EFFECTIVENESS OF REMEDIAL READING TO NON-READERS IN THE

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL AT LOMBOY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

EUFEMIA ABALOS TOMELDEN

Lomboy Elementary School
SDO Dagupan

Abstract
The reading performance of pupils at Lomboy Elementary School is low as reflected in Phil-
IRI assessment. In fact, none among the 21 respondents is able to read. This study focused on the
effectiveness of Remedial Reading to Non-Readers in Intermediate Level at Lomboy Elementary
School. It aimed to identify the effectiveness of various interventions used in the conduct of remedial
reading. It covered 21 pupils from Grades 4, 5 and 6 as the respondents. They were composed of 14
males and 7 females. The research looked into the reading level of the respondents and the significant
difference after the intervention. This study is a pretest and posttest experimental design. Total
enumeration method was utilized, where all pupils from grades 4, 5 and 6 were measured individually
in terms of their reading skills to determine who among them cannot read. The findings indicated
increase from the results of pretest to the posttest. The results of posttest based on computed mean
which is 27.14 as their reading level was found significantly higher than the pretest results which is zero
(0). It is recommended that the conduct of remedial reading classes should be implemented consistently
for the pupils to develop genuine love for reading, supported by varied instructional materials.

Keywords: effectiveness, comprehension, non-readers, remedial reading, word recognition, Language

