IMPROVING THE READING COMPREHENSION OF THE GRADE 7

STUDENTS OF SAN JUAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH

LEARN TO READ AND READ TO LEARN PROGRAM

A completed Action Research

for Language Education Research Subject presented to Oas Community

College Faculty

by

Bristol, Cristella

Gabriel, Leo

Jamot, April Mae

Pradia, April Mae

Ranara, Prince Christian

Raquion, Carla

Reamon, Thamara Erika

Rentoria, Inah Mae

Riberta, Diana Rose

Sanglay, Maricel

June 2023
 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

This is to certify that the Action Research project IMPROVING THE

READING COMPREHENSION OF THE GRADE 7 STUDENTS OF SAN

JUAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH LEARN TO READ AND

READ TO LEARN PROGRAM created and submitted by the researchers

of Oas Community College was quality assured and passed the evaluation

based on the criteria specified in DepEd order no. 16, s. 2017 which granted

the proponent this CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.

Given this ___ of ____, 2023.

JOHN MICHAEL MANJARES

Language Education Research Instructor

RICHARD BERMUNDO MAeng. BELINDA R. SACAYAN EdD.

Head Programmer College Dean

NERY P. MENDOZA EdD.

College Administration
ABSTRACT

This study attempts to improve the reading comprehension of Grade

7 learners using the "Learn to Read, Read to Learn Program. Thirty-four

(34) Grade 7 (Cherry) learners with a difficulty level of reading

comprehension participated in the study. The researcher provides reading

material and a reading comprehension test that was used to collect the

necessary data. This study is action research designed to determine if there

is an improvement in students' reading comprehension after the

implementation of the Learn to Read, Read to Learn Program. The

researchers have developed a strategy to address students' reading

comprehension through providing a reading material in which there are

evaluative questionnaires that the students must answer. This strategy will

assess the level of comprehension of the students. In the pre-assessment,

the provided reading material doesn't have the vocabulary and

questionnaires while on the post-assessment, the researcher includes the

vocabulary terms that can be found in the story. Vocabulary will serve as

the student’s guide to better understand the difficult words in the text. The

findings revealed significant differences between students' pre-test and

post-test reading comprehension levels after the implementation of the

program. The study concludes that providing reading materials with

vocabulary terms and questionnaires improves the Grade 7 learners’

reading comprehension.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

First and foremost, praises and thanks to God, the Almighty, for

His showers of blessings throughout our research and its successful

completion.

The researchers would also like to express our deep and sincere

gratitude to our research adviser, Sir John Michael Manjares for providing

us with invaluable supervision and support during our research study. We

would also like to thank him for the empathy, patience, and knowledge that

he imparts to us. It was a great privilege and honor to work and study under

his guidance.

The researchers' gratitude also extends to Aldrin N. Perlas, school

principal of San Juan National High School, and Analiza R. Micua, adviser of

grade 7 Cherry for allowing us the opportunity to conduct our research

among the grade 7 students. Also, to the teachers who have given their

consent for the full participation of the grade 7 respondents and for giving

us a warm welcome and support while conducting this study. Without their

help, our research paper would not be possible.

Our thanks and appreciations also go to our respondents who

willingly helped with their full cooperation which has made the research

study achieve its smooth completion. We would also like to give thanks for

the time and knowledge that you have given us to conduct this study.
 Finally, to our dearest parents for their deep consideration for the

finances and undying support throughout the making of the research study.

As well as for their words of encouragement for all those nights that we've

spent making the research study.

THE RESEARCHERS
IV. Context and Rational

Reading is one of the important macro skills alongside listening,

writing, speaking, and viewing. These various language skills are necessary

in the communication process. Each skill requires appropriate time and

effort upon mastering and acquiring the skill necessary for a more effective

learning process. Reading comprehension is one of the formidable skills to

be cultivated by every student.

The meaning of reading comprehension is to understand written

text. Good readers should be able to decode words, however, this in and of

itself is not enough. The most recent results of the Program for International

Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development (OECD) showed that 15-year-old students in

the Philippines scored lower in reading, mathematics, and science than

those in most of the countries and economies that participated in the survey

back in 2018. The Philippines scored the lowest in reading comprehension

with a mean score of 340 points, below the survey average of 487 points.

Other research has shown that students who struggle with reading often

have difficulty comprehending written material, which can lead to poor

academic performance and a lack of confidence in their abilities. However,

studies have also shown that explicit instruction in reading strategies and

comprehension skills can improve students' reading comprehension abilities

and overall academic performance. It is important to note, that to

successfully teach reading comprehension, comprehension strategies

should be both defined and taught to students (Winch & Holliday, 2010.

There are various practices and intervention that the teacher used to solve

the challenge of low level of reading comprehension. By providing a

structured and systematic approach to reading instruction, the "Learn to

Read, Read to Learn" program aims to help students build a strong

foundation in reading that they can use to succeed in other academic areas.

Additionally, by improving reading comprehension, students are

better equipped to understand and engage with the world around them,

making them more informed and critical thinkers. Questioning is an

important skill that students should be taught. We learn this as "questions

are the key to understanding" (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007, p. 109). It was a

strategy in which the students can understand the text thoroughly if there

was a question attached after reading a specific text. It can help to cultivate

the mind of every learner and it helps to improve their reading

comprehension. Improving reading comprehension through a "Learn to

Read, Read to Learn" program is based on the idea that reading is a

fundamental skill that is essential for success in many areas of life, including

education, work, and personal growth.

