ABSTRACT
This study evaluates the performance of Grade 5 and 6 learners in reading comprehension skills through the integration of strategic instructional approaches like TechPlay Fusion Strategy, Graphic Organizer and Guided Reading Approach in Villa Mag-aso Elementary School, Baybay I District, Baybay City Division. Utilizing a quasi-experimental research design through pre-test and post-test evaluation, the 25 learners in Grades 5 and 6 were provided with intervention within four weeks after the pre-test. The researcher formulated or crafted lesson plans with integration of strategic instructional approaches in teaching reading comprehension skills. Each week, different strategic instructional approaches in teaching reading comprehension skills was used. These are TechPlay Fusion Strategy, Graphic Organizers Approach, and Guided Reading Approach. The integration of these approaches highlight the intervention of the study. After the intervention, a post-test was administered. The findings revealed a significant improvement in the reading comprehension performance of the learners before and after the integration of strategic instructional approaches in teaching like TechPlay Fusion Strategy, Graphic Organizers Approach, and Guided Reading Approach. The active participation of the learners, their involvement of the activities and the enthusiasm of the teacher in providing the appropriate intervention activities contributed to the success of the study. To produce competent readers, teachers should utilize realistic instructional approaches to improve learners' general language competency and reading abilities and examples of these approaches are TechPlay Fusion Strategy, Graphic Organizers Approach, and Guided Reading. These helped in improving the reading comprehension performance of the learners based on the result of the pre-test and post-test. Implementation of the proposed improvement plan might also help in achieving independent reading levels of the students if implemented.
Keywords: Strengthening Reading Comprehension Skills, Grade 5 & 6 Learners, Strategic Instructional Approaches
INTRODUCTION
Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and make sense of what was read. It involves going beyond just reading the words rather it involves understanding the meaning, connecting ideas, and analyzing the text. In addition, reading comprehension plays a vital role in academic success, closely tied to overall performance of the learners. It enables them to grasp concepts, enhance their vocabulary, and foster critical thinking skills (Suson et. al., 2020). Thus, it forms the foundation for future learning across the curriculum, and without it, learners may struggle academically in various subjects, including English studies, Sciences, Mathematics, and even Social Studies (Requiso-Jimenez & Bascos-Ocampo, 2022).
The recent 2023 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results found that in the Philippines, only 24% of learners achieved Level 2 or higher proficiency in reading. At this level, learners can identify main ideas, look at data based on factual evidence, and reflect on the given text as presented. This result may be significantly lower than the OECD average of 74%. In the Philippines, notably no recorded learner scored higher than level 5 in reading based on the OECD result average of 7%, indicating a lack of proficiency in comprehending lengthy texts, dealing with abstract concepts, and distinguishing between proper ideas and opinionated assumptions.
It was revealed during the pre-assessment of the Grade 5 and 6 Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) Assessment conducted at Villa Mag-aso Elementary School, that a significant insight into the reading capabilities of the 25 learners. Specifically, 13 learners, were identified as experiencing frustration, as evidenced by their withdrawal from reading activities and refusal to engage in reading tasks. Conversely, 5 or 20% of the learners were classified at the instructional level, suggesting that they could benefit from targeted instructional support. Only 7 or 28% were categorized as independent readers, capable of reading without assistance. These assessment findings underscore the challenges faced by learners in the Philippines regarding reading comprehension. And this is the reason why the Department of Education implementing the Aral Program in every school.
Reading comprehension challenges have persisted despite various teaching methods and strategies being employed (Ligpitan et., al. (2024). Recent studies reveal that, even with government initiatives aimed at improving literacy in the Philippines, Filipino learners continue to face difficulties in reading comprehension (Idulog et al., 2023). Evidence suggests that learners' reading comprehension skills are indeed low and require significant improvement, which is a serious concern (as cited by Ligpitan et., al, 2024). Compe (2018) noted that while many learners struggle with English reading comprehension, their overall academic performance is improving. This highlights a strong correlation between reading comprehension abilities and success in other academic areas. A deficiency in reading comprehension adversely affects academic achievement in English and other subjects. Additionally, Nanda (2020) pointed out that low reading comprehension skills can lead to negative consequences, such as diminished learning outcomes, impaired problem-solving abilities, and limitations in future educational and career opportunities.
Strengthening reading comprehension skills of these grade 5 and 6 learners through strategic instructional approach have been the goal of this study. Utilizing varied and differentiated strategic instructional reading approaches in comprehension skills highlights the study. These strategic instructional approaches that the researcher is going to employ are the TechPlay Fusion Strategy, Metacognitive Strategy Routines, Graphic Organizers and Summarization Transfer, and Guided Reading Approach. Reading comprehension improves most when learners are explicitly taught a small set of cognitive and metacognitive strategies and given frequent, scaffolded practice with teacher modeling and guided transfer to the learners.
The TechPlay Fusion Strategy is a unique strategy that combines Technology-Based Learning and Game-Based Learning as it utilizes the power of technology and the engaging nature of games simultaneously in aiming to enhance the reading comprehension abilities of Grade 5 and 6 learners. With "Tech" representing Technology-Based Learning and "play" representing Game-Based Learning, this fusion strategy aims to create a dynamic and effective learning experience for the learners. According to the study of Iyake, James, and Amonde (2018), they found that indeed there are positive effects of technology-based strategy for addressing reading comprehension. Meanwhile, Villacres and Rodriguez (2023) also discovered in their study that Game-based learning is advantageous for learners in enhancing their reading comprehension skills.
According to Kai Lai & Mukundan (2023), graphic organizers provide visual scaffolds that make text structure explicit, reduce working-memory demands, and support schema activation—mechanisms that enhance comprehension and retention. Recent systematic reviews and classroom trials indicate that when graphic organizers are aligned to text structure and taught explicitly (with gradual fading of prompts), students not only improve comprehension for taught texts but also transfer organizer-based strategies to novel texts, producing higher-quality summaries and requiring fewer teacher prompts. Therefore, integrating graphic organizers into a focused intervention is a research-supported way to promote independent reading performance.
Another strategic instructional approach in teaching reading comprehension skills is the guided reading approach. Guided reading is a structured instructional approach that aims to provide tailored support to young readers based on their specific needs (Hall, et al., 2023). In this approach, small groups of students, typically ranging from three to six, work together with a skilled teacher who selects texts appropriate for their reading levels. During guided reading sessions, students are guided through the reading process, with the teacher offering support, scaffolding, and feedback as needed (Canubas, 2023). The primary goal of guided reading is to promote comprehension, fluency, and independence in reading.
Utilizing these strategic reading approaches in teaching comprehension skills in grades 5 and 6 has helped address the literacy gaps that learners are experiencing into. Hence, it is in this premise that the researcher decided to conduct this study to evaluate the performance of Grade 5 and 6 learners in reading comprehension skills through the integration of strategic instructional approaches. A proposed improvement plan was formulated based on the findings of the study. With this, it is the hope of the researcher that the reading comprehension levels of the learners were strengthened through the integration of strategic instructional approaches like TechPlay Fusion Strategy, Graphic Organizer and Guided Reading Approach in teaching the skills.
This study evaluates the performance of Grade 5 and 6 learners in reading comprehension skills through the integration of strategic instructional approaches in Villa Mag-aso Elementary School, Baybay I District, Baybay City Division. The findings of the study were basis for the proposed improvement plan.
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