READING COMPREHENSION IN FILIPINO FOR STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Agujar, Maria Heizel S1Abuan, D., 2 Balala, M., 3 Briones, D., 4 Manalang, J., 5 Mendoza, E., 6 and Valencia, J. 7
1-8
/New Era University, Quezon City, Philippines/

Corresponding Author: Maria Heizel S. Agujar E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
Reading comprehension program in Filipino for Struggling Learners a program designed to address the
needs of struggling readers in Filipino. The pogram emphasizes the I,portance of foundation skills in
phonological awareness and decoding for developing strong reading fluency. Implemented in Filipino,the
mother tounge of the target learners,it aims to create a positive and supportive learning environtment that
fosters confidence and growth. The effective strategies to enhance reading comprehension,and if there is a
significant difference in the performance of pupils in reading before and after the reading comprehension
program implemented. By incorporating these strategies,students become a more active and effective
reader,gaining a deeper understanding of the texts they’ve encountered. In addition,the results show that all
six (6) respondents improve from pretest to posttest.

KEYWORDS
Qualitative Research,Photo-voice Method,Reading Knows No Bound,SHOWED Model

1. Introduction
Reading is a complex developmental activity, Reading is a cognitive and psycholinguistic activity that
also requires social connection.It is crucial to have excellent reading comprehension. It makes learning more
pleasurable and beneficial in all areas-personal, professional, and academic. Reading is essential for
academic success and lifelong learning. This talent enables everyone to connect their prior knowledge with
their learning, improve their grasp of ideas and practices, and ensure that thses are consistently handed on the
next generation. (Torres, 2019)

According to Sarah Rutzler (2020), there are many pupils can read, the act of reading and
comprehending are not similar. Reading needs of being eloquent and combining different phonetics sounds to
create words. Having excellent reading comprehension skills is vital. It increases the enjoyment, and the
effectiveness of reading, and helps not only in school, but for being professional and in personal life.

RKNB’s integration into the education system seeks to provide struggling learners with the skills and
tactics they need to become effective Filipino readers. By targeting specific reading issue through focused
curriculum. RKNB can greatly enhance the reading result and academic success of struggling learners.
Reading necessitates fluent parsing and the combination of multiple phonetic sounds to form words. Reading
comprehension,on the other hand, entails reflecting on the words just read and drawing meaning for both those
words and the bookas a whole. (Dr. S.Padma Priya, 2023)

According to Claessen et.al (2020), reading difficulties are presented in the world. The Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) results from PISA 2018 showed that reading is among the areas in

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which fifteen-year-old learners in the Philippines scored lower than those in the majority of the countries and
economies joined in PISA 2018. The Philippines’ reading score was 340 points, whereas 80% of Filipino
students did not reach the minimum level of proficiency in reading. As a result of this case, the Department of
Education (DepEd) has launched the Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiatives) to increase the advocacy
for reading and have a strong commitment to make every learner a reader at his or her grade level.

In certain ways, students’ attitudes on the purposes of reading influence their ability to read. Many of
them suffer with reading comprehension,which can have a big impact on their grades. The researchers want to
help grade 4 students improve their reading skills and expand their comprehension through independent
reading. As a result, the researchers believe that the circumtances and motives for performing this study are
positive.

As a result, providing reading comprehension using the “reading Knows No Bounds” (RKNB) program
to improve both reading fluency and comprehension, particularly among elementary school students, is critical
at this stage of development, and an early intervention could have a significan impact on the progression of
reading difficulties for all students.

2. Methodology
This part contains subsections that explain the procedures and steps followed to the study.
2.1 Research Design
The research utilized Photo-voice method using qualitative approaches in gathering data almost to
show condition. Characterized clear investigation as a purpose. This includes the researchers specifically
observing and participating in the activities of the students. Researchers used photo-voice as a visual research
methodology that uses photographs taken and selected by participants to reflect upon and explore the reasons,
emotions and experiences that have guided their chosen images. Researchers utilize interviews to accumulate
data about the participant's understanding and development. Interviews are formal or casual and conducted
one-on-one. This research is utilized in community-based participatory research that gathers participant-taken
photographs and narratives to translate experience into actionable knowledge. This includes one-on-one
reading produced by six participants such as stories with photos. These notes offer assistance the researchers
organize their contemplation and perceptions and can be utilized to analyze the information collected. This
method can be valuable for investigating shared experiences with the students.The purpose was to see if
either program resulted in a substantial increase in reading comprehension. Researchers planned to utilize
photo-voice, a qualitative research method that combines photos and accompanying words generated by
participants.

