability to make choice and text to
read coming from the wide range of genres that serve the
purpose from reading: Reading for enjoyment or reading
for learning.

21. 14. STUDY STRATEGIES
 These are the deliberate, planned procedures designed
to help the learner reach a goal. These include the use
of graphic organizers. Marginal notes. Research. etc.
(Gunning, 2003) They also refer to techniques and
strategies that help an individual

22. LANGUAGE TRANSFER AND LANGUAGE
TRANSITION IN THE K-TO 12 CURRICYLUM:
PRINCIPLES, PROCESSES, AND PRACTICES.
 The driving force of this section is to respond creatively and
constructively to the urgent need to make a decision as
regards the appropriate language transfer and language
transition in the context of mother tongue- based multilingual
education (MTB-MLE) of the K to 12 Curriculum

23.  The enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, (RA10533) States that
education, instruction, teaching materials, and assessment shall be
regional or native language of the learners. The department of
Education ( Deped) shall formulate a mother languages instruction
until such time when these two languages become the primary
language of instruction of the secondary level.
 In as much as grades 4 to 6 are still in the elementary level. it can
inferred that English the primary language and Filipino are not yet
considered the primary language of instruction ( Lol) it is construed
that are some subjects in the elementary level particularly in the said
grades should still be taught using the mother tongue as the language
of instruction, implying that the number of subjects taught in the
mother tongue decrease during this periodz

24. TRANSFER AND TRANSITION
 TRANSFER: Is a scientific concept that explains how we
learn languages, Benson C.( 2008) the medium of
instruction shifts from one language to another.
 Transition: Is an Educational term indicating the point at
which the medium of instruction shifts from one language
to another.

25. Components of Bridging Program.
 Which capture the principles of both language transfer
(Components 1-5) and language transition (Component 6), as
follows:
 1. Continue to focus on oral L1 especially for ages 8, Focus on
using the L1 for higher level thinking, listening, and speaking.
 2. Introduce literacy in the L1 and build fluency in reading and
writing meaningfully and correctly.

26.  3. Introduce and build fluency in oral L2. (Note that oral L 2 can be
introduced early as long as it does not interfere with small
children's oral and written L1 development and is non-
threatening, enjoyable, and fun!). Begin with listening and
responding to commands in L2; later add speaking in L2 and
gradually build fluency in using "everyday" L2 for a variety of
communicative activities
 4. -Introduce and build fluency in written L2, remembering that
children will be able to transfer their understanding of the
reading/writing process from the L1 into their L2.
 5. Continue teaching oral and written L1 and L2 as subjects at
least to the end of primary school.
 6. Use L1 as the only language of instruction in early grades and
use both L1 and L2 for instruction in middle to later primary.

27. Transfer Primer (L1 to L2)
 Language Learning Materials When L1 and L2 Use The Same
Alphabetic Script Malone (2012) recommends that transfer primers are
used for introducing the L1 writing system when both L1 and L2 use the
same script. Transfer primers usually follow a progression as given
below:
 1. Symbols (letters and other features of the written language) that look
the same sounds in both languages. SAME LETTER, SAME SOUND
 2. New symbols in the L2 that represent sounds that are also in LIS
New LETTER, New SOUND
 3. Symbols that look the in both represent different sounds in L2, SAME
LETTER, DIFFERENT (For example, English letter has different sounds
as 4, a, d, ar controlled) (NOTE SEE ORIGINAL)
 4. Symbols that look different in the L 2 but represent sounds
COMBINATION OF LETTERS, DIFFERENT SOUND (For example,
letters ph are sounded as f which is also in
 5. Symbols that represent features of the L2 that are not present in the
L1 (for example, tone, stress, voice quality). (For example, aspirated Q,

28. Suggestions for Developing a Transfer
Primer (Malone, 2009)
 1. Do a frequency count to produce a list of L2 letters. From roost
frequently used.
 2. Select the sounds that will be taught in each lesson, based on
the Frequency Count to least frequently use
 3. Choosing key words to teach the L2 letters each keyword
includes the new letter that is in focus in that lesson.
 4. Creating sentences and stories using newly learned L2 letters
create a short meaningful L2 sentence that uses the new L2 letter
plus others that have been learned.