LIBRA INTERVENTION FOR ENHANCING READING COMPETENCE

AMONG THE GRADE 5 FRUSTRATION

READERS IN ENGLISH

An Action Research Proposal

Submitted to the
Schools Division Research Committee (DRC)
for BERF/ Non-BERF 2024

by

GRETCHEN MILE A SERANIA

REY ALLAN P. CUARESMA
CHARISMA MICHELLE D. MAGSAYO
FEBRUARY 2024
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ii
LIST OF FIGURES iii
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………. …..iv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
Context and Rationale 1
Action Research Question 3
Proposed Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy 3

CHAPTER 2: ACTION RESEARCH METHODS 8

Research Design………………………………………………………………………8
Sampling/Participants and/or Other Sources of Data/Information……………………8
Data Gathering Procedure / Methods 9
Data Analysis Plan 10
Ethical Considerations 11

CHAPTER 3: ACTION DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND REFLECTION

Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data…………………………………………..13

REFERENCES 16
APPENDICES 17
Approved Transmittal Letter for Research Implementation

Certification of Research Implementation

Financial Report (First Tranche Liquidation)

Photo Documentation and Other Relevant Research Documents

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LIST OF FIGURE
Figure 1: Process Flow of the Action Research……………………………………….. 4
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Pre-test Result………………………………………………………………… 12

Table 2: Post-test Result……………………….…………………………………… ….12

Table 3: Individual Scores of Pre-test and Post Test…………………………………………...13

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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Context and Rationale

In today’s education, it’s essential to discover more effective methods to enhance

reading comprehension skills particularly among learners who face challenges and find

difficult to grasp what they read. Acknowledging the complex nature of literacy

development, this research aims to investigate the efficacy of utilizing local stories and

books as a focused intervention to improve reading comprehension level and academic

outcomes among Grade 5 students who struggle with reading in English.

The recognition of varying reading proficiency levels among Grade 5 students

underscores the need for tailored interventions (Guthrie, Wigfield, & You, 2012). The

disparities revealed in the PHIL-IRI pretest highlight the urgency of addressing the needs

of struggling readers to prevent further academic challenges.

Research suggests that incorporating local content in education positively impacts

student engagement and comprehension (Gay, 2010). In the Filipino context, where

cultural identity is rich and diverse, integrating local stories may offer struggling readers a

more understandable and meaningful avenue for improving their English literacy skills.

The identification of frustration readers necessitates targeted and evidence-based

interventions (Torgesen, 2002). By targeting the group of struggling Grade 5 readers

identified in the PHIL-IRI pretest, the findings revealed that out of the 18 learners

assessed, 13 did not meet the criteria of the General Screening Test. Specifically, among

these 13, 4 were classified as frustration readers and 2 as instructional readers based on the

grade 3 passage. Additionally, 2 were categorized as frustration readers, 4 as instructional

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readers, and 1 as an independent reader when assessed using the grade 2 passage. This

action research aligns with the broader goal of providing effective strategies to address

specific literacy challenges.

The findings reveal that many Grade 5 students struggle with basic reading skills,

vocabulary, and reading strategies, which may affect their comprehension. Using local

books can help improve their understanding because they relate better to the content.

These books feature familiar settings and characters, making reading more engaging. They

also expose students to language and cultural references they're familiar with, enriching

their vocabulary and comprehension. By incorporating local books into the curriculum,

teachers can make learning more meaningful and enjoyable for students. This approach

broadens students' perspectives and fosters a love for reading beyond the classroom.

Based on the alarming Grade 5 Phil-IRI Pre-test results, the researchers are

committed to implementing an intervention program proven effective in prior studies.

Culturally responsive teaching approaches have been shown to enhance student learning

outcomes (Ladson-Billings, 1995). Embedding local stories into the curriculum reflects a

pedagogical strategy that recognizes and values the cultural background of learners,

potentially creating a more conducive environment for struggling readers.

Motivation is intricately linked to reading achievement (Gambrell & Morrow,

2017). Local stories, rooted in the cultural heritage of students, may serve as motivational

tools, fostering a positive attitude towards reading and potentially contributing to

improved learning outcomes for struggling readers.

Within the context of Catch-up Fridays and the DEAR activity, as outlined in

DepEd Order No. 013, the rationale for the inclusion of the study on the " Locally Inspired
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Books for Reading Advancement (LIBRA) Intervention for Enhancing the Reading

Competence Among the Grade 5 Frustration Readers in English" becomes evident. This

action research aligns with the educational agenda, offering a targeted intervention to

improve reading skills, especially among struggling readers in Grade 5.