The study of the effectiveness of the "Learn to Read, Read to Learn"

program is important and necessary for several reasons: Improve Literacy

Rates, Address Learning Challenges, Promote Equity Support Educators,

and Promote Academic Success, this program has the potential to improve

literacy rates, promote equity, and support academic success for all

students. To address this kind of rampant issues teachers must implement

an intervention or program that can slowly exterminate the issue regarding

reading comprehension for the students to have the skills to be used on

learning new things.

Literature

This chapter gives an overview of relevant studies and literature

that will be used to guide the conduct of this research. Additionally, the

research literature and ideas that are significant to the study are discussed

in this chapter.

A. Related Literature Local Literature

According to Suson, R. L., Baratbate, C. T., Anoos, W. G., Ermac,

E. A., Aranas, A. G. U. L., Malabago, N. K., Galamiton, N., & Capuyan, D. L.

(2020) Teachers must recognize that learners at school do not have similar

attitudes and abilities in coping up from their class. Teachers need to

provide more activities and learning techniques through differentiated

instruction for the learners to enhance their reading comprehension skills

no matter what intelligence they have. Finally, differentiated instruction is

essential in basic reading comprehension. It creates a decisive and

considerable benefit to struggling learners and that it recognizes not only

the strengths and differences but also the growing variety in the present

classroom.

(Nabor, L. G., & Cruz, R. a. O. (2022) also stated that it is

important to encourage students to reread the passages. They will be able

to read with increased speed and fluency, which will allow them to extract

more knowledge from what they have read. Before the teachers can design

and provide appropriate reading instruction, reading assessments must be

administered regularly so the teachers will be armed with accurate

information about the learners’ current reading levels and abilities. The

involvement of the parents had an impact in the improvement of pupil’s

reading comprehension. Parents need to be motivated and actively involved

in the reading intervention to improve their child's reading comprehension.

Parents must understand that they also have an important role to play with

their children when they are at home. With the support of the teachers, the

school must formulate a specific and appropriate action plan for the

learners, which must be made as a ready reference for the educators.

As stated by Mokharti and Sheorey (2001) reading strategies are

classified into three: global strategies, problem-solving strategies, and

support strategies. Global reading strategies prepare the reader for digital

reading. Global reading strategies include gaining a broad overview of the

text, making inferences about the text’s content, and setting a reading goal.

Problem-solving strategies are based on rational choices made by digital

readers when confronted with comprehension difficulties. These strategies

are intended to help them overcome reading frustrations, such as re-

reading the text to improve comprehension, using context clues to guess

unfamiliar words, and reading slowly to understand better and evaluate the

digital text. On the other hand, support reading strategies assist digital

readers in comprehending a text after applying global and problem-solving

strategies. Several techniques for providing support mechanisms include

translating the text from the target language to the reader’s native tongue,

paraphrasing specific text sections, highlighting or underlining key points,

and asking questions about the text to gauge reader comprehension.

Pocaan, J. (2023) suggested that Educators should consider

struggling readers an opportunity to explore other effective teaching

methodologies rather than as a burden. The students' reading progress

relies on their learning strategy and teaching approach, and strategies used

by the teachers also greatly influence their performance. Moreover,

educators should avoid using the one size fits all teaching strategies and

curriculum as it assumes all students learn in the same ways. To guarantee

the success of every student in school, society as a whole should embrace

the idea that no student should be left behind. With the aid of the

community, every teacher's commitment to cultivating every student's mind

might be positively progressive. School community cooperation that

provides vital support services to students' academic aspirations also

contributes to nation-building. Students employ competencies learned in

school to assist people of the community. Furthermore, school-community

relationships contribute to all learners' overall quality of education.

Ocampo (2007) has a similar observation and noted that the

requisites of the reading development and performance differ from those

who are still learning to read and those who are already able to read

moreover, the following are in common: language competence, prior

knowledge, connections between the reader and the text, motivation to

read and adequate levels of practice in reading. For developing readers,

phonological awareness is at the level significant to the orthography to be

read; for English, the level of the phoneme; for Filipinos, the level of the

syllable, letter knowledge, rapid access of words from the lexicon or

dictionary, literacy experiences; for expert readers, knowledge about the

words, language comprehension, automatic word recognition, use of

strategies to make meaning more efficient, and meaningful reading

experience.

Echaure, J. (2017) Reading is the true backbone of most learning

be it math, science, or even home economics hence, it is immeasurably

important. It is expected that as students climb the educational ladder, it is

associated with more reading as the subject becomes more dense and

challenging. A study revealed that individuals bring knowledge and skill to

their jobs, future studies. Despite the emphasis on the importance of

reading, the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil IRI) Oral Reading

result in 2010 shows a diminishing efficiency in reading skills especially in

the primary grades. This claim was supported by an alarming level. The

numbers posted by other online articles by A previous study confirmed that

the official performance tests on the high school students in certain 2004-

2005 school years showed that only 6.59 percent could read, speak and

understand English. Some 44.25 percent had no knowledge of the English

language for everyone. Teachers play a major role in the development of

students’ reading habits and interests which were repeatedly stressed by

many journal articles. Educators make a difference in the success of their

students when they demonstrate earnest passion and believe that all

children have the capacity to learn to read and make anything happen with

skills and determination. They base their classroom practices on sound

reading theory, utilize different means of instruction available which are

proposed to meet the specific learning needs of students, create an

organized and stimulating learning environment, and regularly assess their

students' reading achievement. Teachers have a pivotal role in helping

children to develop and maintain a positive attitude towards learning and

literacy. Motivated readers read more, use more complex cognitive

strategies, and thus become better readers. One of the important things

teachers need to do is adapt their instruction to match their students’

current development in reading, knowing full well that children will need to
spend less time developing as they progress, and practicing some skills and

more time on others. They are expected to use classroom time more

effectively, maximize available resources to spearhead instructions among

large-groups, small- groups, and individuals. Furthermore, teachers’

expectations of and relationships with their students profoundly affect

students’ learning. This has been widely supported by numerous research

studies in literacy that show students are more academically successful

when they feel welcomed, esteemed, and provided with materials that

challenge them hence, their knowledge, experiences, and interests are

enriched.

