Integrating Contextualized Tool Kit for Struggling Readers in the Face-to-Face Instruction
I. Context and Rationale
Reading and writing are difficult, time-consuming, irritating, and unsatisfying
activities for many kids but it is a necessary skill. These readers may require remedial
training in skills that they were lacking in earlier grades. For many years, the kids have
been assigned assignments that are far too tough for them to complete alone and
satisfactorily. It's no surprise, then, that they are scared thus avoid reading for the most
part and have developed maladaptive coping techniques when presented with scholastic
responsibilities.
Reading success is crucial to academic success, and reading difficulties will affect
every aspect of a child's academic accomplishment. As a result, early reading is critical.
Early reading instruction helps children develop superior reading skills and achieve
greater academic success. When children fall behind in reading, they will struggle in
other subjects and with schooling. They feel frustrated, lose motivation, and fall further
behind, creating a downward spiral (Quimbo, 2021).
According to Phil-IRI (2018) For the academic year 2018–2019, the English Post-
Test results of Kibacania Elementary School in the Philippines revealed that 24 percent
of students in grades four to six were frustrated readers, 31 percent were instructional
readers, and 36 percent were independent readers. When the class counselors evaluated
the frustrated readers' word recognition problems in individual oral readings of graded
passages, they discovered that they had problems with consonant blends and consonant
digraphs.
Javed et al., (2015) commented that to increase students' comprehension skills,
educators must use educational practices that foster critical thinking and pre-reading. Oral
language is a crucial component of literacy development at every stage of a child's
development. A focus on oral language abilities in early children, particularly those from
impoverished families, can help both reading and writing (Educational Endowment
Foundation, 2016 & 2017)
Snowling and Hulme (2015) cited in Brooks (2016) proposed that it is possible to
help struggling learners’ oral language skills through strategies that focus on listening,
vocabulary, and narrative skills. Higgins et a.,l (2017) recommend purposeful speaking
and listening activity tools and strategies like giving them books to read out loud and
discussing them, activities to improve and broaden expressive and receptive language
skills, collaborative learning where children can share thought processes, and students
talking through their writing ideas, before beginning to write.
Abdelhalim, (2017) conveyed that literature circles, discussion groups, reading
apprenticeship, book clubs, and author analyses are examples of appropriate social
surroundings that can improve reading comprehension. These activities encourage
students to engage in interpretive discussions and use critical reflection while reading and
engaging with texts. Opportunities to read aloud with guidance from teachers, peers, or
parents are also linked to the development of proficient reading skills Foorman et al
(2016).
International Literacy Association. (2020) writing also enables students to become
more comfortable with the act of writing and to hone their writing skills. Students learn
by doing when they write. They experiment with various forms of writing, employ
various strategies and approaches to text production, and gain proficiency with
fundamental writing skills.
The Department of Education (DepEd) urged teachers, parents, and other reading
professionals to use a Reading Progress Tool for the orientation on the activities to foster
and measure learners' reading skills (Deped, 2021)
Contextualized Teaching and Learning's effects on the reading comprehension
performance of thirty-three Bachelor of Science in Information Technology students were
investigated. The pupils' reading comprehension performance improved significantly
from the pretest to the posttest, according to the findings. As a result, when reading
activities are contextualized, positive benefits on learners' reading comprehension ability
can be seen (Bonganciso, 2016).
Krause et al. (2016) stated that the three principles that support the use of content
contextualization: prior knowledge, fostering conceptual change, and boosting
metacognition, according to the author. For starters, contextualized content training helps
learners to use their past knowledge and solve problems more effectively. If topics can be
tied to their daily lives, students will remember more knowledge. Second, when content
contextualization exercises are participatory and engaging, students are motivated by the
concept's relevance, which results in improved learning. Finally, content
contextualization allows students to reflect on their learning by connecting ideas from a
familiar tangible context of an abstract thought, allowing them to distinguish their own
personal associations with these ideas.
Blasoto and Manzanero (2019) observed the effectiveness of worksheets from
tool kits in improving the reading comprehension of pupils. The Group Screening Test
(GST) and the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-IRI) show that students'
reading performance in Filipino has improved. The data shows that after the post-test, the
number of students who scored less than 14 decreased to 18. The number of students who
scored 14 or worse on the GST jumped from 155 to 210, or 92.1 percent. Academic
performance of students who participated in the program improved, as evidenced by their
periodic test results and overall average.
