"Improving Reading Skills and Readers-At-Risk of Grade 3 Pupils of Gregorio A. Herradura Elementary School through Phonics Approach

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Reading is the key to skillful learning and better living. The learners who read well develop a better understanding and effective adjustment towards life's situations. When the learners understand what they read they could identify, classify, build, organize, synthesize, make adjustments, and arrive at proper decisions. While such problems could be attributed to some causes such as social, economic, environmental, or psychological factors, it remains a vital task of all concerned especially the teachers to improve the quality of instruction to help the slow readers and readers at-risks acquire the basic knowledge and skills in reading that could be utilized as avenues to undertake other subject areas prescribed in the curriculum.

METHODS

This action research relied mainly on the results of the different oral reading tests (recognition level) conducted during the period of the program. The descriptive method of research was used in the study to find out the reading performance of the pupils. The data gathered were tabulated, evaluated, and analyzed using percentages to identify the reading levels of the pupils.

RESULTS

The subject of this action research was the slow readers and readers-at-risk in Grade 3 of Gregorio A. Herradura Elementary School for S.Y. 2016-2017. It reveals that out of 11 pupils under frustration level of word recognition 4 or 16% are slow readers; 5 or 20% are syllable readers, while 2 or 8% is still at-risk. On the basis of findings obtained through the analysis of data gathered, the following conclusions were achieved: (1) there was significant improvement in reading abilities of slow readers and readers at-risk in Grade 3; (2) phonics approach in reading is effective in improving the abilities of slow readers and readers at-risk in word recognition; (3) there were reading difficulties that were prevalent among pupils at the start of the study.

DISCUSSIONS

There was a significant improvement in reading abilities of slow readers and readers at-risk in Grade 3. Phonics approach inreading is effective in improving the abilities of slow readers and readers at-risk in word recognition. Teaching students to read is a vital educational aim. Reading gives opportunities and opens up new worlds. Learning to read enables students to gain new knowledge, enjoy texts, anddo everyday life things. The phonics and the whole language approaches are two main METHODS of reading, a debate that still rages among educators, parents, and experts.