Improving Reading Comprehension of Grade 10 Students From Cavite National Science High School through a Response Journal (S.Y. 2018-2019)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Without comprehension, reading is a difficult task among learners. Reading comprehension helps students improve their knowledge, skills and experiences they must acquire to become proficient readers. Typically poor readers faces inadequate awareness in developing, selecting and applying strategies that can increase their comprehension of the text. They may also have trouble connecting the ideas of a text. This made the researcher use a reader response journal for her learners. It aims to help the reader identify the organizational structure of narratives or the expository texts to help them read and understand. This improves the comprehension of the learners for they need to think and reflect upon what they have through the journal.

METHODS

One hundred forty-one Grade 10 students made use of the response journal. The worksheet was designed to get a feeling of how the students were perceiving the use of the journals. Modeling is the technique used by the researcher. The researcher modeled her thinking about a selected piece of text and how that thinking can be used to form a written response. The students were required to accomplish 6 response journals out of the pre-selected readings for Grade 10. It was accomplished halfway through the research period.

RESULTS

With the reading surveys, the researcher identified the student's attitudes about reading and writing about their reading. Generally, there was a small variation between the pre and post surveys. When questioned how well they liked to read, 50 % of the respondents love reading. The question of how much they believed writing about what they read would impact how well they recalled what they read caused in a slight decrease. On a scale of zero to four, with zero being "not at all" and four being "very much", 70% of the student population claim that the response journal help them recollect ideas and events from the story.

DISCUSSIONS

In analyzing the data and notes, the researcher found out the use of response journals an effective scheme to improve memory thus increase reading comprehension. Practically, most of the students showed constructive results. For some, the increases were slim. With this in mind, adjustments need to be made for those who find it not for them. The researcher concluded that she can lessen the number of journals, let them draw about what they read, or vary the writing by giving them specific things to write about. The researcher recommended to use other strategy that would best give the student direction on what to write.