ABSTRACT
Many learners struggle with reading comprehension, and it has become a significant concern worldwide. This study aimed to examine the level of usage of reading development strategies and reading comprehension level of Grade VI learners’ in Sumilao, Division of Bukidnon. Specifically, it sought to determine the respondents’ 1) level of usage of reading development strategies, 2) level of reading comprehension, and 3) the significant relationship between the respondents’ reading development strategies and their reading comprehension level. A descriptive survey method of research was used in the study, which involved one hundred fifty -two (152) Grade VI learners. The instrument by Bogaert et al. (2023) was patterned and modified. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used to describe the variables in this study. Spearman Correlation was employed to determine the significant relationship between the respondents' reading development strategies and their comprehension level.
The findings showed that the respondents’ level of usage of reading development strategies on overt cognitive was low while high on covert cognitive, monitoring, evaluating, and using home language. However, the majority of the respondents have a frustration level of reading comprehension. There is no significant relationship between the respondents’ level of reading development strategies and their reading comprehension. This implies that the mere utilization of reading strategies does not guarantee improved reading comprehension. It is recommended that teachers should consider the role of metacognitive strategies in conjunction with cognitive reading strategies.
Keywords: Reading Development Strategies, Reading Comprehension
INTRODUCTION
Reading comprehension is an essential skill that allows individuals to interpret, understand, and critically analyze written texts. It is considered one of the most important skills that learners should develop to succeed academically and professionally. However, as observed, many learners struggle with reading comprehension, and it has become a significant concern worldwide. These situations highlight the significant challenges that young learners face in developing their reading comprehension skills and strategies. Hence, the crucial reason for selecting this problem. Alongside this observation are the poor reading comprehension habits and strategies seen among young learners. This holds true in the district of Sumilao, as elementary teachers have noticed that a lot of young learners lack reading comprehension.
In recent years, international researchers such as in the United States, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that only 35% of fourth-grade students and 36% of eighth-grade students are proficient in reading comprehension (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021). In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported that only 64.6% of Grade 4 learners in public schools achieved the target Mean Percentage Score (MPS) in the National Achievement Test (NAT) for Reading in 2019 (DepEd, 2019). The result of the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reflected that Philippine students have low reading comprehension, which resulted in the reading comprehension skills of Filipino 15-year-olds being below average (OECD, 2019). In Sumilao District, the result of the 2023-2024 Phil-IRI (pretest) revealed 364 identified learners at frustration level based on the consolidated district level results from 584 Grade VI students. This basically means that 62.33% or more than half of the population of Grade VI learners are at frustration level in terms of reading comprehension.
DepEd Memorandum No. 173 s. 2019, entitled “Bawat Bata Bumabasa,” states that DepEd shall strengthen the Every Child a Reader Program (ECARP) with the aim of equipping learners with reading skills to make them proficient and independent readers in their grade level. The problem of young learners' reading development strategies has been extensively studied, and ample evidence supports its existence. For example, one study found that students who actively employ their reading comprehension strategies are able to comprehend and remember more information from their readings and achieve greater proficiency in higher-level language skills (Habók & Magyar, 2019). Similarly, another study conducted in the Philippines found that many Grade 4 learners struggle with reading comprehension, particularly in understanding texts with more complex vocabulary and sentence structures (Cruz & Regala, 2018).
Furthermore, the problem of improving reading development strategies among young learners has significant implications for their academic performance, career success, socioeconomic status, and national development. Poor reading comprehension skills due to poor levels of strategies can negatively impact learners' academic performance, as reading is a fundamental skill required in most subjects. As noticed, young learners in public elementary schools located in Sumilao, Bukidnon, struggle to understand textbooks, worksheets, modules, and other reading materials and perform poorly in tests and assignments. These learners have no patience in understanding the text. They will not re-read and will choose answers right away.
Research has shown that poor reading comprehension skills significantly impact academic performance. A study by Madrazo and Francisco (2019) found that the students’ reading comprehension was highly correlated with their academic performance. Moreover, providing students with ample opportunities for practice and feedback can further enhance their reading comprehension skills (Graham et al., 2018).
As such, every school needs to address the issue. Hence, this study is conducted to determine the level of usage of reading development strategies and learners’ reading comprehension in Sumilao, Division of Bukidnon.
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