Phonemic Awareness: it's Implication to the Reading Performance of Grade one Pupils in Bambang Elementary School SY 2017-2018

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Learning to read is one of the complex tasks accomplished by students and one can only learn to read by reading. The English writing system is based on the alphabetic principle that written words are made up of the letters that approximately matches with the sound heard in the words we speak. Therefore, to understand the basic principle, one must recognize that spoken words consist of a sequence of sounds and this understanding is called phonemic awareness. Based on the consolidated Post Phil-IRI report as of 2017, there were no identified non-readers among the 25 Grade one pupil. In this regard, the teacher decided to conduct the study to properly testified the implication of the approach used by the teacher to achieve the goal of zero non-reader at the end of the school year. Considering these facts, action research is to be conducted to help the grade one teachers to be aware of using the effective approach in teaching reading among grade one pupils.

METHODS

The researcher utilized the quantitative-descriptive method of research. Respondents were 24 Grade I pupils of Bambang Elementary School. To get the necessary response from the respondents, survey questionnaires were used. Assessment tools were also utilized as sources of data.

RESULTS

The result of the study revealed that phonemic awareness is necessary pre-requisite to reading and it is important that it is included in early reading or pre-reading instruction. It showed that the majority of the Grade one pupils were already phonemically aware. The majority of the Grade one pupils were already readers. Phonemic awareness had a very great extent on the reading performance of Grade one pupils.

DISCUSSIONS

The findings reflect that phonemic awareness had implications on the reading performance of pupils. Since the majority of the Grade one pupils were already phonemically aware, the reading ability of other pupils should be taken into consideration. One-on-one teaching and proper guidance for the remaining non-reader should be utilized. Phonemic awareness had a very great extent to impact the reading performance of Grade one pupils. Strategies and methods used by the researcher could also be used by other Grade one teachers. The school head should check effectively the reading program to make sure that the children will learn phonemic awareness and phonics skills.