education

1. Introduction
Reading is an important skill to develop because it is fundamental to a person to function in
today’s society like assuming duties and responsibilities in a day-to-day activity. Also, reading develops
critical thinking as it allows the learner to imagine, infer, predict, conclude and draw judgments among
other skills. In addition, it allows the learner to discover new things. Through reading books, magazines
and articles from the internet, the learners will become aware on the latest innovations and discoveries
in various fields (Anonat, 2011).
Moreover, reading is a major factor that affects the performance of the learners. Most of the
cognitive activities inside the classroom require the ability to read and to think. Learners have to read
before they give their reactions to certain articles or reading texts. Learners have to read something
before they compose a paragraph to make it more comprehensive, detailed and in-depth. This ability to
read is a basic requirement for the learners to gain understanding. With this, teachers try their best to
remediate pupils these kinds of pupils. However, based on observation, reading remains to be a problem
up to now despite several studies conducted by teacher-researchers, writers, and scholars. Some can
read but cannot comprehend; others can read but cannot observe proper intonations, pausing and
pronunciation.
Despite the benefits the learners can obtain from reading and the efforts of the teachers in
developing the said macro skill, it remains to be a pressing concern inside the classroom. However,
reading is not only the concern of language teachers who are handling English and Filipino subjects. It
is a collective responsibility of all teachers since reading is used in all learning areas inside the
classroom and in school.
Notwithstanding, reading is directly related to the English proficiency of the learners. In an
article from Philippine Daily Inquirer posted on the internet, the 2009 NAT revealed an increase in
mean percentage score (MPS) of only 66.33% from 54.66% in 2006 which means an improvement of
11.67%. This performance was equated to the reading skills of the students. The 66.33 MPS is still a
low score and it indicates “near mastery level” only. What’s more surprising is the mastery of 14.4%
only in Grade VI and 1.1% in fourth year high school. It was stated also in the article that the reading
skill of the learners is a factor in taking examinations.
Torrevillas, (2008), claimed that English Proficiency of the Filipinos deteriorates due to the
following reasons: the English proficiency of the educators not the language teachers but also other
teachers who are handling different subjects. There are cases wherein due to limited number of teachers
in some schools, those who are teaching the subject are not English major or they lack the necessary
training to develop the said competency; and the aggravating situation regarding the abolition of English
as a medium of instruction, with the implementation of K to 12 Basic Education where mother-tongue
is used in Kinder to Grade 3, and English is introduced in Grade 1 second semester.
In addition, based on researcher’s observation, poor reading performances of the Filipino pupils
were the effect of the following reasons and situations: family backgrounds and life styles. Some pupils’
family members particularly their parents lack the skill in reading. This means that they cannot guide
their children in reading at home because they themselves cannot read; Parents are busy in their daily
work that they cannot do follow up to their children at home, they even fail to check their children’s
daily performance and achievement in school. Pupils from big families are perceived to be on the high-
risk level in experiencing difficulty in reading. Their economic status deprived them to go school
regularly because of some reasons like helping their parents earn a living, taking care of their younger
siblings, has to work for extra income and others; and learners commit absences which serve as a big
factor that could affect their reading performances.
The above cited situations which highlight the concern regarding reading are also experienced
by the school administrator, teachers and pupils of Lomboy Elementary School. Based on the results of
reading assessment in English conducted last June 2016 through the use of PHIL-IRI, in Grade 6, there
are 9 non-readers out of 29 pupils currently enrolled, in Grade 5, there are 6 non-readers out of 32
pupils, and in Grade 4, there are 6 non-readers out of 28 pupils. For school year 2016-2017, there are
21 non-readers out of 90 pupils of Lomboy Elementary School. This is one of the reasons why the
researcher decided to conduct an action research to provide possible solution to the problem cited.
Furthermore, the data cited by the researcher is also supported by the observations of other
teachers handling different subjects. The same 21 pupils were pointed out by the subject teachers who
cannot read. During the informal interview of the researcher to the subject teachers, the said pupils were
also found frequently absent in their respective classes. The reasons why they failed to attend their
classes regularly include: The need to help their parents in doing house chores like taking care of their
younger siblings and helping them earn a living through fishing; Parents limited time to do follow-up
as to letting them practice reading at home; Poor pupils’ interests in reading activities. Based on the
observations of the subject teachers, the pupils have very limited initiative to spend time reading books
in the library or in the reading corner. They spent their vacant time playing with their classmates and
friends; and tardiness as one of the reasons why the pupils are considered non-readers. If the pupils
come to school late, they will miss the opportunity to learn. If there are reading texts presented by the
teacher, the pupils will be missing the opportunity to practice reading the text.
As cited by the school administrator of Lomboy Elementary School during the informal
interview conducted by the researcher, there are also teacher-related causes that can be pointed out why
there are non-readers inside the classroom. First, the teaching strategy of the teachers can be a factor. If
the teacher utilizes strategy that is not suited to the interests and level of the pupils, the pupils will
become bored. Secondly, the classroom conditions can also affect the acquisition of information of the
pupils. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to keep their classrooms conducive to learning. Lastly, the
consistency in providing remediation to the learners. As stated in DepEd Order No. 8 series of 2015
otherwise known as the Classroom Assessment, the remediation should be provided every fifth week
of the quarter to help the learners cope with the lesson.
In the past few years, Lomboy Elementary School adopted the 15-20 minutes remedial reading
session before the pupils will be allowed to go home. However, the said practice did not become
successful due to the following reasons: the period is not enough to aid the reading level of non-reader
pupils. Also, reading teachers use board and chalk in remediating their non-readers, and sometimes
teachers prepare a few charts for their non-readers and this are not enough. This does not motivate the
pupils to learn. Lastly, remedial readings were not given substantial time and effort due to their busy
schedule. And remedial readings are not being done seriously for some remedial teachers. This scenario
prompted the researcher to conduct an action research to redirect the efforts of the teachers in the said
school in improving the reading level of the pupils.
2. Method
2. 1. Research Design
The design used by the researcher in this study is quasi-experimental design, using pretest and
posttest. The technique used in this study is the total enumeration method, where all pupils from grades
4, 5 and 6 were measured individually in terms of their reading skills to be able to determine who among
them cannot read. This is appropriate for this action research since it endeavoured to look into the
effectiveness of the identified intervention.
2.2. Participants
The respondents of the study were the Grade 4, 5, and 6 non-readers of Lomboy Elementary
School. They were composed of 14 males and 7 females. They were identified as non-readers because
they could not pronounce or read any words from the passage shown to them taken from the Phil IRI.
2.3. Instrumentation
The researcher sought permission from the Head Teacher of the school to administer the
research. The researcher gathered the non-reader pupils and explained to them that they will be pulled
out from their regular class to have remedial reading activity by the researcher every 2:00 to 3:00 in the
afternoon to help them read and improve their reading ability. Also, the researcher called parents’
attention about the remedial reading and asked permission from them. After that, the implementation
of the reading intervention happened upon the approval of the School Head and the parents.
The researcher used a passage in English to determine the specific number of non-readers in
grades 4, 5 and 6. The pre reading passage that was used consisted of 40 words. This instrument was
taken from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil IRI) which was downloaded from the
website of the Department of Education, Bureau of Elementary Education through www.deped.gov.ph.
The pre reading assessment test was administered to all pupils enrolled in grades 4, 5 and 6 by
their respective advisers. The resulting list of non-readers was then used by the researchers as
respondents and subjects of the study.
In this study, the remedial reading classes were conducted 60 minutes every day to ensure the
concept of consistency, continuity, and conditioning of the pupils. Not just 15-20 minutes but conducted
60 minutes every day. At the same time varied reading texts were provided by the remedial teacher.
After the session, the pupils were provided of another set of reading materials that they can bring home,
so they can practice reading at home. The said materials were read the next day therefore, the pupils
need to practice reading them. Moreover, varied instructional materials were utilized like flashcards,
charts, hand-outs, big books and the like. The pupils were also instructed to ask assistance or help from
their family members.
The researcher gathered the non-readers in the intermediate level every 2:00 to 3:00 in the
afternoon and conducted/administered the remedial reading activities on reading as their daily
reinforcement.
After this intervention activity, post reading assessment test was administered by the advisers.
2.4. Data Analysis
The data gathered were analyzed, interpreted and evaluated by the researcher using the
appropriate statistical tool.
To determine the reading levels of non-reader pupils before and after the intervention, pretest
and posttest was used, particularly the measures of central tendency which is the mean and measure of
dispersion using range.
To determine the difference between the reading levels of non-reader pupils before and after
the intervention, T-test for dependent samples or the paired T-test was used to test significant
differences.
All data were processed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
computer software.

