An Action Research on the Reading Performance of Grade Six Pupils of Calubcob Primary School, School Year 2017-2018

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Reading is a subtle but complex process that involves different stages. Knowing this, it is imperative that teachers should have knowledge of these processes to help them detect the weaknesses and help pupils advance in the field of reading. The study was conducted to gain facts for improving the reading performance of the pupils. By knowing the pupil's weaknesses and strengths, the outcomes would be the basis of the teacher for improving the reading performance for the coming year.

METHODS

For oral reading, the researcher selected three passages: one passage from a Grade V book, another from their level (Grade VI) and another from a Grade VII book. These passages were complete in themselves. They had a beginning and end. The researcher prepared these passages in a bigger manuscript for pupils to read. For silent reading, a stopwatch was used to find the pupils’ reading rates. Symbols too were used to rate the pupil's common oral reading errors or difficulties. Comprehension questions were asked after each reading material. All data were tabulated.

RESULTS

Seventy-three grade six pupils were participants in the study and it was revealed that: 1) The oral reading performance of the Grade VI pupils on the Grade V level passage was independent. For the Grade six level passage, the pupils belonged to the instructional level. As for Grade VII level passage, the performance was instructional. 2) For the reading comprehension performance of the Grade VI pupils, the silent reading performance was instructional. 3) For the oral reading speed, the pupils had a standard time and speed on account that a few were slow readers. 4) For the errors committed by the pupils, they were in the following order based on their frequency: mispronunciation, ignoring punctuation, hesitation, number of words, gasper expression, and omission.

DISCUSSIONS

The results show the need for teachers to give reading intervention for slow readers by identifying their reading deficiencies, to find time for individualized instruction and remedial reading, to provide more instructional materials, to use different reading strategies and to continue assessing the pupils' reading abilities.