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

AUTHOR
Ma. Alona T. Dimaculangan

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 which is to enable 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.

RESULT

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.

DISCUSSION

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 kind of reading disabilities in every student.

Key Words: Reading Performance, Remedial Reading, Phil- IRI, Paiisa NHS