MATATAG

C U RR I C U LU M :
L AN G U A G E 1
BEED-3B ( G R OU P 3)
 MATATAG CURRICULUM: LANGUAGE
FOR GRADE 1
is developed by the Department of Education
(DepEd) in the Philippines, represents a significant shift in
language education, aiming to foster holistic development
and prepare students for the 21st century. This curriculum
emphasizes the importance of first language-based
multilingual education, recognizing the crucial role of
learners' native languages in their overall learning journey.
SALIENT FEATURES
OF MATATAG
CURRICULUM:
LANGUAGE
 THE MATATAG CURRICULUM: LANGUAGE FOR
GRADE 1 IS BUILT UPON SEVERAL KEY PRINCIPLES AND
FEATURES THAT DISTINGUISH IT FROM PREVIOUS
CURRICULA:

1) FIRST LANGUAGE-BASED MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION

2) HOLISTIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
3) STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH
4) INTEGRATION OF LOCAL VALUES AND CULTURE
5) COMPETENCY-BASED APPROACH
6) CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK
FIRST LANGUAGE-BASED MULTILINGUAL
EDUCATION
THE CURRICULUM PRIORITIZES THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNERS' FIRST
LANGUAGE (L1), RECOGNIZING ITS FUNDAMENTAL ROLE IN COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT,
CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND OVERALL ACADEMIC SUCCESS. IT EMPHASIZES THE
IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION IN THE LEARNER'S NATIVE LANGUAGE
BEFORE INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES LIKE FILIPINO AND ENGLISH. THIS
APPROACH ALLOWS STUDENTS TO TRANSFER THEIR EXISTING LANGUAGE SKILLS AND
KNOWLEDGE TO NEW LANGUAGES, FOSTERING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF
LANGUAGE STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATION.
HOLISTIC LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

THE CURRICULUM GOES BEYOND SIMPLY TEACHING LANGUAGE SKILLS,

AIMING TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF LANGUAGE AND ITS
ROLE IN SOCIETY. IT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING LEARNERS' COMMUNICATION
SKILLS, LITERACY REPERTOIRES, CRITICAL THINKING, AND CULTURAL AWARENESS.
BY EXPLORING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, THE
CURRICULUM HELPS STUDENTS APPRECIATE THE DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND
PERSPECTIVES, FOSTERING TOLERANCE AND RESPECT FOR DIFFERENT CULTURES.
STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH

THE MATATAG CURRICULUM: LANGUAGE ADOPTS A STUDENT-CENTERED

APPROACH, RECOGNIZING THAT EVERY LEARNER IS UNIQUE AND HAS DIFFERENT
LEARNING STYLES AND NEEDS. THE CURRICULUM ENCOURAGES ACTIVE
LEARNING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND CRITICAL THINKING, EMPOWERING STUDENTS
TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LEARNING JOURNEY. TEACHERS ARE ENCOURAGED
TO ADAPT AND MODIFY THE CURRICULUM TO SUIT THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THEIR
STUDENTS, ENSURING THAT EVERY LEARNER HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED.
INTEGRATION OF LOCAL VALUES
AND CULTURE
THE CURRICULUM EMPHASIZES THE INTEGRATION OF FILIPINO VALUES,
CULTURE, AND HISTORY, FOSTERING A SENSE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AND
PRIDE IN LEARNERS. BY INCORPORATING LOCAL NARRATIVES, TRADITIONS, AND
CULTURAL PRACTICES INTO THE LEARNING PROCESS, THE CURRICULUM HELPS
STUDENTS CONNECT WITH THEIR HERITAGE AND DEVELOP A DEEPER
UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR OWN CULTURAL CONTEXT.
COMPETENCY-BASED APPROACH
THE MATATAG CURRICULUM: LANGUAGE FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING KEY
COMPETENCIES, SUCH AS COMMUNICATION, CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION,
AND CRITICAL THINKING, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN THE 21ST
CENTURY. BY EMPHASIZING THESE COMPETENCIES, THE CURRICULUM
PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE CHALLENGES OF A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD,
EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO ADAPT AND THRIVE IN
DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT AND
FEEDBACK
THE CURRICULUM INCLUDES REGULAR ASSESSMENTS AND FEEDBACK
MECHANISMS TO MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS AND PROVIDE SUPPORT AND
INTERVENTION WHEN NEEDED. THIS CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT PROCESS
HELPS ENSURE THAT EVERY LEARNER HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED
AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. TEACHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE
CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS, HELPING THEM IDENTIFY AREAS FOR
IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOP THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS EFFECTIVELY.
 CONCLUSION
THE MATATAG CURRICULUM: LANGUAGE FOR GRADE 1 REPRESENTS A
SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS A MORE HOLISTIC AND RELEVANT LANGUAGE
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES. BY PRIORITIZING FIRST LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT, FOSTERING A STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH, AND
EMPHASIZING KEY COMPETENCIES, THE CURRICULUM AIMS TO EMPOWER
LEARNERS AND PREPARE THEM FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
THIS COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO LANGUAGE EDUCATION HOLDS THE
POTENTIAL TO FOSTER A GENERATION OF CONFIDENT, ARTICULATE, AND
CULTURALLY AWARE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO
SOCIETY.
KEY CONCEPTS
AND PRINCIPLES
1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR LEARNING
LANGUAGES