The Department of Education will enhance the Every Child A Reader Program by
providing learners with skills, training instructors, and building a reading culture within
the school to support the K-12 program and address literacy difficulties (D.M. 173, s.
2019).
II. Action Research Questions
1. What is the performance in reading of the learners before implementing the
contextualized toolkit for struggling readers in terms of fluency, phonics, vocabulary and
comprehension?
2. What is the performance of the learners after implementing the contextualized toolkit for
struggling readers in terms of fluency, phonics, vocabulary and comprehension?
3. Is there a significant difference between the performance in reading of the learners before
and after implementing the toolkit for struggling readers in terms of fluency, phonics,
vocabulary and reading comprehension?
4. What are the challenges in the implementation of tool kit for struggling readers in terms
of fluency, phonics, vocabulary and reading comprehension?
III. Proposed Innovation, Intervention and Strategy
Assessment - is an important part of providing high-quality reading intervention and serves a
variety of goals. It can be used to identify which kids require assistance, what type of
intervention is required, and whether the intervention is beneficial.
Step 1: Conduct Universal Screening
Universal screening is a type of testing used to discover or forecast students whose reading skills
may jeopardize their academic success. All pupils are given universal screening examinations to
determine who should get reading services. Students who score in the bottom quartile of the
universal screener (25 percent) are usually considered for reading services. Other data proof,
such as SAGE proficiency, grades, and so on, should be used to validate the student's need.
Multiple data points should ideally be used to identify pupils who require reading assistance.
Reading service delivery should be determined at the local level, taking into account resources,
class size, personnel, and other school factors.
Step 2: Administer Diagnostic Assessment(s).
Diagnostic assessment(s) should be used after establishing the student's need to discover specific
skill impairments. The following teaching demands are common among adolescent readers:
phonics/advanced phonics, fluency, and/or vocabulary/comprehension. It is advised that fluency
tests be done first when diagnosing. A vocabulary/comprehension test should be offered to
students who pass the fluency test. Students' placement in reading services should be re-
evaluated if they pass the vocabulary/comprehension test. If pupils do not pass the fluency test,
they should be given a phonics diagnostic. If the pupils pass the phonics test, they will receive
help in fluency, vocabulary, and understanding. If kids do not pass the phonics test, phonics will
be the focus of intervention.
Step 3: Provide Intervention.
All students who receive reading services should get vocabulary and comprehension teaching.
Students who need fluency and/or phonics instruction as a result of diagnostic testing will get
targeted intervention in those areas. See the curriculum and instruction sections for more
information on effective educational approaches to intervention. It's also important to think about
student motivation. Student motivation is critical to successful intervention, and the section on
motivation contains materials on the subject.
Step 4: Administer Progress Monitoring.
Progress monitoring is used to determine the effectiveness of interventions. The frequency of
progress monitoring will depend on the intensity of the student’s need and area of concern.
General guidelines for progress monitoring are:
1. Phonics: every 1–2 weeks.
2. Fluency: every 3–4 weeks.
3. Comprehension: every 8–9 weeks.
Curriculum Resources - This section is for the four building blocks of reading: phonics,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These core abilities should also be taught in a
curriculum that focuses on the needs of struggling adolescent readers. This section also includes
tips on how to improve comprehension by developing schema, or relevant background
information. When it comes to lesson design, schools should concentrate on the competencies
that are most important to their pupils, as determined by diagnostic assessments.
PHONICS - The primary focus of phonics instruction is to help readers understand how letters
are linked to sounds (or phonemes) to: (1) form letter-sound correspondences and spelling
patterns and (2) help them learn how to apply this knowledge to their reading. Phonics
instruction may be provided systematically or incidentally.
FLUENCY - Fluency is defined as the capacity to read quickly, accurately, and with suitable
expression. Students must be able to read fluently, whether aloud or silently, in order to
comprehend what they read. Fluent readers read in sentences and use appropriate intonation
while reading aloud. Their delivery is fluid and expressive. Students who can not read fluently
have a choppy and unnatural tone to their voice. Those pupils may struggle with phonetic skills
or just need additional practice with reading speed and smoothness. Fluency becomes
increasingly critical as readers progress through the grades, as the amount of reading required
increases considerably. Students who read slowly or laboriously will struggle to satisfy the
reading requirements of their grade level.
