Localized Workbook in Reading: Its Acceptability and Effect

on the Reading Skills of Grade Six Learners

I. Introduction and Rationale

Reading is an important skill that learners must acquire to succeed in their studies. This

skill is necessary in the acquisition of knowledge and information. On a lighter note, reading is

said to take a person to places near or far and explore the world without spending a single penny.

In the Philippines, reading is taught as one of the five macro skills being developed in the

English subject. Through the teaching-learning process, learners are given the opportunity to

develop their reading skills such as noting details, getting the main idea, sequencing events,

inferring, perceiving relationships, predicting outcomes, evaluating ideas, and decoding.

Developing the reading skills of learners is a challenging task of teachers. It entails the

use of various teaching reading strategies and the use of interesting instructional materials. In the

absence of school libraries or Learning Resource Centers, reading materials should be made

available to learners in the classroom mini-library or reading corner. Schools are also encouraged

to implement their reading programs in support of the Every Child A Reader Program (ECARP)

of the Department of Education. Activities under the school reading programs include Drop

Everything and Read (DEAR) wherein the learners and the teachers devote at least ten minutes

of their time in reading; One Word a Day wherein a child learns a new word to increase his

vocabulary; Read to Me a Story wherein a local government leader, professional or parent is

invited to read a story to a group of learners; and English Olympics in which learners showcase
their reading prowess through varied competitions like storytelling, readers’ theater and speech

choir.

However, despite these activities and attempts of schools to develop and strengthen the

reading skills of learners, majority of young readers are not able to fully develop such skills.

Post-test results of the Phil-IRI Assessment given to elementary grades learners indicate that

there are still learners that fall below independent level which means that there are still learners

under instructional and frustration levels and even non-readers even after interventions have been

made by the teachers.

Several factors can be attributed to the poor reading abilities of learners. Some of them do

not have the interest to read because they prefer to play online games instead of reading. There

are also learners who have limited background knowledge of the selections they read in school.

The type of materials they read also affect their interest to read and their ability to develop their

reading skills. Learners may find difficulty relating to the setting, characters or situations

presented in the selection they are reading, thereby affecting their interest and reading

comprehension.

With the implementation of the Kto12 Basic Education Program by virtue of Republic

Act 10533, otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, the curriculum

“shall be flexible enough to enable schools to localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on

their respective educational and social contexts.” (Section 10.2 of the Implementing Rules and

Regulations of RA 10533) This challenged instructional leaders and teachers to develop

localized and contextualized materials that could be utilized in the different learning areas.
 Localization is the freedom of schools or local authorities to adapt the curriculum to local

conditions and relating the content of the curriculum and the process of teaching and learning to

the local environment...(Taylor 2004). By using localized reading materials, teachers are

considering the importance of tailor-fitting the material to the culture, background, and

environment of the learner. Through localization of reading materials, teachers are building on

what the learners already have.

In consonance with the provisions of RA 10533 and in support of DepEd’s mission to

“…promote and protect the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based and

complete basic education…” as well as to develop and enhance the reading skills of learners,

Vigan City Division developed a localized reading workbook that could be utilized in teaching

Reading in grades four to six classes.

This study attempts to find out the acceptability of this localized material and its effect on

the reading skills of grade six learners.

II. Literature and Review

……

III. Research Question

This study aims to determine the acceptability of a localized workbook in reading (I Am

A Bigueño) and to test the effect in the reading skills of Grade 6 learners of Schools Division of

Vigan City.

Specifically, it will answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of acceptability of the localized workbook in Reading “I Am a

Bigueño” as evaluated by the teachers and learners with respect to:

a. Clarity

b. Usefulness

c. Language and Style

d. Illustrations

e. Presentations

f. Suitability

2. Is there a significant difference between the evaluation of the teachers and learners on the

acceptability of the localized workbook in Reading “I Am a Bigueño” with respect to the

abovementioned criteria?

3. What are the mean scores of the Grade 6 learners in the pretest and posttest in the

following:

a. noting details

b. getting the main idea

c. sequencing

d. inferring

e. perceiving relationships

f. predicting outcomes
 g. evaluating ideas

h. decoding

4. Is there a significant difference in mean scores of the Grade 6 learners in the pretest and

posttest?

IV. Scope and Limitation

Only Grade 6 learners and teachers of Schools Division of Vigan City will be used in the

research. The localized workbook “I Am A Bugueño” will be used during their reading lessons.

The reading selections in the workbook are developed within the context of Vigan City.

V. Research Methodology