Moreover, integrating Values Education into the LIBRA program aligns with the

broader initiative to intensify values, health, and peace education. By combining reading

advancement with ethical and moral values, the study contributes not only to academic

development but also to the cultivation of responsible and values-driven citizens.

Catch-up Fridays provide a structured platform for the implementation of the

LIBRA program, making use of the dedicated time and focus on reading activities. The

DEAR activity, within this framework, becomes an important component in fostering a

culture of reading, creating an environment conducive to the success of the LIBRA

initiative.

Numerous theories and studies underscore the importance of culturally relevant

and locally inspired materials in promoting reading advancement among students.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of cultural tools, such as literature, in

cognitive development. By incorporating locally inspired storybooks, we can tap into the

students' cultural context, making the learning experience more meaningful and engaging.

Research by Krashen (2004) on the Input Hypothesis highlights the significance of

comprehensible input in language acquisition. Utilizing storybooks that resonate with the

students' cultural background can provide this comprehensible input, fostering a more

effective learning environment.

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Moreover, studies such as those conducted by Anderson and Morrison (1998)

stress the importance of motivation in reading. Locally inspired storybooks have the

potential to captivate the interest of struggling readers by connecting with their lived

experiences, thereby increasing their motivation to read.

In summary, this action research is situated within the critical context of Grade 5

English education, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of struggling readers

identified through the PHIL-IRI pretest. By exploring the effectiveness of local stories as a

support mechanism, the research seeks to contribute valuable insights to the field of

literacy education.

Action Research Question

Could the utilization of Locally Inspired Books for Reading Advancement

(LIBRA) enhance the reading proficiency among Grade 5 frustration readers in English?

Proposed Strategy

Locally Inspired Books for Reading Advancement (LIBRA) is a learning

intervention designed to address low reading competence among learners by providing
culturally relevant and contextually appropriate reading materials. Recognizing that poor
reading habits and a lack of engagement with reading materials can significantly impact
reading proficiency, LIBRA aims to transform reading experiences for students.

Through LIBRA, learners are exposed to a diverse selection of books and texts that
reflect their local culture, traditions, and experiences. These materials are carefully curated
to resonate with the learners' backgrounds, promoting a deeper connection and
engagement with the content.
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By immersing students in reading materials that are meaningful and relatable, LIBRA
encourages active participation in reading activities and cultivates a positive attitude
towards learning.

The primary aim underlying this selection was to not only to strengthen the reading

comprehension skills of the targeted students but also to instill a deeper appreciation for

literature from their own culture. Through the utilization of LIBRA, the researchers

endeavored to pave the way for enhanced literacy development and academic success

among the participants, thereby contributing to the broader goal of fostering a lifelong love

for reading and learning. Anderson and Morrison (1998) stressed the importance of

motivation in reading. Locally inspired storybooks have the potential to captivate the

interest of struggling readers by connecting with their lived experiences, thereby

increasing their motivation to read. Motivation is intricately linked to reading achievement

(Gambrell & Morrow, 2017). Local stories, rooted in the cultural heritage of students, may

serve as motivational tools, fostering a positive attitude towards reading and potentially

contributing to improved learning outcomes for struggling readers.

Proposed Strategy

In this study, the researchers utilized local storybooks along with other literary

resources that explore traditions, culture, beliefs, and geographical aspects specific to the

locality. These materials aimed to develop the following skills:

1.Decoding: The ability to recognize and understand individual words.

2.Vocabulary: Knowing the meanings of words encountered in texts.

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3. Fluency: Reading smoothly, accurately, and with appropriate expression.

4. Comprehension Strategies: Using techniques like predicting, summarizing, and making

connections to understand the text.

5. Text Structure Awareness: Recognizing how texts are organized (e.g., main idea,

supporting details, cause and effect).

6. Literal Comprehension: Understanding the explicit information presented in the text.

7. Inferential Comprehension: Drawing conclusions or making educated guesses based

on implicit information in the text.

8. Critical Thinking: Analyzing and evaluating the content, arguments, and perspectives

presented in the text.

9. Active Engagement: Actively engaging with the text by asking questions, making

predictions, and monitoring understanding.

10. Meta-cognition: Being aware of one's own thinking processes and adjusting

comprehension strategies as needed.

