Project BanCerREACH (Reading Achievement for Children)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) program is a yearly assessment that measures the pupils' capacity in reading and comprehension. This year, the pretest results show more readers on the frustration level. Thus, the need to help the pupils' cope up with reading gave way to the initiation of this project.Grade III pupils were the customers of the project because of the yearly Language Assessment for Primary Grades (LAPG) that focuses mainly on reading comprehension. Phil -IRI in English results show that out of 49 pupils, 82% are at the frustration level while only 5% are at the independent level. This project aims to help the Grade III pupils enhance their capacity in reading.

METHODS

Project BanCEr REACH, a Continuous Improvement Program (CIP), used several techniques to identify the best method that will help increase the reading ability of pupils. The respondents' ability was determined through their Phil-IRI pre-test results. The survey method was utilized to identify each pupil's ability that led to a priority improvement plan. Root cause analysis and validation were done to identify the root cause of the problem. Three methods were implemented. Measures of central tendencies were used to determine the best method.

RESULTS

Reading the ability of third graders especially in English is essential in their track to a higher level of competencies. Among the three solutions applied, results showed that reading stories with pictures was the best. The pupils showed more progress using this solution. Using PowerPoint presentations was also appreciated. However, it was not the best solution due to the availability of the equipment. In addition, skimming the story again before the respondents answer each comprehension question is limited. Post-test results were determined using the Phi-IRI post-test materials. The results showed a significant increase in the reading ability of the respondents in English.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate the need for an effective strategy in raising the pupils' reading ability in English. Several factors could be vital in their progress; however, individual differences can also affect the result of programs implemented. The methods used in this program were sensitive to the respondents' needs thereby survey and the interview helped identify the improvement areas. A thorough analysis of the data gathered led to the identification of the best method for reads. The full implementation of the plan gave the success of the program.