FIRST LANGUAGE-BASED MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION: THIS IS

THE CORE PRINCIPLE. THE CURRICULUM EMPHASIZES THE
IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING A STRONG FOUNDATION IN THE
LEARNER'S FIRST LANGUAGE (L1) BEFORE INTRODUCING
ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES LIKE FILIPINO AND ENGLISH.
1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR LEARNING
LANGUAGES

BENEFITS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING: THE DOCUMENT HIGHLIGHTS THE MANY

BENEFITS OF LEARNING LANGUAGES, INCLUDING:
 IMPROVED COMMUNICATION SKILLS

 ENHANCED LITERACY REPERTOIRES

 DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND COMMUNICATION PROCESSES

 FOSTERING APPRECIATION FOR DIVERSITY AND RESPECT FOR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

 DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL THINKING AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS

 STRENGTHENING SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2. THE DESIGN OF THE LANGUAGES CURRICULA

NEW LEARNING AREAS: THE CURRICULUM INTRODUCES TWO NEW

LEARNING AREAS FOR L1 EDUCATION IN GRADE 1:

•LANGUAGE: FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING ORAL LANGUAGE SKILLS

FOR COMMUNICATION IN THE LEARNER'S FIRST LANGUAGE.

•READING AND LITERACY: AIMS TO DEVELOP FOUNDATIONAL

READING SKILLS IN THE FIRST LANGUAGE.
2. THE DESIGN OF THE LANGUAGES CURRICULA

REORGANIZED LANGUAGE OFFERINGS: THE LANGUAGES

CURRICULUM REORGANIZES THE LANGUAGE OFFERINGS IN THE K
TO 10 CURRICULUM. LANGUAGE AND READING AND LITERACY
LEARNING AREAS ARE OFFERED IN GRADE 1, WHILE FILIPINO AND
ENGLISH ARE OFFERED SIMULTANEOUSLY STARTING IN GRADE 2.
2. THE DESIGN OF THE LANGUAGES CURRICULA

MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION MODEL: THE DOCUMENT

PRESENTS A MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION MODEL THAT
EMPHASIZES THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF LANGUAGES,
BUILDING UPON CUMMINS' (1981) IDEA OF LINGUISTIC
INTERDEPENDENCE AND COMMON UNDERLYING PROFICIENCY.
3. AIMS AND GOALS OF THE
CURRICULUM

OVERALL GOAL: TO PRODUCE YOUNG FILIPINO

LEARNERS WHO ARE LITERATE,
COMMUNICATIVELY COMPETENT, AND
CULTURALLY AWARE.
3. AIMS AND GOALS OF THE
CURRICULUM
SPECIFIC GOALS: TO PRODUCE YOUNG FILIPINO LEARNERS WHO ARE LITERATE,
COMMUNICATIVELY COMPETENT, AND CULTURALLY AWARE.
• LITERACY: THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND, INTERPRET, CREATE, COMMUNICATE, AND
COMPUTE USING PRINTED AND WRITTEN MATERIALS, INCLUDING DIGITAL AND MULTIMEDIA
TEXTS

• COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE: THE ABILITY TO USE LANGUAGE APPROPRIATELY AND

EFFECTIVELY IN VARIOUS SOCIAL CONTEXTS

• CULTURAL IDENTITY: A SENSE OF PRIDE IN BELONGING TO A CULTURAL GROUP AND

APPRECIATION FOR THE DIVERSITY OF CULTURES.
4. STRUCTURE OF THE LEARNING
AREAS
BIG IDEAS: THE CURRICULUM IDENTIFIES SEVERAL "BIG IDEAS" THAT SERVE AS
THE FOCAL POINT OF THE LEARNING AREAS. THESE INCLUDE:.

• ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE EARLY YEARS PROVIDES A BRIDGE TO LITERACY

DEVELOPMENT.

• LANGUAGE IS A TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND FOR LEARNING IN ALL OTHER LEARNING
AREAS.

• LEARNERS DEVELOP KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LANGUAGE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE.
4. STRUCTURE OF THE LEARNING
AREAS
DOMAINS: THE CURRICULUM IS ORGANIZED INTO THREE INTERRELATED
DOMAINS:
• LANGUAGE: LEARNERS LEARN ABOUT LANGUAGES AND HOW THEY WORK, DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE
SKILLS, GRAMMATICAL KNOWLEDGE, AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDINGS.