VOCABULARY - There is a substantial link between vocabulary knowledge and reading
comprehension, according to research on vocabulary education. In reality, 70–80 percent of
content comprehension is based on knowing the meanings of words (Pressley, M. 2002). As texts
become more complicated, vocabulary education becomes even more important in the upper
grades. To be successful in 9th grade, students must know and grasp 88,500 word families, or
over 500,000 unique words.
COMPREHENSION - Reading comprehension is the degree to which a reader comprehends a
given text. When reading a passage, readers activate what they already know or don't know about
a topic and utilize that knowledge to clear misconceptions and grasp the material before, during,
and after reading. Students who struggle with reading comprehension will frequently express
their dissatisfaction in broad terms, such as "I despise reading!" " or "This is ridiculous!"
"However, if they explained how their reading challenges impair their comprehension, they
might say:
Student Motivation Strategies
Strategy 1 - Providing Goals for the Readers. Students become intrinsically motivated when
they see their teacher focusing on their own development and ambitions. If a student believes
that their teacher is invested in their education, they are more likely to be driven to read. The
contrary, however, is also true. When a student believes their teacher is uninterested in their
growth and development as a reader and person, they are less likely to engage in reading
activities. It is critical that kids regard their instructor as someone who is invested in their
reading accomplishment and literacy improvement, rather than someone who simply administers
examinations and assignments.
In order for goals to be meaningful, they need to be driven by the students’ own goals and
interests (Reynolds & Symons, 2001). This can be encouraged by:
● Mini lessons teaching students to set SMART Goals (specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic, time-bound).
● Providing autonomy so that students can set their own goals, which may go beyond
information reflected by formal assessments. For example, students may set goals for
how many books they will read or reflect on changing their perceptions of themselves as
readers.
● Monthly goal check-ins. Teachers can offer support for students based on information
they gather through classroom surveys, questionnaires, interest inventories, conferences,
and other formal and informal ways that help them understand and informally assess
students’ knowledge and interests.
Strategy 2 - Use Interesting texts. Finding the right text for a student is integral, particularly with
a reluctant reader. Bintz (1993) has found that teacher-selected texts are often the catalyst for
lack of interest and reluctance. Students who don’t like to read get frustrated with texts they feel
don’t apply to them. For reluctant readers, look for texts with the following features:
● thin books
● short chapters
● whitespace
● some illustrations
● well-defined characters
● characters their age
● characters who face tough choices
● realistic language
● visual features
● high-interest topics
● vocabulary defined at point of use
Collaboration Strategies
Strategy 1 - Create a Safe Classroom Environment Effective collaboration requires that students
feel safe and comfortable.
● Teachers should first be sure to:
● Create a classroom environment that encourages risk,
● Set high expectations to lead to success,
● Help students learn one another’s names (and absolutely make sure you know theirs),
● Celebrate the diversities within the class.
● Maintain a zero-tolerance policy for put-downs,
● Encourage different responses and interpretations of texts.
Strategy 2 - Use Multiple Instructional Strategies to Foster Collaboration. A class that invites
social interactions will lead to more frequent conversations about the texts, helping increase
student motivation, achievement, and decrease behavior issues.
The following collaborative approaches can help engage students:
● Discussions (whole group, small group, turn and talks, and one-on-one)
● Literature circles
● Book clubs
● Socratic seminars
● Fishbowl discussions
● One-on-one book conferences with students using a set of questions as well as informal
conversations
● Question Mark Bookmarks
● Think-pair-share
● Written conversations
● Blogs or vlogs
● Save the Last Word for Me
Intervention Matrix
Week and Learning Objective/s Contextualized Tool kit for
Session Number Struggling Readers Topic
Example: Example: Example:
1.
IV. Scope and Delimitation
Location
This study will be conducted in (Name of School). This is a public school located in
(Address).
Time frame
The researcher will start conducting the study upon the approval of the evaluation
committee. The implementation of the intervention will be in ______ to _______. The final
manuscript will be done by _________ 2022.
Participants
This study will include ___ students as participants. These chosen students are from
grade _____. Their researcher is____. The parents of the students will be notified and requested
to consent to their children taking part in the study.