2.2 Sampling Procedure

The overall population for this study includes six participants in Grade 4 at New Era University. The
study sample was recruited from the target group of struggling readers at one primary school at New Era
University. The sample consisted of six struggling participants from the fourth-grade course. These six
participants were allocated in equal numbers to the integrated-content reading comprehension group. To
generate a no-treatment control group, no eligible participants were denied comprehension using Snowball
Sampling. In this method, the teacher provide multiple referrals, choosing as it were those who meet the
particular criteria, who are grade 4 struggling learners that can't understand Filipino words, endorse by their
reading adviser, and willing to participate in the program to take part within the procedure because the

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participants investigated in this study were chosen only for their availability. The sample can be called a
convenience sample of organically formed groups.

2.3 Participants of the Study

The Six participants from New Era University are participating in a study on reading comprehension for
struggling Filipino students. The goal of these research projects is to come up with a fresh and efficient
approach to the participants. Throughout the study, this reading progress will be observed and tracked. This
could be doing reading assignments, taking exams, and assessment questionnaires every after the reading
session. By taking part in this study, participants may contribute to the development of novel and successful
reading skills for Filipino schools..

2.4 Instrumentation
The name of the participants, the Filipino stories, "talahulugan" and "mga gabay sa pag-aaral" are all
included in the first section of the instrument. The respondent's questionnaire and checklist are in the second
section. In this section, the respondent used a Likert scale to rate a questionnaire according to what they have
read. The Grade 4 students are able to read short stories in Filipino and respond to questions about them
thanks to the researchers' usage of the "Reading Knows No Bounds (RKNB)" tool. The goal of this reading
program is to raise the reading comprehension and skills of six students in just twelve sessions. Checklist for
Classroom Observations: During classroom observations, a checklist will be made to record important facets of
the program's execution. (e.g., stories).

2.5 Data Gathering Procedure

To collect thorough data, the study will use a multi-method approach, including semi-structured
interviews with struggling learners in the program. Open-ended inquiries will delve into their experiences with
the program's activities, materials, and the incorporation of Filipino language and culture. Classroom
observations: direct observation of program implementation. The emphasis will be on how Filipino language
and culture are included in the courses, as well as how students engage with the materials and activities. It
was obtained prior to the administration of the comprehension or the collection of data to guarantee that the
research participants were safe. The site principals and school district authorities provided written site
authorization. As part of the annual registration process, parents and guardians of all students in the
participating school provide blanket informed consent for their children to participate in all educational studies,
to evaluate programs, to develop instructional programs based on student needs, and to improve teaching in
their child's educational environment. Additional consent forms for participation in this study were obtained
from parents and guardians. The integrated-content comprehension included kids who are skilled in reading
words in parts but require practice reading in larger passages to discern the meaning of words in context, as
well as concentrated practice deciding the meaning of entire passages. On our first day conducting
comprehension we let the students read the story we gave them to know if they understand what they have
read and if they can pronounce the words correctly and then in the past few days we notice that they have
made progress in reading and understanding. The last day of our reading comprehension was successful
because the students made great progress. They understand the story and read it well. This is a first-level
intervention in which the classroom instructor provides all of the support in a small guided-reading group. In
this reading comprehension, the teacher teaches reading methods while covering a variety of classroom
curricular topics. This comprehension was delivered by researchers from the College of Education Major in
General Education..

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2.6 Data Analysis
Researchers looking at reading comprehension for struggling Filipino students would most likely use a
variety of statistical tools to examine the data and determine the effectiveness of the comprehension. On the
first day, we gave our students a story to find out what they can do and how they can read the story we gave
them. On the second day, we read the same story that we gave on the first day, we noticed that the others
made progress, we corrected their pronunciation with other words. In the past few days, most of them have
made great progress in reading Filipino, their pronunciation of words is better and they understand deep words
and their meanings. On our last day, we let them read and then we gave them questions about what they read
and they answered them well, so we can say that our reading comprehension was successful because we saw
that they have learned.

2.7 Summary of Findings

This chapter represents the result of the intervention program conducted with Grade 4 Filipino learners
struggling with reading comprehension.

