Ameliorating Grade Six -Emerald's Performance in Reading Comprehension at San Juan East Central School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Reading is the process of making and getting meaning from printed word symbols. By the power of reading, a person widens his/her horizons and frees him/herself from the bondage of ignorance and retardation. It is hurting and embarrassing to know that many of our pupils today, especially those in the intermediate level, are very poor in reading with comprehension. Reading cannot take place when there is no comprehension on the part of the reader. Comprehension has been a perennial problem among teachers. Many teachers say that their pupils can read but cannot understand what they have read. In this case, pupils are just "word callers" or "barking at print." Sensitive mentors can greatly contribute to its realization and to producing successful professionals through commendable actions like action researches.

METHODS

The researcher encountered a lot of difficulties in upgrading the vocabulary of the pupils essential in reading. She proposed interactive teaching-reading strategies. The researcher used three steps to contextualize the pupils' reading abilities: the PHIL-IRI (Pre-Post), a comprehension check-up for every reading material used, and the pre-reading while reading, post-reading strategy of teaching reading.

Short stories were prepared, distributed, tallied, and interpreted to identify the reading abilities of the clientele. Additional worksheets, paragraphs, and selections were used too as research tools.

RESULTS

After the PHIL-IRI (Pre-Test) has been conducted, 2 males or 12% and three females or 12% belonged to the independent level of reading with comprehension; three males or 18% and 4 females or 16% belonged to the instructional level of reading with comprehension; and 12 males or 71% and 18 females or 72% belonged to the frustration level of reading with comprehension. The reading performance of grade six pupils was indeed very poor for the majority of them can read but they cannot comprehend.

DISCUSSIONS

The reading level of the pupils has been uplifted through the interactive teaching-reading strategies like reading short stories, paragraphs, selections during remedial periods and assigned take-home reading materials. This improvement was proven by the result of the conducted PHIL-IRI (Post-Test result) wherein 8 males or 47% or 10 females or 40% belonged to the independent level; 6 males or 35% and 10 females or 40% belonged to instructional level; and 3 males or 18% and 5 females or 20% belonged to the frustration level of reading with comprehension.