Salvador, E and Villacorta, E (2019) stated that Teachers should

utilize various teaching strategies to make the lessons more interesting to

the pupils. Teachers should give more practical activities such as drill,

remediation activity, and daily reflection that are essential in enhancing the

reading comprehension skills of the pupils in grade six. Teachers should

also employ strategies addressing the misbehavior of the learners and

encourage their participation in all the activities to achieve desirable

learning outcomes.

(Blancaflor, Mauleon, and Purpura, 2021) also believed that

Educators should give topics, activities, and assessment tasks aligned to the

learning outcomes of developing learners’ reading, thinking, critical reading,

and purposeful writing in order to address the gaps between their current
literacy level and the expected 21st century skills. This outcome- based

approach must be integrated with the paradigms of authentic and

collaborative task based teaching and learning which have been established

in research as having positive effects in students' learning. Task based

activities facilitate collaboration and social interaction which lend support to

the development of target lifelong learning skills that are needed by the

learners beyond the walls of the classroom into real-world contexts. In

addition, outcomes-based collaborative tasks are, by design, student-

centered, giving students rich opportunities to practice and own the

language while addressing authentic goals and objectives inside or outside

the classroom.

In relation to that, Jaca, C. a. L., Jaluague, J. A., Lonoy, C., &

Sandimas, P. (2019) expressed that “The Enhanced Basic Education Act of

2013, K+12 Program, in the Philippines has caused stakeholders to look

into the addition of two more years in Senior High School (SHS)” as one of

the basis in determining the success of the educational reform. However,

the topics and competencies set very high expectations from the students

and most topics are idealistic, complex, and demanding thus some were not

achieved in a given context due to time constraints. Teachers expressed

that some activities need to be contextualized to make them relevant to

tailor fit to students’ level of comprehension and their learning needs. As a

new curriculum, most teachers were just required to teach the subject even
with limited background knowledge of the topics that lead to different

interpretations and varied classroom implementation. This resulted in

teachers being unable to provide immediate and quality feedback on

students’ outputs. It is then recommended that the curriculum be revisited

to incorporate the teachers’ feedback to have an effective and efficient

implementation to achieve the expected learning outcomes.

Caraig, R and Quimbo M (2022) also concluded that Reading

Comprehension is the ability to define word by word and create a profound

idea out of the talks given or read. It plays a significant role in the total

functioning of a community. It is also one of the pillars of reading. A person

may know how to read certain words, but Comprehension is something that

is developed, practiced, learned, and experienced over time. Aside from

enhancing the students’ reading skills, teachers should also need to develop

students’ confidence in reading because it is evident that students tend to

have higher scores if they are confident enough to read.

B. Foreign Literature

According to Tul, M. (2016) Comprehension is not something that

happens automatically in the mind of the reader as he or she engages with

print, even though it may seem that way to adult proficient readers. Reading

comprehension is an active, thoughtful, strategic, and multidimensional

process that readers employ to take in new meaning from the written text

and fit (or file) it into their existing knowledge structures (files). It is a
process by which human beings learn. It is the job of teachers to help

students become aware of, or acquire, and employ this process in their own

reading.

Next, Rahmadiah, S. (2018), also believed that Reading can be

challenging, particularly when the material is unfamiliar, technical, or

complex. Moreover, for some readers, comprehension is always

challenging. They may understand each word separately but linking them

together into meaningful ideas often doesn’t happen as it should. These

readers can decode the words but have not developed sufficient skills to

comprehend the underlying, deeper meaning of the sentences, the

paragraphs, and the entire text. Comprehension refers to the ability to go

beyond the words, to understand the ideas and the relationships between

ideas conveyed in a text. For the students struggling with comprehension,

teachers are faced with the task of choosing the optimal strategies for each

student’s pro-file. Many variables affect the choice and efficacy of a

strategy, it can be the type of text, prior knowledge, preferred learning

style, amount of repetition needed for mastery, and so on.

Based on (Faggella-Luby & Deshler, 2008) Reading comprehension

requires the coordination of multiple skills and reading processes. The most

effective reading comprehension programs are likely to comprise multiple

components, such as identifying narrative and expository text structures,

activating prior knowledge, self-monitoring, summarizing, and questioning

Although many effective interventions exist, a large number of readers

continue to struggle with comprehension. Given the Importance of reading

comprehension for students' success throughout school and later life, it is

critical to understand for whom and under what instructional conditions

reading interventions are likely to be most effective.

According to Nalusiba (2006) this can be through people reading

for leisure, knowledge, information or interest within different reading

contexts and environments. Nalusiba also emphasizes that in order to

develop a reading culture in a society; people require knowledge in order

to utilize existing information material resources. This knowledge comes

from reading that is generated by more reading; thus the habit of Reading

is increased. When people read frequently, a habit is formed, but when

people incorporate reading into their daily life for the benefits that it brings,

and are transformed singularly and collectively on the level of individual and

society, only then is a reading culture created . Therefore, in order to have

a strong reading culture people must first cultivate the habit of reading then

effectively use the information. However, reading does not develop

suddenly but increases gradually, depending on exposure and background.