IV. Methodology
Sampling
Purposive sampling is a technique of picking a subject that is based on a specific aim
rather than on level or area. Cresswell & Plano Clark, (2011) stated that Purposive sampling is a
sampling strategy that involves locating and selecting persons who are exceptionally
knowledgeable or experienced about a specific topic of interest. This study will use this
technique.
Gathering Methods
● Pre-test – The attendees will receive this. It includes questions related to the lessons. It will
assess the participants' ability prior to performing the intervention. The assessments will be
given inside the school because there will be face-to-face education.
● Post-test – This will be used to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness after the learners
have completed it. The assessment is made up of questions from the Contextualized Toolkit
for Struggling Readers in Face-to-Face Instruction. This will be done to evaluate the students'
learning outcomes once they have completed the intervention. Both the pre- and post-
assessment materials have the same target material.
● Study Lesson Monitoring Tool for Parents – The researcher will provide the parents a
checklist to see if they were able to keep track of their children. It will also determine
whether they were able to assist their children with the execution of the intervention.
Teachers will be watching the kids closely as they attempt to emulate the intervention study
guide.
Sample Monitoring Tool
WEEK & Did the student finished the task for today? What problem or problems
SESSION Yes or No, if not please leave a comment. encountered during the session?
Week 1 No. We cannot understand #2 question. There are questions that I cannot
Session 1 explain to my child.
or W1 S1
● Focus Group Discussion – Parents' comments on intervention implementation, as well as
research difficulties and concerns, will be gathered. This is important because the researcher
must select whether or not to depart from the intervention study guide that has been created.
Ethical Issues
A letter will be submitted to the Division Office explicating the intent of writing the
research as approved by the School Principal of ___________________. The confidentiality of
information will be valued in the conduct of this study. All the protocols will be strictly followed
in order to implement the research smoothly. Parents’ consent will be collected, and they will be
informed about the objectives of the study.
Data Analysis
For the Quantitative part:
1. To interpret the learners' performance, mean, percentage, standard deviation, and frequency
will be computed.
2. The T-test will be used to determine whether there is a substantial difference between the
learners' pre-test and post-test results.
For the Qualitative part:
1. For the parent focus group discussion, transcriptions would be used. This will assist the
researcher in identifying emerging themes.
2. A parent monitoring form will be made in order to recognize the students' actions and
behavior while the proposed interventions are being implemented.
Work Plan
Research Tasks Timeframe
Reviewing and editing of the manuscript after its approval. April 11 – April 21
Finalization of the questionnaire April 22 – May 1
Data gathering. Pre-assessment to respondents May 2 – May 12
Implementation of the selected approaches in teaching May 13 – May 23
Data gathering on post assessment May 24 – June 2
Analysis and computation of the data June 12 – June 22
Writing and analyzing the draft June 23 – July 3
Revision and finalization of the manuscript July 4 – July 14
Integrating pertinent recommendations and suggestions of the July 24 – Aug 3
manuscript after the Oral Defense
Cost Estimates
Conducting the survey to the respondents ---- 2,000
Producing the learning modules to the students ---- 2,000
Production of Assessment Materials ---- 4,000
Bond paper (8 Reams) ---- 4,000
Stapler and wire ---- 500
Folders and Envelop ---- 500
Manila paper and Cartolina ---- 500
Scotch tape, glue and scissors ---- 500
Transportation ---- 12,000
Contingency Fund ---- 2,000
TOTAL 30,000
Plans for Dissemination and Advocacy
Activities Rationale
1. School Learning Action Cell The study will be presented at the school level
in order to give awareness on the importance
of the Contextualized Tool kit for
Struggling Readers in the Face-to-Face
Instruction as intervention for struggling
learners in face to face in DepEd.
2. Division Research Conference Intellectual discourse on Contextualized
Tool kit for Struggling Readers in the
Face-to-Face Instruction will be highlighted
and to strengthen the mainstay of the study.
3. Division ManCom The data on Contextualized Tool kit for
Struggling Readers in the Face-to-Face
Instruction will be presented to push an
action to the division chiefs and executives
and it will be included in future plans and
advocacies.
4. Regional Research Conference Reflection on the pertinence of the data and
strategize the maximize the impact of the
research
5. Regional ManCom The data will be utilized by the region and the
strategic program will be enhanced for the
welfare of DepEd employees.
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