3. Results
3.1. Result Pre and Post-Assessment Test in Grades 4, 5 and 6 Non-Readers
The data obtained from the respondents regarding the reading level of non-reader pupils was
presented in Table 1. It can be inferred from the data that the 21 pupil-respondents obtained 0 (zero)
score in the pre-test which was administered by the researcher.
On the other hand, the data obtained from the pupil-respondents in the post-test showed a
tremendous increase of scores. The pupils obtained a computed mean of 27.14, median of 28, and a bi-
modal of 35 and 40. Dispersion of scores revealed a range of 35 computed from the highest score of 40
minus the lowest score of 5.

Table I Result Pre and Post-Assessment Test in Grades 4, 5 and 6 Non-Readers

Pupil Respondent Pre-Test Score Post-Test Score
1 0 10
2 0 25
Grade 4 3 0 30
4 0 15
5 0 17
6 0 20
7 0 28
8 0 35
9 0 30
Grade 5 10 0 35
11 0 40
12 0 40
13 0 25
14 0 22
15 0 5
16 0 35
Grade 6 17 0 35
18 0 28
19 0 40
20 0 15
21 0 40
Mean Score 27.14
Median 28
Modes 35 and 40
Range 35

3.2. Test of Difference Between Pre and Post Test

The data obtained from the respondents regarding the significant difference of the results in pre
and post-test is presented in Table 2. It can be inferred from the data that the computed difference is
-27.14 which is lower that the critical T-value of -11.874 which means that there is a significant
difference between the scores.