According to Joseph (2004), parents have an important role in

influencing their children to read and parents should: Provide a variety of

reading materials in the home. This can include magazines, newspapers,

books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference materials. Children

will be more likely to read for pleasure and to obtain information if there is

reading material around. It’s also important that they let children know how

much they can enjoy and learn from reading. Talk about reading materials

with their children and ask factual and inferential questions and have a

conversation about the contents of the story. This can occur while you and

your child are engaged in reading a story and before you begin or at the

conclusion of reading a story. A parent should Acknowledge their child when

he or she reads or shares information obtained from reading: Because

children want to please their parents, your recognition and positive reaction

will have a significant impact upon your children’s desire to read. In

addition, community activities, promoted through local institutions, can get

people interested in reading. These activities can be linked to schools,

libraries, youth community centers and other community interest groups.

Media can also motivate the public to read by providing them with reading

materials and spaces. Community coffee houses, bookstores and the

waiting rooms of local institutions, agencies and shops can make available

reading materials and spaces to read them, at no cost. In addition, these

activities can supplement official reading campaigns launched by national,

regional and local government institutions. The key is advocacy. Society's

social conscience can be transformed only if someone gets up and

consciously works toward the change.

 Onew, F. (2015) also stated that reading class commonly seems not

so interesting for the students. The teacher should use interesting

techniques in the teaching and learning process. Mind mapping is one of

the interesting techniques that can be used in teaching reading because it

contains many pictures and colors. Teachers also should create a good

atmosphere in teaching learning in order to make students motivated to

learn and interested during the teaching-learning process. Students should

motivate themselves to learn English. They should follow all the activities in

the teaching and learning process in groups or individually. Students must

also keep their attitude during the teaching and learning process. They

should not disturb the other friends who pay attention to the teacher.

Students also should not be afraid of making mistakes and keep on trying

in making mind mapping. They should have more practice both in school

and at home.

Westwood (2001:10) states that Readers must use information

already acquired to filter, interpret, organize, reflect upon and establish

relationships with the new incoming information on the page. In order to

understand text, a reader must be able to identify words rapidly, know the

meaning of almost all of the words and be able to combine units of meaning

into a coherent message. In short, the reading process involves both the

acquisition of meaning intended by the writer and the reader's own

contributions in forms of interpretation, evaluation, and reflection. To gain

and understand accurate information and ideas means the reader should

read which will result in the ability to understand and gain the point or main

ideas in terms of the text of reading or reading material. A reader may know

what the text tells about and recognizes what the author wants to tell about,

so that organization and the style of text writing also influences someone¡¦s

comprehension. The main purpose of reading is comprehension. Reading

comprehension is an attempt to understand, evaluate, and also recognize

the author¡¦s ideas of reading text. A reader needs comprehension to catch

the content of message or information from the text.

Pressley (2006) pointed out that comprehension instruction involves

a complex and long-term commitment to teach students the necessary

strategies and to provide them with sufficient practice to use the strategies

easily and the habits to use them frequently. According to my own

experience, most students at the university face challenges to read and

understand the text easily. This has happened because students might not

apply the reading strategies in their reading activities when they were at

high school.

The teachers’ beliefs and practices may affect students’ reading

competence. Grabe & Stoller, (2014: 187) stated, “Several students and

faculty at post-secondary institutions highlight the importance of reading

for academic purposes. In academic settings, reading is assumed to be the

central means for learning new information and gaining access to

alternative explanations and interpretations”. Comprehension strategy

instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in

control of their own reading comprehension. According to my own

experience, students lack the background knowledge to use reading

strategies which are very important to achieve reading comprehension. It

was important to conduct research on high school teachers focusing on

their beliefs and practices to apply reading strategies to teach their reading

activities.

Ultimately, reading comprehension strategies cannot be effective

unless they are taught. Because it has been established that teachers are

not teaching reading comprehension strategies, despite findings that

indicate the strategies are an effective way to boost reading achievement

(Berkeley et al., 2010; Klingner et al., 2010), it would be useful to study the

reasons teachers give for neglecting comprehension strategies. An

examination of the Appendix reveals that most of the assessment tools used

in the included studies were created for the studies by their authors. The

few standardized, norm-referenced assessments that were chosen were

predominantly designed for individual administration. Almost none of the

assessments used represent those that classroom teachers are required to

use by their districts and states as a part of high-stakes tests that are used

to determine a school's annual yearly progress-to- ward proficiency goals

set by the federal No Child Left Behind act.

V. INNOVATION, INTERVENTION, AND STRATEGY

The researcher uses the "Learn to Read, Read to Learn" Program

to give help on the students who have trouble on reading comprehension.

Providing various reading materials and giving evaluative questions would

help students to read the given passages for them to answer the attached

questions.

Figure 1

The Learn to Read, Read to Learn Program

The researcher first conducted the survey using test questionnaires

in which the students must put a check on yes or no depending on their

own response about their reading comprehension. The pre-assessment

reading materials would be given to the students. On the pre assessment

there were no vocabulary and attached on the last page of the reading

materials would be the different questions. They will be given enough time
to answer the given assessment. The result of the study will be assessed to

know the students who are good, average, and poor reading

comprehension. After giving the pre assessment, the researcher would

provide another set of reading materials with the same story and that would

be the post-assessment. The post assessment includes the vocabulary

words attached in the reading materials for them to unfold the difficult

words in the text. Their gathered score will define their current level of

reading comprehension and will show the effectivity of the implemented

program.

VI. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The action research intends to answer the following questions:

1. What are the common problems encountered by the students in

improving their reading comprehension skills?

