Reading Performance of the Grade 7 Students of Paiisa National High School, Tiaong, Quezon During the School Year 2016-2017: Input for Effective Remedial Reading Approach

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

At the beginning of the school year, the teachers in public high schools conduct the Philippine Reading Inventory test to determine the reading ability of the students. This activity is anchored on the flagship program of the Department of Education "Every Child A Reader Program," with the goal of enabling every Filipino child to communicate both in English and Filipino through effective reading instruction. However, after the diagnostic test phase, the struggling students were not properly given assistance because the teachers utilize the same approach to the different reading disabilities.

METHODS

In collection of data, the researcher utilized the mixed method: used the observation method and the weighted mean. To monitor each of the participant's performance, kept portfolio of " ̃individual summary record for word recognition' and another " ̃individual summary record for comprehension' otherwise known as the Phil-IRI form 2, was kept by the researcher. On the other hand, the she also adopted the Phil-IRI Oral Test Criteria to determine the reading level of the participants in terms of word recognition and comprehension. Moreover, to determine the reading ability, the researcher adopted the " ̃speed table' from the Testing Reading Power High School Series I. Subsequently, in interpretation of data.

RESULTS

Based on the data gathered, 65% of the respondents' reading level was identified instructional with an average of above 75% Mean Percentage Score (MPS) in comprehension, and found out average readers in terms of speed. Subsequently, 18% of the respondents were at the frustration level or performed below with 74% MPS in comprehension and indicated slow readers in terms of speed. Lastly, majority of the participants were in the frustration level in terms of word recognition with 48% MPS considering the following rate of the students' errors: 92% MPS in mispronunciation, 44% MPS in substitution, 51% MPS in refusal to pronounce, 22% MPS in intersection, 44% MPS in omission, 74% MPS in repetition, and only 6% MPS in reversal.

DISCUSSIONS

The aforementioned findings show that the reading abilities of the students were alarming and must be treated at once. Remedial reading program with appropriate materials and approach should be considered in designing the intervention plan. Moreover, teachers must be informed on how to treat these kinds of reading disabilities in every student.