Reading Level of Grade VI Pupils: Basis for Enhancement of the School Reading Program

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

As a teacher, our goal is to ensure that our learners learn to read and comprehend well. However, because of the low performance in reading, our learners are given long-term remedial instruction. Effectively addressing these factors affecting comprehension may require the use of various strategies. In this study, the participants have low reading level in terms of word recognition and comprehension. The Grade VI Pupils find it hard to comprehend on the concepts because they themselves cannot understand what theyare reading. Some of them can read the words in the text given by the teachers but cannot grasp what is it all about and others were challenged in recognizing words. This situation makes the pupils not interested or it can lead to confusion during reading and in a class discussion about what is being read. The purpose of this study was to describe the reading level of Grade V pupils to enhance the School's Reading Program.

METHODS

This study used descriptive method, wherein the reading level of the participants in terms of word recognition and comprehension were being described. The scores of the participants from the Phil-IRI test were recorded and identified according to level of (Frustration, Instructional, and Independent). The data from the test was utilized as the basis for designing a remedial instruction activity plan.

RESULTS

There are 40 out of 61 of the Grade VI class falls under the frustration level in reading, 17 out of 61 are under instructional level, and 4 out of 61 in independent level. The data shows us that most of the Grade VI pupils have difficulties in comprehending what they are reading. The pupils find it hard to remember what they are reading because they have difficulty in the word recognition. Most of the teachers conduct unlocking of difficulties in words that are not familiar to the learners. Teachers also provide pictures samples of the words that they read to encourage retention of their learners. Some of the teachers use flashcards of the basic sight words.

DISCUSSIONS

The problem that teachers are facing is how to teach the necessary skills to the struggling readers. They must have many resources when teacheing their pupils. Researchers have found that teaching reading strategies are important to developing student comprehension. They have found many teachers lack a solid foundation for teaching these reading comprehension strategies (National Reading Panel, 2005). Therefore, teachers need to be prepared, through professional development, on how to design effective comprehension strategies and how to teach these strategies to their students. Improving reading skills is a top priority for all educators.