The Department of Education (DepEd) keeps on making K to 12 curriculum becomes the channel of all successful learners who were given quality education through different programs, strategies and techniques which could help every teacher to instill the value of learning among their pupils and students. This department also aims to help the teachers realize the importance of endless exerting efforts on how they can make the learning meaningful for all types of learners. It is just like exhausting means on how to deliver quality instruction by employing different and appropriate strategies suited to the needs and nature of the learners.
Learning is something what makes the teachers’ obligations in the learning process becomes complicated. Pupils may remember what has been taught but the assurance of “understanding” remains unpredictable. In all learning areas, remembering is important but understanding is more important. Reading comprehension is the level of understanding of a text/message. This understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written, and how they trigger knowledge outside the text/message.
Comprehension on what has been heard, seen and read will lead to understanding. It is a fact that cannot be denied that comprehension is being developed not only to excel in English but also to apply the skill in all learning areas. Hence, this skill is designed to develop in the English subject through the help of different strategies and techniques.
Reading can be in the form of oral or silent. Both need the ability to process text into understanding or comprehension and being able integrate the schema into it to deepen learnings. Reading comprehension is one of the skills which requires other skills for the learners learn how to comprehend.
Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) is an assessment tool used to evaluate reading comprehension level of the pupils. The Phil-IRI is an initiative of the Bureau of Learning Delivery, Department of Education that directly addresses its thrust to make every Filipino child a reader. It is anchored on the flagship program of the Department: “Every Child Is A Reader,” which aims to make every Filipino child a reader and a writer at his/her grade level. The Phil-IRI is an informal reading inventory composed of graded passages designed to determine the individual student's performance in oral reading, silent reading and listening comprehension.
The Phil-IRI is not the sole assessment tool that provides the holistic reading performance of the students; it only provides an approximation of the students' abilities and could be used in combination with other reliable tools of assessment. The result assessment from the said tool serves as one of the bases in planning, designing/redesigning the reading programs or activities in the school. (Phil-IRI Manual 2018,p.7).
In spite of the strong move in the implementation of the program, there are still some pupils who fall under frustration level and even worst as non-readers. These are pupils who struggle in words recognition and experience problems in terms of comprehension. The problem in comprehension skill has been a problem and teachers continuously trying out possible solutions to resolve the adversities. In the pursuit of finding ways on how to help pupils develop this skill, fusion of activities and strategies could be a good idea, like the idea of integrating activities for better understanding.
Integration of the said activities may assist children who have difficulty in reading and comprehension. It includes reading selections where different techniques are applied to help pupils develop comprehension skills.
Through proper integration, the adversities encountered by pupils in reading comprehension will be resolved. This package can also create new opportunities for pupils to learn in a different perspective in more exciting manner. The said innovation can make the pupils ready to be good in communication which is one of the special characteristics/qualities as 21st century learners which will give them the courage and confidence to face the new world of learning.