Process Flow

Pre-Implementation During Post

Implementation Implementation
Conduct of Phil-IRI Conduct of Participants
Pretest Intervention who remained
Program three in the
Seek approval from times a week
School Head and frustration
Recording of level will
Class Adviser Scores for
Orientation of undergo the
Monitoring
Identified AR same
Conduct of
Participants Phil-IRI Post- intervention
Test program .
Secure parental and
informed consent Conduct of
comparative Dessemination
Selection of Local
analysis of the reading
Books
strategy to the
Preparation of other language
Activity Sheets
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Figure 1: Process Flow of the Action Research

Pre-implementation. After finding that out of the 18 students evaluated, 13 failed

to meet the General Screening Test criteria, with 4 identified as frustration readers and 2 as

instructional readers based on the grade 3 passage, while 2 were classified as frustration

readers and 4 as instructional readers. Subsequently, the researchers sought approval from

the principal, class advisor, and subject teachers for conducting action research using

Locally Inspired Books for Reading Advancement (LIBRA) with these learners. The

identified participants were then convened to be briefed about the intervention program,

and parental consent forms were distributed, duly completed by the participants' parents. It

was emphasized that the learners' decision and willingness to participate in the study were

paramount. The selection of locally inspired books drew from previous research,

contextualized passages, LRMS Portal articles, and Phil-IRI Full Package selections.

These passages included comprehension questions tailored for struggling readers, grouped

by difficulty level and aligned with the intervention program schedule, progressing from

beginning to advanced stages. Each stage spanned four weeks, with assessments conducted

every four weeks based on participant scores. Additionally, activity sheets were prepared

for participants to record their answers, facilitating close monitoring of their progress.
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Actual Implementation. The reading intervention program was set for three

sessions per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with a total of 16 weeks or four

months, with 48 meetings in total. The first two meetings were for orientation, and the last

six were for post-tests. There were 40 locally inspired books with questinnaires for

participants to complete. They were excused from regular classes during Independent

Collaborative Learning (ICL) time from 3:00-4:00 PM.

During the intervention, participants gathered in one room and worked on LIBRA

with comprehension questions for 30 minutes. Afterward, researchers led discussions and

recorded scores for monitoring.

After completing the 40 activities, participants would take a post-reading test using

the Phil-IRI post-test to gauge any improvement in their reading and comprehension skills.

Each participant orally read a passage from the Phil-IRI Full Package during the post-test,

with researchers noting reading duration, miscues, and comprehension. This data was used

to assess reading and comprehension levels, comparing them to pre-test results. The

researchers aimed to determine how many of the 13 struggling readers progressed to

independent readers and evaluate the strategy's effectiveness.

Post Implementation. Following the post-test, researchers will identify

participants who continue to require instructional support in reading. These individuals

will undergo the intervention program once more, employing the same approach until they

achieve independent reading proficiency. Should the effectiveness of the strategy be

confirmed through data analysis, the researchers will share the reading strategy with other

educators and implement it with the subsequent group of struggling readers.

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Chapter 2

ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

This section of the study outlines the research participants, the methodology for

data collection, the data analysis approach, and the ethical considerations.

Research Design

In this research, we utilize a One-Group Pretest-Posttest design, a method that

involves observing a single group both before and after they undergo a specific treatment

or intervention. Unlike some other experimental designs, such as those involving control

groups, this approach focuses solely on tracking changes within the same group over time.

First introduced by Campbell and Stanley in 1963, this design has been

instrumental in various fields, particularly in educational and social sciences. It allows

researchers to gauge the effectiveness of an intervention by comparing participants' initial

state (pretest) to their condition after receiving the treatment (posttest).

Choueiry (2021) elaborated on this design, highlighting its classification as a quasi-

experiment. In this type of study, the outcome of interest is measured twice: once before

the intervention and again after its implementation. However, unlike traditional
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experiments, there is no random assignment of participants to different groups. Instead, a

non-random group is exposed to the intervention, making it quasi-experimental in nature.

In our study, we focus on assessing changes in reading competence among a group of

13 participants. Specifically, we aim to measure improvements in comprehension skills

following the implementation of the LIBRA Intervention program. By analyzing both

pretest and posttest data, we can ascertain whether the intervention has had a significant

impact on participants' reading abilities.

This design allows us to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention in a real-

world setting without the complexities of controlling for multiple groups. While it may

lack the rigor of experimental designs with control groups, it provides valuable insights

into the potential outcomes of the intervention in a practical context.

Participants

The participants in this action research are 13 Grade 5 students from the Gumamela

section at Cantaroc Elementary School during the 2023-2024 academic year. They have

been identified as frustration readers based on their performance in the Phil-IRI pre-test.

