Improving the Reading Comprehension Levels of the Select Grade 7 Students of Dagatan National High School Dolores Quezon through the Use of Localized Reading Materials for SY 2017 -2018

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The reading comprehension of every student is one of the most important skills that must be developed by every student. Language teachers have been using some reading innovations to improve the skills of the students. In this study the researcher used localized reading materials. These materials were taken from the school publication written by staffers and advisers. After editing and proofreading, the researcher constructed questions about the articles and gave it to her students during the reading activities. Topics, theme, and persons known to readers were utilized to test if this strategy will yield results that may be adopted by other language teachers that can be of help in developing comprehension skills of the students.

METHODS

The study used the descriptive -comparative method of research. It engaged in the intensive data collection of participants' reading comprehension level and reading speed results from post and pre-test. The participants of the study were select 199 students of Grade 7 in Dagatan National High School.

RESULTS

There is a significant increase in the reading comprehension level of the respondents who engaged in reading intervention program every Friday. The reading intervention program enticed students to read and develop their comprehension as well. The effect of using localized materials paved the way to develop the love for reading, not only for understanding but also for enjoyment. It was also found out that the intervention increased the reading comprehension level of the students.

DISCUSSIONS

The results of the research showed that the reading intervention program increased the reading comprehension level of the students. Using localized reading materials was an effective way of enticing students" interest in reading. Familiarity with the topics, subjects or theme and persons in the reading selection helped students in understanding and comprehending the selections. It also proved that constant reading strengthened their comprehension skills. However, there are some challenges that the researcher encountered during the conduct of the study. These are: 1) the difficulty of editing and proofreading reading materials made by student-writer and 2) the construction of comprehension questions that would develop the reading skills of the students. Further studies must also be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the localized materials in different settings.