Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region IV – A CALABARZON
Division of Rizal
DISTRICT OF ANGONO
Angono, Rizal

The Impact of Localized Activity Sheets in Improving Reading Comprehension Skills in

Selected Grade 6 Pupils of Angono Elementary School during the School Year 2019 -
2020

An Action/Basic Research

Presented to the

3rd District Research Conference

of Basic Education Researchers (DisCoBER)

District of Angono

FRANCIS T. GARCIA
NOIMIE FLORENDO
Researchers

August 30, 2019

 Introduction
The area of focus for this study is the Impact of Using Localized Activity Sheets in Improving
Reading Comprehension Skills in Selected Grade 6 Pupils of Angono Elementary School during
the School Year 2019 – 2020.

Without the solid foundation in reading comprehension skills the researchers feels that
the pupils will be struggle hard throughout their schooling. By giving the best and quality activity
sheets about reading comprehension skills, the researchers hope to provide the necessity to
become the pupils successful. Based on the latest PHIL IRI Result School Year 2019 – 2020,
the grade 6 pupils are labeled as frustrated readers. So the researchers conclude that the pupils
have a very poor reading comprehension skills. In order to improve the reading comprehension
skills of the grade 6 pupils, the researchers will developed an appropriate localized activity
sheets to developed meaningful reading experiences of the pupils.

Rationale

Based on DepEd Memo No.143, series of 2012, teachers are still required to accomplish the
pupil’s individual reading profile and consolidate reports for the school profile. The Department
of Education (DepEd) will continue to administer the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-
IRI) for Grades 2 to 6 pupils this school year to assess the reading skills of elementary students
in public schools. As the researchers of this study. The researchers found out that many of the
grade 6 pupils are able to read fluently but still have a difficulty in answering the critical and
inferential level of questioning. We the researchers are hoping that by using this localized
activity sheets for grade 6 pupils would be able for them to transfer and make connections to
their reading. This is significant in order for a child to become successful. The researchers feel
that using localized activity sheets strategies will show how pupils to reflect about what they
have read and would be able for them to improve their reading comprehension skills and
become a life-long learner. The researchers are looking forward to work on this area of concern
and share new findings to their colleagues. The localization of reading instruction is used in
elementary, high school, and post secondary education to engage students, deepen content
learning, and promote transfer of skill.

The Department of Education (DepEd) supports Every Child a Reader Program, which aims to
make every Filipino child a reader and a writer at his/her grade level. Thus, the DepEd through
the Bureau of Learning Delivery-Teaching and Learning Division (BLD-TLD) shall continue to
administer the Revised Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) assessment to learners
in public elementary schools nationwide effective School Year 2019-2020. The Phil-IRI used as
a classroom-based assessment tool aims to measure and describe the learners’ reading
performance in both English and Filipino languages in oral reading, silent reading and listening
comprehension. These three types of assessment aim to determine the learner’s independent,
instructional and frustration levels. The Phil-IRI data shall also serve as one of the bases in
planning, designing/redesigning the reading instruction of the teachers and the school’s reading
programs or activities to improve the overall school’s reading performance.

Innovation Intervention and Strategy

According to Taylor (2004), localization is the freedom for schools of local authorities to
adapt the curriculum to local conditions and relating the context of the curriculum and the
process of teaching and learning to the local environment. Accordingly, some related literature
and research were reviewed to obtain sufficient background information for the study. As a
matter of fact, Aracelo (1994) as cited by Panerio reported that “85 percent that people do
involving reading “. Individuals read street signs, advertisements, and menus in the restaurants,
cookbook, medicines, food labels, and others. According to McNamara (2007) in his book
Reading Comprehension Strategies: Theories, Interventions, and Technologies, comprehension
refers to the ability to go beyond the words, to understand the ideas and the relationships
between ideas conveyed in text. 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 paragraph, and the entire text. Moreover, Zin & Maggart (1986) in Blay et.al,
(2009) stated that reading is one of the macro skills taught in an English language classroom,
which requires a response from the reader through summarizing the main facts based on what
was read. As Worthy (1936) explained, he said that focusing on student interests in reading
materials may be more beneficial in promoting reading success than a focus on level. It turns
out that interest is far more significant than readability. For an individual to survive in today’s
world, it is a requirement for him/her to know how to read with understanding. According to Van
Keer and Pierre of 2005, Becoming a successful reader requires the mastery of many concepts
from phonemic awareness to comprehension. Reading instruction research has shifted its focus
from one skill to another in search of the best way to improve reading instruction. Although all
the concepts needed for reading are important, reading comprehension stands out for its
difficulty to teach and assess. The challenge has been finding the best way to increase the
efficacy of reading instruction. According to Dole of 2000, It is now known that even though
comprehension does depend on the development of decoding, it has to be taught explicitly.
According to Adler, 2001, Comprehension monitoring and metacognition are similar strategies in
which students are given tools to monitor or track their comprehension. Both require students to
be very involved and aware of the effectiveness of their reading. Students are explicitly taught
that while reading they should be thinking. However, the thinking they do depends on their own
experiences and thus is subjective. Students are taught to give their thinking a name. They
learn that they should be aware and recognize the moments when their comprehension is
limited or lacking. Likewise, they should make notice of all the background knowledge that is
activated as they read especially any connections they can make to their own life and other
texts they have read.