2. What can be given to students in coping with these challenges?

3. How did the program help in enhancing the students’ reading

comprehension levels?

VII. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

A. Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information

 The respondents of this study are Grade 7- Cherry students at San

Juan National High School who are involved in utilizing the Learn to Read

and Read to Learn Program.

Table 1

Respondents Population

MALE 18

FEMALE 16

Total 34

B. Data Gathering Methods

In this study, the researcher will utilize the qualitative research

method. Survey questions using worksheets will be used to gather

information and complete the study. The results will be analyzed and

interpreted using frequency, percentage, and weighted mean.

In the conduct of the study, the researcher will give reading

materials (Pre-test and Post Test) to the students, and they will be given

enough time to answer the questions. All the data gathered will be analyzed

and interpreted carefully.

VIII. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND REFLECTION

This part includes a discussion of the results and reflection of the

study. The data presented in this part follows the arrangement of the

problems as set in the Action Research Questions.

A. The common problems encountered by the students in improving their

reading comprehension skills.

Table 2

Issues Frequency Percentage % Rank

Yes No Yes No Yes No

Grasping the 31 3 91.1% 8.82% 1 12

main idea of the
material

Turning to 12 22 35.29% 64.70% 11 2

dictionaries
when coming
across new
words

Do not bother 7 27 20.58% 79.41% 12 1

with the
grammatical
structure of
sentences.
Predicting the 26 8 76.47% 23.52% 4 8
main idea of the
whole passage.

Guessing the 24 10 70.58% 29.41% 5 9

meaning of the
new words.

Do not pay 13 21 38.23% 61.76% 10 3

attention to the
implied meaning
of reading
materials.

Skipping the 29 5 85.29% 14.70% 3 10

words that are
new.

Pausing and 29 5 85.29% 14.70% 3 10

analyzing the
structure of
sentences.

Guessing the 30 4 88.23% 11.76% 2 11

main ideas base
on pictures and
charts.

Trying to 20 14 58.82% 41.17% 7 7

understand
complicated
sentences.
Grasping the gist 14 20 41.17% 58.82% 9 4
of the reading
materials
through quickly
reading the first
and last
paragraphs.

Guessing the 22 12 64.70% 35.29% 6 6

meaning of new
words in word
context.

Trying to 19 15 55.88% 44.11% 8 5

interpret the
writer’s intention
while reading in
English.

Overlooking the 19 15 55.88% 44.11% 8 5

sentences with
complicated
structure.

Using simple 22 12 64.70% 35.29% 6 6

words to replace
difficult ones in
sentence
understanding.

Predicting the 19 15 55.88% 44.11% 8 5

main idea of the
 passage from
keywords.

The graph shows the common strategies and problems that can be

done and encounter during reading process by the students that can affect

their level of reading comprehension skills. The data was gathered through

a yes or no questionnaire. The highest attained score in yes column (91.1%)

under grasping the idea of the material and the lowest score (20.58%) is

do not bother with the grammatical structure of the sentences. In No

column, grasping the idea of the material have a total percentage score of

8.82 % while do not bother with the grammatical structure of the sentences

have a total percentage score of 79.41%. The results showcase that most

of the students make use of various strategies in reading to better

understand a text.
 Figure 2

Show the percentage of the common problems encountered by the students

in improving their reading comprehension skills.

100.00%
90.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%

Yes No

As shown in the graph, the color that signifies the yes column is

color blue and the No column is the color red. It was visible in the graph

that most of the respondents select that grasping the main idea of the

material is an important strategy on better comprehending a text. The

lowest score attained by the students is on do not bother with grammatical

structure. Students consider various strategies that can help on improving

reading comprehension. Uncovering the vocabulary terms in a text

contribute on better understanding the meaning of the text.

Table 3.

Pre-test and Post-test Results

PRE-TEST POST-TEST

ITEM NO. NO. OF PERCENTAGE NO. OF PERCENTAGE%

CORRECT % CORRECT

ANSWERS ANSWERS

1 10 29.41% 25 73.52%

2 13 38.23% 27 79.41%

3 8 23.52% 26 76.47%

4 10 29.41% 30 88.23%

5 13 38.23% 32 94.11%

6 11 32.35% 29 85.29%

7 9 26.47% 26 76.47%

8 10 29.41% 27 79.41%

9 9 26.47% 29 85.29%

10 11 32.35% 28 82.35%

11 10 29.41% 32 94.11%

12 12 35.29% 30 88.23%

13 11 32.35% 31 91.17%
 The table shows the Pre-test and Post-test results of the

respondents. On the Pre-test, no students receive a perfect score. The

lowest score was 1 and the highest score was 9. On the Post-test, four

students got a perfect score out of 13 items while the lowest score was 5.

There were no cases in which the students did not improve. While there

was a wide range of results from the Pre-test and Post-test offered a

narrower range of scores, all at a higher level.

The data for the part of the class that was analyzed suggests that

not only did learning occur, but the students were able to get a similar level

of understanding about the unfamiliar words at hand. This suggests that

the class was able to improve their reading comprehension.

IX. ACTION PLAN

Goal: To improve the low-level Reading Comprehension throughout the

intervention by providing reading materials to Grade 7 students at San Juan

National High School.

Implementation Person’s Resources Target Date

Step Responsible
1. The Researchers Letters May 19-24
researcher was 2023
given the
schedule on
what parts of
Action Research
should be done
necessary
before
conducting the
research survey
and also the
preparation of
letter to sighed
by the
respective
signatories.
2. The Researchers Survey May 25, 2023
researcher questionnaires
explains the
action research
to the students
of San Juan
National High
School and
provide the
survey
questionnaires
to identify their
level of reading
comprehension.
3. The Researchers Pre and post May 25, 2023
researcher assessment
provide the
reading material
(short story)
with given
questionnaires.
They prepare a
pre assessment
doesn’t have the
vocabulary and
the post
assessment with
vocabulary
terms.