Table 2 Test of Difference Between Pre and Post Test

Compared
Mean Difference T-value Significance
Variables

Pre test 0.00

-27.14** -11.874 0.00
Post test 27.14
** - Highly significant at 0.01 level.

4. Discussion
4.1. Result Pre and Post-Assessment Test in Grades 4, 5 and 6 Non-Readers
Table 1 presents the result of assessment tests of the non-reader pupils before and after the
remedial reading activities that were administered to Grades 4, 5 and 6 pupils. As seen in the Table 1,
the pupils scored 0 in their pre-test which means that pupils could not read a single word.
After the intervention, post-test scores of the 21 pupils subjected in the study generated a mean
score of 27.14, median of 28 and bi-modal of 35 and 40. Dispersion of scores revealed a range of 35
computed from a highest score of 40 minus the lowest score of 5.
This explains that the efforts of the remedial teacher to let the student identify the sounds of the
alphabets were not in vain. The pupils can now distinguish the sounds of the alphabets and can now
read words. They are now confident to read sentences and simple paragraphs right after the session.
As observed by the researcher during the study, the key concepts of consistency and conditioning
had helped the pupils to learn and appreciate reading. The remedial teacher becomes consistent in the
conduct of remedial reading sessions. This leads to keeping track of the progress of the pupils from first
day up to now to ensure that the remedial reading program has is sustainable. Moreover, the pupils were
also conditioned to read and read because of the approach that was utilized by the remedial teacher. The
giving of varied remedial reading materials that the pupils can bring home and practice reading them is
a good intervention to consider. The following day, the pupils were required to read orally the reading
text provided to them as their assignment.
4.2. Test of Difference Between Pre and Post Test
Table 2 presents the test of difference between the reading performance of the pupils before
and after the conduct of remedial reading activities. As gleaned in the result in Table 2, the difference
of 27.14 between the pre-test and post-test is highly significant, with t-value of 11.874 and significance
of 0.00.
This means that there is high significant difference on the reading level of pupils in the pretest
and posttest after using remedial reading. And there is an improvement on the reading level of the pupils
after they went through remedial reading activities through the use of the strategies and approaches by
the researcher. For instance, the remedial teacher did not only utilize the reading text as instructional
materials. The remedial teacher utilizes varied types that will suit the level and interests of the pupils
under the reading program. She also utilized technology to aid the remedial reading process to stimulate
the interests of the pupils. With this, they become more responsive to the process by participating in the
reading sessions actively and attentively.
Another strategy adopted by the researcher is the use of flashcards for the pupils to have drill
as to some words that they can encounter in the reading text. The drill method through flashcards
stimulates the mind of the learners by making them give quick and immediate responses. This strategy
is not new for most teachers in the field; however, this is still applicable in certain cases like in the
Lomboy Elementary School. Another strategy adopted is the use of printed materials like charts in
teaching reading to the pupils. Aside from the PowerPoint presentations or slides used, the remedial
teacher also utilized another instructional material like the printed materials in manila paper or cartolina
to address the varied needs of the learners.
As to the personalized approaches utilized by the teacher, the use of assignment has been proven
effective. Since after the remedial reading sessions, the pupils were given another set of reading texts
to be read so that they can practice the said skill at home. In this case, other positive values can be
developed like sense of discipline, responsibility, industry and the like. Moreover, the approach of being
consistent in the conduct of the said activity is also a great factor to consider.
The above findings of the study are in congruence with the study conducted by Manlincon
(2014) in oral reading activity in English for Grade 2 pupils, the study of Cayabyab (2011) which is
also on the enriched remedial reading program for Grade 3, and Macaranas (2014) on remedial reading
activities for Grade I pupils in Malasique, Disrtict II.

5. Conclusions
The Grade 4, 5, and 6 non-reader pupils of Lomboy Elementary School became reader after
they went through remedial reading for 55 hours. The remedial reading has greatly improved the reading
ability of the pupils.

References
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