According to Harvey and Goudvis; 2000, Graphic organizers help students focus on text
structures and help them see relationships between texts. The organizers usually give students
a more visual way to synthesize the information they gather from the text. The summarizing
strategy asks students to synthesize what they have read usually focusing on the main idea and
supporting details. Another commonly used strategy is using comprehension questions to teach
students concepts like main idea and to assess what information they have extracted from the
text while reading. Using comprehension questions allows teachers to monitor student
comprehension based on whether or not they can respond correctly to the questions. The
questions can be tailored to test skills like identifying literary elements or to test a student’s
understanding of the text with basic recall questions. In a related study of Mahabadi (2012) in
The Role of Learning Materials in Learning of FFL students, the results revealed that learners
performed better when reading localized materials and the results was recommended in
incorporating localized materials in classroom syllabus. As Van Keer and Pierre (2005)
confirmed in their study, explicitly teaching metacognitive strategies yield significant gains in
reading comprehension in students in 2nd grade. Thus, this intervention revolved around
teaching students about the value of metacognition as well as one strategy. Furthermore,
according to Van Keer and Pierre (2005), the challenge has been finding the best way to
increase the efficacy of reading instruction. The instructional practice has moved away from
assuming that comprehension was a skill that was mastered alongside decoding according to
Dole (2000).Moreover, Casanave (1988) points out, even when students answer questions
correctly, there may still be gaps in their comprehension. Comprehension questions cannot tell
us what processes our students use while reading, much less what processes are not taking
place that are vital to the development of their comprehension skills. A reader’s background
knowledge plays a crucial role in how well a student can interpret a text. Students already have
that wealth of knowledge, but most do not see or understand the connections that can be made
between their own knowledge and the texts that they are reading.As Casanave points out, even
when students answer questions correctly, there may still be gaps in their comprehension.
Comprehension questions cannot tell us what processes our students use while reading, much
less what processes are not taking place that are vital to the development of their
comprehension skills. Furthermore, according to Van Keer and Pierre (2005), the challenge has
been finding the best way to increase the efficacy of reading instruction. The instructional
practice has moved away from assuming that comprehension was a skill that was mastered
alongside decoding according to Dole (2000). Moreover, Adler (2001) stated that
comprehension monitoring and metacognition are similar strategies in which students are given
tools to monitor or track their comprehension. Both require students to be very involved and
aware of the effectiveness of their reading. Some related studies have shown that people can
adjust their understanding of a culturally unfamiliar story to fit their own knowledge of culturally
familiar stories, thus adjusting their schema to fit something unfamiliar.

Action Research Questions

This study aimed to determine the impact of using localized activity sheets in improving reading
comprehension skills in selected grade 6 pupils of angono elementary school during school year
2019 – 2020. These are the question needs to find an answer.

1. What is the effect of using localized activity sheets in improving of comprehension skills
among grade 6 frustrated readers as revealed by the pre test and post test results.

2. Is there any significant difference between the evaluation of using localized activity sheets in
improving comprehension skills among grade 6 pupils in terms of the perceptions of the
following expertise

a. English Subject Teachers

b. Principal/Master Teachers in English

 Significance of the Study

This study will aim to improve the reading comprehension skills of the pupils through the use of
localized reading comprehension activity sheets, Like wise the findings of this research may
prove useful to the following, The pupils will further enhance the importance of mastering the
basic skills of their competencies so they will make an effort to do best. This may lead to better
motivation and good study habit. The teachers may adapted new strategies in teaching and
improving comprehension skills of their pupils. The result of this study will serve as birds eye
view on the parents to know the needs of their children with regards to improve their children
reading comprehension skills. The result of this study may encourage the School Administrator
and the Principal to help their teachers upgrade their teaching strategies in improving their
pupils reading comprehension skills through closer supervision, faculty development, trainings
and seminars about reading skills. With the use of the result of this study, Department of
Education Rizal Division Angono District, .any educational upliftment will benefit the municipality
of Angono as may improve the quality of life of their respective constituents. The findings of this
study may guide the Curriculum Planner planned the appropriate selection of reading materials,
methods, techniques and strategies that suited for the learners. The result of this study may
benefit the community in as much they know that the teachers of their children are equipped
with the necessary tools and competence in teaching them. The Researchers Themselves may
serve as an inspirations in teaching their pupils above and beyond capacity. The information and
insights of this study that the Future Researchers will gained may serve as guide for other
researchers in framing their conceptual framework and design and at the same time encourage
them to conduct literal studies within their area of preferences.

Action Research Method

A quasi-experimental research type was used in this study to know if the impact of using localized
activity sheets to improve reading comprehension in selected 15 grade 6 pupil as a respondents. T-
test was used to know level of significance difference as evaluated by the two evaluators, the
teachers and the master teachers. Random Sampling technique is used to get the respondents in
grade 6 pupils labeled frustrated readers of Angono Elementary School, School Year 2019 - 2020

Participants

The study considered the 15 grade 6 frustrated readers of Angono Elementary School during
School Year 2019 – 2020. This is selected from different grade 6 sections. They were evaluated
their reading comprehension according to the Activity Sheets developed by the selected English
Teachers of Angono Elementary School. The Activity Sheets was evaluated by the expert.

Data Gathering Methods

The researchers will provide the teacher-made activity sheets to know the impact of it for
improving comprehension skills. The developed activity sheets will evaluated by the expertise
through the teacher-made checklist tool. Likert Scale will used to measures the level of
effectivity of localized activity sheets in improving reading comprehension skills in selected
grade 6 pupils.

Data Analysis

Discussion of Results

Reflection/Action Plan

References