4. Researchers Researchers Computer May 26- June

will begin software, such 4, 2023
writing the as Microsoft
Presentation Excel,
and Analysis of
Results and
after that will be
the formulation
of the
Conclusion.
5. The Language Action June 5-7 2023
completed Master Teacher Research Paper
action research
will be edited by
a Language
Teacher.

6. The Language Action June 8, 2023

completed and Research Research Paper
edited action Instructor
research paper
will be given
and will be re-
checked by the
Language
Research
Instructor.
REFERENCES:

1. Suson, R. L., Baratbate, C. T., Anoos, W. G., Ermac, E. A., Aranas, A. G.

U. L., Malabago, N. K., Galamiton, N., & Capuyan, D. L. (2020).

Differentiated Instruction for Basic Reading Comprehension in Philippine

Settings. Universal Journal of Educational Research.

https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080904

2. Nabor, L. G., & Cruz, R. a. O. (2022). Project 555: A silent reading

intervention towards an improved reading comprehension in English.

ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.31327/jee.v7i2.1805

3. (PDF) Tan, Josemari N., & Fajardo, Margarita Felipe (2022). Reading

strategies used by elementary students when comprehending digital texts.

The Normal Lights, 16(22), 1-25.

https://po.pnuresearchportal.org/transitionwebsite/index.php/thenormallig

hts/article/view/38. Available from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368221310_Tan_Josemari_N_F

ajardo_Margarita_Felipe_2022_Reading_strategies_used_by_elementary_s

tudents_when_comprehending_digital_texts_The_Normal_Lights_1622_12

5_httpspopnuresearchportalorgtransitionwebsiteind [accessed May 07

2023].

4. Pocaan, J. (2023). Strategic Reading Intervention for Left-Behind

Learners in the Philippines. Sorsogonstatecollege.

https://www.academia.edu/93569876/Strategic_Reading_Intervention_for

_Left_Behind_Learner s_in_the_Philippines

5. Us, I. (2018). DEVELOPING THE READING LITERACY AMONG GRADE I

LEARNERS IN THE PHILIPPINES. Iaset.

https://www.academia.edu/36959023/DEVELOPING_THE_READING_LITE

RACY_AMONG_GRADE_I_LEARNERS_IN_THE_PHILIPPINES

6. Echaure, J. (2017). Developing the Reading Literacy among Grade I

Learners in the Philippines. www.academia.edu.

https://www.academia.edu/96387

7. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING STRATEGIES ON GRADE VI

PUPILS’ READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS Rechelle R. Salvador | Emma

L. Villacorta - Bing. (n.d.). Bing.

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=43&q=COMMUNICATIVE+LANGUAGE

+TEACHING+STRATEGIES+ON+GRADE+VI+PUPILS%E2%80%99+READ

ING+COMPREHENSION+SKILLS+Rechelle+R.+Salvador+%7C+Emma+L.

+Villacorta&cvid=d22d536175114769965effced66bef7c&aqs=edge..69i57.

1053j0j1&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=HCTS

8. Urbano, C. M., Gumangan, M. A., Gustilo, L., & Capacete, M. P. A.

(2021). Reading and Writing Needs of Senior High School Students: The

Case of Filipino Students in the Philippines. ResearchGate.

https://doi.org/10.56498/31202154
9. Jaca, C. a. L., Jaluague, J. A., Lonoy, C., & Sandimas, P. (2019).

TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE READING AND WRITING SUBJECT OF

THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344210032_TEACHERS%27_PE

RSPECTIVES_ON_THE_READING_AND_WRITING_SUBJECT_OF_THE_SEN

IOR_HIGH_SCHOOL_CURRICUUM

10. Caraig, R., Quimbo, M. a. T., & Quimbo, T. (2022). Assessing reading

comprehension difficulties in core science subjects of senior high school

students in a. . . ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366970250_Assessing_reading_

comprehension_difficulties_in_core_science_subjects_of_senior_high_scho

ol_students_in_a_private_school_in_Cal amba_City_Philippines

11. Carlson, S. E., Bohn-Gettler, C., & McMaster, K. (2011). Making the

right connections: Differential effects of reading intervention for

subgroups of comprehenders. Gsu.

https://www.academia.edu/1297784/Making_the_right_connections_Differ

ential_effects_of_read ing_intervention_for_subgroups_of_comprehenders

12. Tul, M. (2016). Reading Comprehension: Definitions, Research, and

Considerations.

www.academia.edu.https://www.academia.edu/26494078/Reading_Comp

rehension_Definitions _Research_and_Considerations
13. Rahmadiah, S. (2018). Reading Comprehension Strategies Theories,

Interventions, an. www.academia.edu.

https://www.academia.edu/37796599/Reading_Comprehension_Strategis

_Theories_Interventi ons_

14. Onew, F. (2015). " IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING

COMPREHENSION " IMPROVING STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION.

www.academia.edu.

https://www.academia.edu/11594821/_IMPROVING_STUDENTS_READIN

G_COMPREHENSION_IMPROVING_STUDENTS_READING_COMPREHENSI

ON

15. Aja, E. (2018). IMPROVING STUDENTS READING COMPREHENSION

ON NARRATIVE TEXT THROUGH STORY MAPPING STRATEGY.

