ABSTRACT
This qualitative study examined the factors that facilitated and hindered the implementation of a remedial reading program in a school in the province of Iloilo during the School Year 2025–2026, serving as the basis for an improvement plan. For teachers, the facilitating factors included effective instructional strategies, learner motivation, regular attendance and active participation, and collaborative support among teachers. For learners, the facilitating factors were the full support of teachers and the principal, a conducive classroom environment, strong family support, and positive peer influence. However, the hindering factors for teachers included learners’ lack of motivation and focus, poor word recognition skills, and the lack of visual aids and other resources. For learners, the challenges affecting their progress were financial difficulties, limited access to reading materials, and a lack of interest in reading long words. To address these hindering factors, an improvement plan was proposed.
Keywords: Remedial Reading Program, Facilitating Factor, Hindering Factor, Improvement Plan
INTRODUCTION
In the Philippines, many students still had difficulty understanding what they read, which affected their overall learning and school performance. Although the government and schools had tried many ways to improve reading skills, many learners, especially in public schools, continued to struggle. This was often because of a lack of teaching materials, crowded classrooms, and the absence of enough special reading programs (Department of Education [DepEd], 2023). The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation by closing schools and moving lessons online, which made it harder for some students to receive quality instruction and access reading materials (UNESCO, 2023). As a result, the gap between strong and weak readers became wider.
In Western Visayas, particularly on Panay Island, the problem of poor reading skills was similar to the rest of the country. The PISA report showed that the Philippines ranked very low in reading compared to other countries, and this continued to be a concern (OECD, 2022). Local studies in DepEd Region VI showed that students faced hindrances such as the lack of books, insufficient teacher training in reading instruction, and social issues that made learning more difficult (DepEd Region VI, 2023). Many students also did not enjoy reading because they did not have access to interesting and relevant reading materials either at school or at home.
Remedial reading programs were designed to help students who struggled with reading. These programs usually provided extra help in small groups or one-on-one settings. However, many schools encountered problems in implementing these programs effectively. Teachers reported that they did not have enough time, were too busy with other tasks, and lacked proper reading materials (Santos & Cruz, 2022.
This study aimed to examine the factors that helped or hindered the successful implementation of remedial reading programs in Philippine schools. It explored what worked and what did not, to help improve and sustain these programs. The study also focused on how these programs met the needs of the learners they served.
The researcher was motivated to conduct the study after observing persistent reading difficulties among learners in various school settings. While remedial reading programs were in place, their implementation and outcomes differed significantly, resulting in inconsistent support for learners who needed it most. These gaps highlighted the necessity of identifying both the facilitating and hindering factors that influenced the effectiveness of such programs.
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