Frustration readers are defined as those with word reading scores of below 89% and

comprehension scores of below 58%. Purposive sampling was employed in this study,

targeting individuals with specific characteristics. This method was chosen because it best

suits the selected sample population possessing these particular characteristics. The focus

of the study is on enhancing the reading competence of frustration readers, who form the

population of interest. It aims to improve the reading competence of these participants

identified through their frustration reader status determined by the Phil-IRI pre-test..
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Data Gathering Methods

Pre-Data Gathering. The Grade 5 Section Gumamela learners took the Phil-IRI

pretest and were categorized according to their reading proficiency level. During the pre-

test, the learners were given a reading passage. The reading passage would depend on their

score during the General Screening Test. For Grade 2 there are 5 comprehension

questions, Grades 3-4 with 6 comprehension questions while Grades 5-6 there are 7

comprehension questions. Each learner read the passage aloud while the researchers took

down the duration of minutes, the number of miscues, and the number of correct answers.

Based on the GST reults, 13 out of 18 failed, and these learners will be using Phil-Iri

Grades 2-3 passages and considered as frustration readers. The action research has been

drafted almost immediately to help these 13 frustration readers. First, the researchers seek

the permission from the school principal, the class adviser and the subject teachers of these

learners to conduct action research employing LIBRA Intervention to help them become

independent readers. The results of the pre-test were recorded and kept for further

utilization for this research and other purposes.

Actual Data Gathering. The researchers conducted the reading intervention

program following the schedule and its planned activities implementing LIBRA. During

each meeting within the intervention program timeline, the researchers are going to give a

reading passage with comprehension questions to each participant. LIBRA reading

passage contains about 5-8 comprehension questions incorporating HOTS. The

participants’ answers were discussed and were recorded. There were 40 actual days for the

participants to answer different LIBRA passages. Finally, the participants undergo the

post-test. They were given post reading passage with comprehension questions while the
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researchers recorded each participant’s reading rate, reading skill and comprehension skill

to determine the participants’ reading proficiency level and identify if they progress or not.

Post Data Gathering. Analysis of the data obtained from the pre-test and post-test

is done. The scores were tallied and compared to see if there were progress in the

participants’ scores. Central tendency is used as statistical tool to analyze these data.

The results of the pre-test and post-test were carefully recorded using the Microsoft Excel.

The data were kept in the researchers’ personal laptops to ensure confidentiality. These

results in the pre-test were compared to the results of post-test and were analyzed whether

there is a progress in the participants’ comprehension skills from the pre-test to the post-

test. The analysis on the participants’ progress are the determinant of the effectiveness of

the cloze reading activities as a strategy used in the reading intervention program.

Data Analysis Plan

The result of the pre-test and post-test were analyzed using the measures of central

tendency which are the mean, median and mode as the major statistical treatment of data

which are the basis for the comparative analysis of findings, conclusions, and

recommendations. Percentage is also used to determine the number of instructional readers

who will progress into independent readers after the intervention program employing cloze

reading strategy.

Ethical Considerations

The protection of the research subjects through the application of the critical

components of ethical principles is utmost necessary in this action research. In the conduct

of this research, the adequate protection and the best interest of the research participants,
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their safety and identity are well taken care of. This section focuses on three existing

ethical guidelines in the conduct of this research.

The issue on the protection on the rights of the action research participants is one

of the ethical concerns that could possibly emanate from the conduct of this research. To

prevent this from taking place, the researchers will distribute Informed Consent to the

identified participants in the intervention program. Further, the researchers will emphasize

that participating in the study is voluntary which means they have the freedom to choose

whether to participate or decline. The participants will be informed about the research and

their agreement will be obtained right after the researchers thoroughly explain the research

process. The participants will also be informed that they have the right to withdraw from

their participation of the study at any time even after the informed consent had been

signed.

The researchers ensured the participants that their names and identity in the data

collection, analysis and reporting of the study findings obtained from the research will be

kept confidential and that data treatment would be limited to the researchers alone. Paper

documents containing the personal data of participants will be kept in locked areas and

documents will not be left unattended in public places.

Anent to Republic Act 10173, or otherwise known as Data Privacy Act of 2012,

researchers must follow privacy regulations when processing personal data. A breach of

confidentiality will result in legal ramification for the researchers. As a result, the Data

Privacy Act of 2012 protects participants right to personal data protection. However, if

verifiability is required, participants’ information may be accessed without the approval

and consent of the Regional Research Committee.

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Moreover, all in-text copied and paraphrased information from different sources

will be duly acknowledged by citing the proponents using the APA seventh edition format.