Hiphophotel.

https://www.academia.edu/36817810/IMPROVING_STUDENTS_READING

_COMPREHENSION_ON_NARRATIVE_TEXT_THROUGH_STORY_MAPPING

_STRATEGY

16. Bilew, G. (2022). Beliefs and practices of Teachers on Reading

Strategies to Enhance Students’ Reading Achievement.

www.academia.edu.

https://www.academia.edu/81207281/Beliefs_and_practices_of_Teachers

_on_Reading_Strategies_to_Enhance_Students_Reading_Achievement
17. Tensfeldt, L., & Mahdavi, J. (2016). Untangling Reading

Comprehension Strategy Instruction: Assisting Struggling Readers in the

Primary Grades. Sonoma.

https://www.academia.edu/16136564/Untangling_Reading_Comprehensio

n_Strategy_Instruction_Assisting_Struggling_Readers_in_the_Primary_Gra

des

XI. Financial Report

Activities Resources Needed Amount

Preparation of the Action Bond paper 300

Research Internet connection/load

Token for students Candies and other 287

expenses for students

Printing of the survey Printing and reproduction 250

questionnaires fee

Travel expenses Transportation 140

Gas
 Reproduction of Research Printing and reproduction 500

outputs fee

Language Editor 700

Total expenses 2,177

XII. Appendices

Research Instrument

In this study, the researcher will be using a test questionnaire to

gather facts and information from the selected respondents about their own

level of reading comprehension. The questionnaire would be putting a check

on either yes or no on the table consisting of various statements regarding

their current level of reading comprehension. The respondents are given an

evaluative reading material most particularly a story with questionnaires

after it to assess the improvements in their reading comprehension, the

researcher would also use the post-assessment by giving an evaluative

reading material to assess the effectivity of the given program.

 Questionnaire on English Reading Comprehension

Name: Sec. & Year:

YES NO

1. I grasp the main idea of the material while reading English

2. I turn to dictionaries when coming across new words in the

English reading.

3. I do not bother with the grammatical structure of

sentences while reading in English.

4. I predict the main idea of the whole passage from its title

or subject.

5. I guess the meaning of the new words by analyzing their

roots or prefixes or suffixes.

6. I do not pay attention to the implied meaning of the

reading material.

7. When I read English articles, I skip the words that are new

to me.

8. I pause and analyze the structure of sentences when

reading in English.

9. I try to guess the main ideas of the text based on pictures,

charts or figures.
 10. I try to understand complicated sentences by analyzing

their structure.

11. I grasp the gist of the reading material through quickly

reading the first and the last paragraphs.

12. I guess the meanings of new words in context when

reading in English.

13. I try to interpret the writer’s intention while reading in

English.

14. I overlook the sentences with complicated structures.

15. I use simple words to replace difficult ones in sentence

understanding.

16. I predict the main idea of the whole passage from key

words.

PRE-TEST/POST-TEST QUESTIONNAIRE

Direction: Read the story carefully and kindly answer the questions below.

The Needle Tree

Once, there were two brothers who lived at the forest’s edge. The oldest

brother was always unkind to his younger brother. The older brother took

all the food and snatched all the good clothes.

The oldest brother used to go into the forest in search of firewood to sell in

the market. As he walked through the forest, he chopped off the branches

of every tree, until he came upon a magical tree.

The tree stopped him before he chopped its branches and said, ‘Oh, kind

sir, please spare my branches. If you spare Me, I will provide you with

golden apples

The oldest brother agreed but was feeling disappointed with how many

apples the tree gave him.

Overcome by greed, the brother threatened to cut the entire tree if it didn’t

provide him with more apples. But, instead of giving more apples, the tree

showered him with hundreds of tiny needles. The brother fell to the ground,

crying in pain as the sun began to set.

Soon, the younger brother became worried and went to search for his older

brother. He searched until he found him at the trunk of the tree, lying in

pain with hundreds of needles on his body.

He rushed to him and started to painstakingly remove each needle with

love. Once the needles were out, the oldest brother apologized for treating

his younger brother so badly. The magical tree saw the change in the older

brother’s heart and gifted them with all the golden apples they could need.

1. These are the characters of the story except?

a. The two brothers

 b. A mother

c. A magical tree

2. Where did the two brothers live ?

a. at the City

b. at the forest's edge

c. at the mountain

3. Where does the story take place?

a. at the forest's edge

b. in the forest

c. near the mountain

4. Why did the oldest brother go to the forest?

a. he is searching for food

b. he is playing

c. he is searching for firewood

5. What did the oldest brother do to the trees in the forest ?

a. he chopped off the branches of every tree

b. he watered the trees

c. he climb every tree in the forest

6. What was the main problem in the story?

a. because the two brothers are silly and naughty

b. because the trees are low in height

c. because the oldest brother is bad

7. What caused the magical tree to shower oldest brother a needles?

a. the magical tree likes him

b. the magical tree is bad

c. the magical tree is threatened in danger

8. What did the tree gave to the two brothers?

a. Needles

b. Golden apple

c. Silver Mango

9. How was the problem solved?

a. the older brother was saved by his younger brother and he

apologized for his wrong doings.

b. the oldest brother died

c. the magical tree showered more needles again

10. What is the moral lesson of the story?

a. Do to others what they have done to you

b. Always be kind to others even they are not to you

c. Be selfish for what you have because you deserve it

 CERTIFICATION OF THE EDITOR

This is to certify that the research of Bristol et all., entitled IMPROVING

THE READING COMPREHENSION OF THE GRADE 7 STUDENTS OF

SAN JUAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH LEARN TO READ

AND READ TO LEARN PROGRAM was edited by the undersigned.