What was the reading comprehension level of the students before the intervention?
The reading comprehension level of the six students participating in this intervention was very low.
Most of them have difficulty in reading the story we provided. We've encountered a lot of challenges
categorized as follows: pronunciation difficulties, most of the students struggled with specific sounds or letter
combinations in Filipino, such as "ng" "ang" etc. Vocabulary challenges, some students had difficulty in
understanding the meaning of certain Filipino words, particularly those considered "long" or "deep". And lastly,
there are comprehension issues. Several students experience challenges in grasping the overall meaning of
the stories they have read, even if they could pronounce the words individually.

What are the challenges that the pupils encounter in terms of low reading comprehension?

The challenges encountered by each student related to their low reading comprehension in Filipino.
Difficulty understanding and pronouncing specific particularly long words and those specific to FIiipino culture
(e.g., "batingaw" and "kamagong"). Slow reading speed hinders comprehension, stuttering while reading, and
difficulty in understanding the meaning of words and passages. Confusion with basic Filipino vocabulary words
like "mabait" (kind), "baha" (flood), and "tatlong" (three). Having a hard time grasping the main idea or moral
lesson of the story. These challenges can significantly impact students' learning experiences, potentially
leading them to fall behind class.

What are the effective strategies used to enhance pupils' reading comprehension?

Researchers findings from various studies on effective strategies to improve reading comprehension
in pupils. Several strategies emerged as consistently effective across multiple studies: questioning,
encouraging students to ask and answer questions about the story actively engages them with the material
and promotes deeper understanding. Retelling, asking students to retell the story in their own words helps
solidify their grasp of the main ideas and sequence of events. Summarizing, guiding students to summarize the
key points of the text strengthens their ability to identify essential information and condense meaning. Reading
aloud, rereading aloud to students, especially for younger students, exposes them to proper pronunciation,
fluency, and comprehension strategies. For multilingual learners, translating unfamiliar words from the target

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language to the student's native language can provide temporary scaffolding. This compilation highlights a
variety of effective strategies for enhancing student's reading comprehension. The most successful approach
will likely depend on the specific needs of the students, the grade level, and the reading materials. By
incorporating a combination of these strategies, educators can create a dynamic learning environment that
fosters deeper understanding and a love for reading.

3. Conclusion
Based on the investigation, discoveries, and examination of the READING COMPREHENSION IN
FILIPINO FOR STRUGGLING LEARNERS all students find it difficult to read the Filipino language. But some
of them know how to read Tagalog but they don't know what it means. They find it difficult to read and
understand some of the Tagalog words because in their house they speak in English. They are practicing
comprehension and speaking through dialogues and short stories. Short stories engage them and provide a
context for learning vocabulary and grammar in a natural way. Plus, it makes the learning process more
enjoyable. Short stories are a great way to engage students in learning Filipino. That's why they are interested
in this program. After reading, we engage the students in a discussion about the story. Ask comprehension
questions to check their understanding of the plot, characters, main ideas and Continuously review vocabulary
and grammar concepts introduced in the story.
Funding
This research received no external funding.

Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
First of all, in deepest gratitude, we acknowledge our Almighty God, for His guidance and strength throughout
this research. This work is undertaken with the belief that all knowledge ultimately comes from our Almighty
God. We are grateful for the enduring influence of faith tradition. May this research be used to further His will.
We also like to extend our sincere gratitude to our Dean, College of Education, Dr. Corazon V. Liwayway, for
her invaluable guidance, insightful feedback, and unwavering support throughout this research project. We
would like to express our most sincere appreciation for our Professor Maria Heizel Salayo Agujar. Thank you
for believing in us. We truly appreciate your valuable guidance, support, and words of encouragement.Your
advice helped us to focus on some of the most important contributions for this work. We sincerely treasure
your most articulate and impeccable timely suggestions. Additionally, your interest in our work keeps us
motivated and keeps us studying more. We also like to show how grateful we are to Integrated School
Principal, Dr. Sunday S. Sibul and Integrated School Vice Principal, Dr. Mary Conception V. Asiatico for their
assistance with data collection and analysis. Of course we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Ma'am Susana
Donor and to the participants in this study for their willingness to participate in our research. This research
would not have been possible without your help and participation. And Lastly, we would like to express our
sincere appreciation to Ms. Denisse Abuan, Ms. Ma. Stephanie Balala, Ms. Danielle Briones, Ms. Jam Kelly
Manalang, Ms. Eleanor Mendoza, and Ms. Jaemilyn Valencia for your contribution to our research paper. Your
dedication during our meetings, hard work, positive attitude, and helpfulness made a significant difference in
the overall quality of our work. Thanks to your effort, we were able to finish our Research Paper. We are
grateful to have you as a teammate.

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