Yan, an educator of more than 20 years and an early literacy expert. Teacher Bee, as her students call her, conceptualized the program in 2007 by drawing inspiration from her son, a late talker and a struggling reader. Unable to find a reading program that allowed her son to enjoy learning to read in a more physical, experiential, and highly active setting, she started her own. To have a full gras
p of what and how to teach, she first earned a certification from Read America, USA. To fast track the reading process, she used the result of the meta-analysis conducted by the National Reading Panel in 2000 as the basis of the content of the program. After teaching her son successfully, she taught the children of her relatives, neighbors, and some whom she knew had difficulty reading for free. Most of her students were boys. She conducted an evaluation study of the program and presented it as her graduate thesis at Ateneo De Manila University. She called the program Alterra, coming from the word alter, in her desire to innovate how reading is taught. Alterra Play-to-Read in 30 Days is registered under the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Philippines. Recognizing the lack of "boy-friendly" environments in teaching boys to read, Teacher Bee used the latest neuroscience and brain researches as well as happiness science (a.k.a. positive psychology) to take a fresh look at the Alterra Play-to-Read program and paid special attention in developing strategies to address the unique needs of boys in learning to read. She called the cross-over program for boys BLUE COW. The recognition of her program from the International Economics Development Research Center (IEDRC) of Hongkong in December 2016 inspired her to share Alterra Play-to-Read in 30 Days and Blue Cow to small preschool leaders and teachers who are looking for ways to differentiate their academic programs and to parents to help their children, boys and girls alike, become better readers and get ahead in life.