Mr. Roberto Riparip

Editor
DOCUMENTATION
CRISTELLA R. BRISTOL

Purok 1, San Agustin Oas, Albay

Contact #: +639701452935
E-mail Add: bristolcristella244@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 20 years old

Date of Birth: April 16, 2003
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
The Sisters of Mary of Banneux Inc.
March 2015 – 2019(Graduate)
Biga II Silang, Cavite
The Sisters of Mary of Banneux Inc.
Technical Vocational Livelihood Program
2019-2021
Biga II Silang, Cavite

PRIMARY:
San Agustin Elementary School
June 2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
San Agustin Oas, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
LEO REX GABRIEL

Purok 5, Bongoran Oas, Albay

Contact #: +63961656386
E-mail Add: Leo.Gabriel187@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 21 years old

Date of Birth: August 16, 2001
Gender: Male
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
The Sisters of Mary of Adlas Inc.
March 2015 – 2019(Graduate)
Adlas Silang Cavite
The Sisters of Mary of Adlas Inc.
Technical Vocational Livelihood Program
2019-2021
Adlas Silang Cavite

PRIMARY:
Celestino B. Redito Elementary School
June 2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Bongoran Oas, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
APRIL MAY O. JAMOT

Purok 3, Kenny Village Mauraro Guinobatan Albay

Contact #: +639272784564
E-mail Add: aprilmayjamot21@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 21 years old

Date of Birth: April 21, 2002
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Maurora National High School
2015 - 2019(Completers)
Maurora Guinobatan Albay
Maurora National High School
Technical Vocational Livelihood (TVL) HOME
ECONOMICS
2019- 2021(Graduate)
Maurora Guinobatan Albay

PRIMARY:
Maipon Elementary School
2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Maurora Guinobatan, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
NOEME N. PRADIA

Purok 5, Tinampo Ligao City

Contact #: +639859860811
E-mail Add: noemepradia1@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 21 years old

Date of Birth: October 06, 2001
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Mormons
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Deogracias P. Princesa Memorial High School
Ranao - Ranao Ligao City
2015 - 2019(Completers)
General Academic Strand
2019- 2021(Graduate)

PRIMARY:
Tinampo Elementary School
2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Tinampo, Ligao City
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
CARLA D. RAQUION

Purok 5, Mabugos Guinobatan Albay

Contact #: +639129697214
E-mail Add: raquioncarla@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 20 years old

Date of Birth: September 14,
2002
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Baptist
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Marcial O. Ranioala Memorial School
2015 - 2019(Completers)
San Francisco Guinobatan Albay
Marcial O. Ranioala Memorial School
General Academic Strand
2019- 2021(Graduate)
San Francisco Guinobatan Albay

PRIMARY:
Travesia Elementary School
2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Travesia Guinobatan, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
PRINCE CHRISTIAN RANARA

Purok 8, Saban Oas Albay

Contact #: +639369236703
E-mail Add: pcranara07@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 19 years old

Date of Birth: July 17 2003
Gender: Male
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Foursquare
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Saban National High School
2015 – 2019(Completers)
Saban, Oas Albay
Saban National High School
General Academic Strand
2019-2021 (Graduates)
Saban, Oas Albay

PRIMARY:
Saban Elementary School
2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Saban Oas, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
THAMARA ERIKA REAMON

Purok 5, San Ramon Oas, Albay

Contact #: +63935632947
E-mail Add: reamonthamara@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 21 years old

Date of Birth: August 2, 2001
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Ligao National High School
2015 - 2019(Completers)
Tinago Ligao City
Ligao National High School
General Academic Strand
2019- 2021(Graduate)
Tinago Ligao City

PRIMARY:
Holy Trinity Foundation Learning School
2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Guilid Ligao City
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
DIANA ROSE Z. RIBERTA

Purok 5, Iraya Norte Oas, Albay

Contact #: +639957410689
E-mail Add: dianariberta@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 20 years old

Date of Birth: February 7, 2003
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Oas Polytechnic School
March 2015 – 2019 (Graduate)
Ilaor Norte Oas, Albay
Oas Polytechnic School
General Academic Strand
2019-2021
Ilaor Norte Oas, Albay

PRIMARY:
Oas East Central School
June 2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Iraya Norte Oas, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
INAH MAE VILLAREAL RENTORIA

Purok 1, Mayao Oas, Albay

Contact #: +639319853855
E-mail Add: inahrentoria@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 20 years old

Date of Birth: August 19, 2002
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Oas Polytechnic School
March 2015 – 2019(Graduate)
Ilaor Norte Oas Albay
Oas Polytechnic School
Accountancy Business Management
2019-2021
Ilaor Norte Oas Albay

PRIMARY:
Oas North Elementary School
June 2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Ilaor Norte Oas, Albay
____________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.
MARICEL PORLAJE SANGLAY

Zone 7 Riverside, Tupas Ligao City

Contact #: +639676039528
E-mail Add: sanglaymaricel0@gmail.com

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Age: 20 years old

Date of Birth: November 10, 2002
Gender: Female
Civil Status: Single
Nationality: Filipino
Religion: Roman Catholic
____________________________________________________

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SECONDARY:
Paulba National High School
June 2015 – 2019(Graduate)
Paulba Ligao City
Paulba National High School
General Academic Strand (GAS)
2019-2021
Paulba Ligao City

PRIMARY:
Tupas Elementary School
June 2009 – 2015 (Graduate)
Tupas Ligao City
___________________________________________________

I hereby certify that the above information is true and correct to

the best of my knowledge and belief.