ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
FROM PASSIVE TO ACTIVE: THE EFFECT OF WORD CHAIN AND
WORD DETECTIVE GAME STRATEGIES ON THE SIXTH GRADE OF
SANTA MARIA WEST CENTRAL SCHOOL
CHRISTIAN A. LACADEN
A CLASSROOM- BASED ACTION RESEARCH PRESENTED TO THE
FACULTY OF ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
SANTA MARIA, ILOCOS SUR
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
I. Context / Rationale
Reading's more than just recognizing letters and words; it's about
unlocking their meaning. It's a fundamental language skill, right up there
with listening, speaking, and writing. Most people learn to read after
they've mastered listening and speaking, usually starting in their native
language.
Reading's crucial for learning, whether at home or in school. Think
about all those posters, magazines, and books – packed with words,
phrases, and sentences that grab our attention and make us want to know
more.
Reading comprehension is a crucial skill for academic achievement
and cognitive development. However, many students, particularly
struggling readers, have difficulty understanding and retaining the
information they read. Schools have implemented small-group reading
instruction programs to provide targeted support to students who struggle
with reading comprehension. concentrate on the reading comprehension,
vocabulary, and fluency of the three students who took part in the study.
During this four week study, three struggling third-grade readers had the
chance to get better at reading in a slower, smaller group. Lardien,C.
(2022).
Students' reading comprehension declines when they are not
engaged or interested in reading (Smith, 2023). Skilled educators
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ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
implement diverse strategies to foster a passion for reading and promote
consistent reading practices. This study aims to explore the factors that
influence students' reading comprehension in order to enhance reading
abilities for everyone.
Sixth-grade students at Santa Maria West Central School often
demonstrate passive reading behaviors during independent reading time.
Observations indicate limited engagement with texts, resulting in lower
comprehension scores on assessments. Many students struggle to make
connections between the text and their own lives, hindering deeper
understanding. This action research project aims to address this issue by
implementing Word Chain and Word Detective Games strategies and to
foster more active reading practices.
II. Proposed, Innovation, Intervention, or Strategy
The proposed innovation for enhancing reading comprehension in
Grade 6 learners involves the use of two key strategies: Word Chain
and Word Detective Games strategies. These methods will be
integrated into the reading instruction to help students better
understand and recall what they read, thereby improving their reading
comprehension skills.
Word Chain is usually done by the Students take turns adding a related
word to a chain, building on the text’s vocabulary. Word Chain is a
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
vocabulary-building and reading comprehension-enhancing game where
players sequentially add related words to a chain, often with variations
incorporating themed categories, definitions, sentence creation, or visual
aids, fostering deeper understanding of word relationships and their
application within a text.
Example how to do the Word chain:
A Word Chain game on the theme of “space exploration” might start with
“rocket,” followed by “launch,” then “astronaut,” progressing to words like
“spacesuit,” “orbit,” “moon,” and so on, with variations possible by
restricting word types or requiring definitions or sentences to connect
each term.
Word Detective Game is an engaging vocabulary-building and reading
comprehension activity where students, acting as detectives, use context
clues within sentences or passages to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar
words, often incorporating competitive elements or technology for
enhanced learning.
Word Detective games encourage students to use context clues to figure
out the meaning of unfamiliar words.
How it Works: The games present students with a word in a sentence or
passage, and they must use the surrounding words and the overall
context to deduce its meaning.
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
Example: In a “Mystery Word” game, a student might be given the
sentence: “The explorer stumbled upon a verdant valley, filled with lush
greenery.” The student must use the clues “lush greenery” and “valley” to
infer that verdant means “green and lush.”
My action research project, "Word Chain and Word Detective Game,"
explores new ways to help students understand what they read. Reading
comprehension is so important, but many kids struggle with it. I'm trying
out a creative approach: small groups and interactive presentations.
These methods get students actively involved and make learning more
structured. The idea is that this will help them concentrate better,
remember more, and really understand what they're reading.
This action research aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of these
strategies in improving reading comprehension. It hypothesizes that
integrating the Word Chain and Word Detective Game will significantly
enhance students’ ability to recall story information and improve overall
understanding. If proven successful, this innovation can serve as a
practical framework for educators seeking to address reading
comprehension challenges, fostering a love for reading and lifelong
learning among students.
I'm doing a project to help sixth graders improve their reading. I'm trying
out two things: Word Chain and Word Detective Game .Word Chain work is
a great way to get kids really involved and help them remember what
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
they read. And Word Detective Game makes learning fun and keep
everyone's attention! I'm hoping this combination will make a real
difference.
The combined approach emphasizes active participation and Interactive
learning. Regular implementation of these strategies during guided
reading sessions ensures pupils are immersed in the process of
understanding narratives. Assessments through comprehension questions
and retelling activities allow teachers to monitor progress. These
interventions also empower young readers to build foundational literacy
skills that are crucial for their academic journey.
III. Action Research Questions
This study aims to Enhance Reading Comprehension in
Grade 6 learners at Santa Maria West Central School; The impact
of Word Chain and Word Detective Games strategies Specifically,
it will seek to answer the following questions:
1.
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ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
IV. Action Research Methods
1. Research Design
This study was conducted independently using a pretest
and post-test design to measure the effectiveness of Word
Chain and Word Detective Game Strategies in Reading
comprehension among Grade 6 learners.
The control group received Word Chain, while the
experimental group was exposed to Word Detective Game
Strategy
Experimental
Group
Pre-Test Word
Detective Post-Test
Game
Control
Group Post-Test
Pre-Test Word Chain
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
2. Sample/ Participants and/ or other sources of data and
information
The main focus of this study are the Grade 6 pupils of
Santa Maria West Central School 2024-2025, specially pupil
who have low of Reading Comprehension skills.
3. Data gathering methods
The following methods were followed in gathering the
data. The researchers gave the learners a pre-test to assess
their initial reading comprehension levels. The test included
questions that measured their ability to understand and
interpret text. The experimental group was introduced to Word
Detective Game strategy while the control group will be
introduced the Word Chain strategy. After the interventions, a
post-test identical to the pre-test was administered to both
groups. The pre-test and post-test results were analyzed to
measure the effectiveness of Word Chain and Word Detective
Game to enhance reading comprehension of Grade 6 learners
in Santa Maria West Central School.
4. Data analysis plan
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
The Five Finger Retell strategy and story map are a
widely used method in education to help students recall and
understand key elements of a story. This strategy involves
focusing on five key aspects of a
story: characters, beginning, middle, ending of the story.
Typically, each element corresponds to one "finger" in the
retell process. To conduct a data analysis of the impact of
reading a story using the Five Finger Retell strategy, we would
need to gather and analyze relevant data to assess how the
strategy affects various student outcomes. These could
include comprehension skills, recall accuracy, engagement,
and overall literacy development.
V. Work plan and Timeline
VI. Cost Estimate
The researcher needs the amount of ₱2,000 which is in
the break down below.
₱ 800. 00. Educational materials and Resources
₱ 700. 00. Assessment Tools
₱ 500. 00. Miscellaneous
Bachelor of Elementary Education
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE – SANTA MARIA CAMPUS
VII. Plans for Dissemination and Utilization
VIII. References
Blair, C., & Razzaq, A. (2007). Reading comprehension: A review
of the literature. Educational Psychology Review, 19(2), 127-150
Clarke, M., & Silberglitt, B. (2011). Improving reading
comprehension. Routledge.
Guthrie, J. T. (2008). Motivating reading: Engagement, motivation,
and achievement. The Guilford Press.
Bachelor of Elementary Education