• LITERACY: LEARNERS DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING AND CREATING TEXTS IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS AND
FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES, THROUGH THE MACROSKILLS: SPEAKING, LISTENING, READING, AND WRITING.

• TEXT: LEARNERS ENGAGE WITH WRITTEN, SPOKEN, OR MULTIMODAL FORMS OF COMMUNICATION USED IN
MEANINGFUL CONTEXTS.
5. PROGRESSION ACROSS KEY
STAGES
• KEY STAGE 1 (KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 3): FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING LEARNERS'
BASIC LITERACY SKILLS AND FLUENCY IN THEIR USE OF L1, FILIPINO, AND ENGLISH.

• KEY STAGE 2 (GRADES 4-6): FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING LEARNERS' APPLIED AND

CRITICAL LITERACY SKILLS.

• KEY STAGE 3 (GRADES 7-10): FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING LEARNERS' MULTILITERACIES

OR THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND COMMUNICATE IN DIVERSE SETTINGS
THROUGH WRITTEN, VISUAL, AUDIO, GESTURAL, TACTILE, AND SPATIAL MODES OF
MEANING.
6. CURRICULUM STANDARDS
• LEARNING AREA STANDARDS: THESE DEFINE THE EXPECTED
LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR EACH LEARNING AREA.

• KEY STAGE STANDARDS: THESE DEFINE THE EXPECTED

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR EACH KEY STAGE.

• GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS: THESE DEFINE THE EXPECTED

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL.
7. SPIRAL PROGRESSION
• VERTICAL ARTICULATION: THE CURRICULUM IS STRUCTURED TO
REVISIT CONCEPTS REPEATEDLY, BUT AT A HIGHER LEVEL EACH
TIME, TO ENSURE DEEP AND LASTING UNDERSTANDING.

• HORIZONTAL ARTICULATION: THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO

COMPLEMENT AND INTEGRATE SEAMLESSLY WITH OTHER
LEARNING AREAS.
8. DEVELOPMENT OF 21ST CENTURY
SKILLS
FOCUS ON 21ST CENTURY SKILLS: THE CURRICULUM AIMS TO
EQUIP LEARNERS WITH 21ST CENTURY SKILLS, INCLUDING:

Critical Collaborati Informatio Media •Digital

Creativity
Thinking on n Literacy Literacy Literacy
9. SOCIAL ISSUES AND
GOVERNMENT THRUST
• CONTEXTUALIZATION: THE CURRICULUM ENCOURAGES
TEACHERS TO CONTEXTUALIZE LEARNING EXPERIENCES BASED
ON THE REALITIES OF THE LEARNERS' LOCALITY.

• INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL ISSUES: THE CURRICULUM

ENCOURAGES TEACHERS TO INTEGRATE SOCIAL ISSUES AND
GOVERNMENT THRUSTS INTO THEIR LESSONS.
10. PEDAGOGY AND ASSESSMENT
Pedagogical Principles: The curriculum emphasizes the
use of a range of pedagogical approaches, including:
• Multilingualism
• Translanguaging
• Explicit Instruction
• Comprehensible Input
• Gradual Release of Responsibility
10. PEDAGOGY AND ASSESSMENT
Assessment Practices: The curriculum emphasizes the
use of authentic assessment practices, including:
 Portfolios
 Journals
 Authentic tasks
 Anecdotal records
 Self-evaluation
 Peer evaluation
 Rubrics
 OVERALL, THE MATATAG
CURRICULUM: LANGUAGE FOR GRADE
1 REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN
LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES. IT IS DESIGNED TO BE
HOLISTIC, RELEVANT, AND
RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF 21ST-
CENTURY LEARNERS.
 REFERENCES
HTTPS://WWW.DEPEDTAMBAYANPH.NET/2024/06/MATATAG-CURRICULUM-LANGUAG
E-CG-GRADE-1.HTML

HTTPS://WWW.PNOYTALKS.COM/2024/05/MATATAG-CURRICULUM-GUIDE-FOR-GRAD
E-1.HTML

HTTPS://WWW.CLASSACE.IO/ANSWERS/WHAT-DO-YOU-LEARN-ABOUT-SALIENT-FEAT
URES-OF-THE-MATATAG-CURRICULUM

HTTPS://WWW.CLASSACE.IO/ANSWERS/WHY-SALIENT-FEATURES-OF-MATATAG-CUR
RICULUM-IS-IMPORTANT-TO-US

HTTPS://WWW.GAUTHMATH.COM/SOLUTION/1804615433755653/M-SALIENT-FEATU
RES-OF-THE-MATATAG-CURRICULUM