ABSTRACT
This study aims to determine the level of reading difficulties of Grade 7 struggling readers to their academic performance with the end in view of proposing an intervention to address the reading difficulties and improved the academic performance. This research used the quantitative descriptive research design with the Grade 7 struggling readers of Gov. Feliciano Leviste Memorial National High School as respondents. Weighted Mean, Standard Deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient-r- were used as the statistical treatment to interpret the results of the study. The general average of the 94 grade 7 struggling readers were used as one of the basis of the research while 77 of them were chosen thru sampling to answer the questionnaire.
The result yielded that the level of reading difficulties of Grade 7 struggling readers with a high over – all mean suggested that grade 7 struggling readers were always influenced by the indicators which may also affected their academic performance; Both the individual and group academic performance manifested a low academic accomplishment among grade 7 struggling readers; and the Grade 7 struggling readers were very much influenced by the challenges they encountered in reading which in turn affected their academic performance. All the hypotheses presented were all accepted. The researcher recommended that the school should strengthen the reading programs of the Department of Education and should involve all stakeholders to reduce the level of reading difficulties among grade 7 learners; give preferential attention on the struggling readers to lessen the number of learners with low academic performance; and create its own reading program fitted to needs of the struggling readers to lessen the challenges in reading encountered by the respondents.
Keywords: Struggling Readers, Academic Performance, Intervention Plan, Grade 7 Learners