CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY This study dealt with the assessment of the present status of Grade 7 reading and comprehension skills. Also included were the performance of the students in reading, the factors affecting the performance of the respondents in reading comprehension and the problems encountered by the students in terms of reading with comprehension. The researcher designed an action plan to further enhance the reading comprehension skills of Grade 7 students. English language is a medium of communication which helps the members of a community to communicate and interact with one another. It involves both verbal and non-verbal communication. Reading is a nonverbal communication that enriches ones greater understanding and vocabulary . Reading is a complex performance mental operation where it forms with other language skills such as listening, speaking and writing a language system considered as one of the most prominent and important language system and individual depends on this system to acquire language use in lesson and life situations (Ruddell, 1992). Opinions are different about what the nature of reading is and how it happens for the individual reader. Difference in the nature of reading and how it happens is reflected in one way or another on the student, the teacher and the author of the curricula due to the fact that this language skill is the most important life skills in this day and era which is described as the era of information technology and the era of communication (Nasr 0.2003). In schools, knowledge and information in English have been acquired often by reading. It has been an outstanding skill in getting information through translation and understanding the written text from different reading materials. It has been considered the first provider of relevant information for other communication skills such as writing, speaking, and listening . As observed, the demand for English proficiency through reading among students is rising. Reading comprehension levels (literal, interpretive, critical, and application) have to be introduced to students for deeper understanding and better usage of the appropriate texts read . This attracted considerable attention in the present study. Despite the student’s mastery of the basic elements of English such as grammar and vocabulary, their reading comprehension levels still need improvement. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study aims to determine the reading comprehension of seventh-grade high school students of Dr. Aurelio Mendoza Memorial Colleges. Specifically it will answer the following questions; 1) What is the profile of respondents in terms of: a. age b. gender c. school graduated d. Family background 2. Is there a significant difference in reading comprehension skills of the grade & when grouped according to: a. age b. gender c. school graduated d. Family background 3. What is the performance of the respondents in the following reading comprehension skills: a. noting details b. sequencing event c. following precise directions d. vocabulary skills e. getting the main idea RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS The following hypothesis will be tested in the study. 1. (a.)Majority of the respondents were years old. Students in DAMMC at young age are obliged to work and help their parents earn a living. (b.)Majority of respondents were female. This is due to the fact that there are more female students enrolled in this school year than male. Male children are expected to help their parents in the farm for living, so less of them go to school. (c.)Majority of the mothers of the respondents were elementary level/graduate. It implies that most of the mother cannot really facilitate their child learning efficiency in English. Children are not totally confident asking from their mothers since they know that they are not well educated to answer questions correctly. Majority of the fathers of the respondents were elementary/graduate. Similar with the mother, the father is incompetent in assessing the needs of their children in terms of English works and assignments. (d.) Majority of the respondents had a monthly family income to P to P Parents in the hinterland do not have a stable job. They usually depend on their farm and extra works which they earned only just enough or sometimes insufficient for all of them. It implies that parents could not provide materials to enhance their children skills and improve comprehension in English. 2. There is no significant difference in the comprehension level of freshmen students when grouped according to gender, monthly family income, level of interest in reading and parents highest educational attainment. 3. A lot of students were different in terms of their reading comprehension skills. (a.)20% of students were good in noting details, (b.) 5% of students were good in sequencing events , (c.) 10% of students were good in following precise directions, (d.) 10% of students were good in terms of vocabulary skills and; (e.) 5% of students were good in terms of getting the main idea. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This, study may be important to students knowing their reading abilities; they have the opportunity to improve their reading comprehension skills and plan for a better instructional strategies to improve their reading disabilities. It is also important to teachers, since through the findings they could give priority concern to the improvement of reading abilities of their students as well as their strategies. Curriculum planners may also consider the felt need in the secondary schools of the establishment of a reading program that is realistic. It is hoped that they will set new guidelines to improve to meet the reading needs of first year high school students today. Further, school administrators may gain insight on the problems affecting the reading skills of the students and for them and the teachers to make logical plans in the improvement of their student’s reading skills. This study may serve as a related study for future researchers in English especially in reading. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION This study focused only on the reading comprehension of randomly selected Grade 7 students in DAMMC. It is also tried to establish the level or extent to which the English grade 7 display the reading comprehension skills specifically on noting details, sequencing events, and following precise directions and particularly on vocabulary skills, getting the main idea and predicting outcomes. This study is delimited to hypothesized the difference in reading comprehension skills of the student-respondents when grouped according to gender, parents’ educational attainment and monthly family income. DEFINITION OF TERMS The following were defined to guide and help the readers understand the study. Comprehension is the act of understanding the meaning of printed or spoken language as contrasted with the ability to perceive and pronounce words without reference to their meaning. Educational Attainment is the highest form of education completed by a person. Following Precise Direction is the skills in reading that involves the doing of things in a guided way step by step. Getting the Main Idea is a skill that requires the students to provide the main idea, general significance, theme or moral lesson that is not explicitly stated in the selection. It depends on the reader’s mastery of the mechanics on reading, breadth of vocabulary and concepts, and background attitude. Noting Details is a skill in reading that involves recognizing facts stated in the text. This is identifying such elements as names and descriptions of character in the story, or the place where events took place. Reading, through which the reader attempts to reconstruct meaning from the writer. is an interaction between the reader and the written language Reading Skill means an ability that is essential to successful performance in reading such as word recognition, organization comprehension and remembrance. It is also the ability to decode, print, understand and interpret what is read and use the ability as a basic tool for further learning. Sequencing Events is a skill in reading that requires the ability to recognize first thing events or events as coming before others. This calls for the ability to locate or identify the order of incidents or actions stated in the selection. The activity involved here are rearranging sentences based on sequence of occurrence. Vocabulary is a stock of words in a language used by an individual who has skill in recognizing and interpreting meaning using phonic keys. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Paradigm of the study Dependent Variables SHORT STORY Independent Variables -Noting Details -Sequencing Events - Following Precise Direction Level of Reading Comprehension Skills of Grade 7 students POEM -Vocabulary skills -Getting the main idea -Predicting /outcomes Paradigm of the Study showing the hypothesized relationship between the dependent and independent variables. THEORITICAL AND FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study is to enhance reading comprehension skills of Grade 7 Junior high school students of Dr. AMMC. The dependent variable of this study is the Reading Comprehension. It focuses on determining the students skills in terms of noting details, sequencing events, following precise directions. Also, improving their vocabulary skills and expanding their reader’s knowledge and horizons in Grade 7 students. Nevertheless, the independent variable of this study was focused on Grade 7 students in Dr. AMMC. School’s failure to build basic reading skills and related knowledge leads to have a reader suffers from weakness throughout the duration of the school. (Harb and Jamal 0.2004). CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This study will be conducted to measure and determine the students ability to comprehend through reading paragraph. In this chapter the literature and studies related to reading comprehension is presented. 1.1 READING COMPREHENSION Reading comprehension is influenced significantly by a student’s level of word knowledge as well as the ability to decode words in print. It means that the ability takes a part in reading comprehension skill. Reading comprehension is understands a text that is read. The comprehension refers to the ability. Reading comprehension is ability to read and understand the meaning and all of information about the text which is read (Kelner & Flynn :2006). According to Odwan, Talal A.A (2012) Reading comprehension is a complex process. The gist of reading comprehension is the capability to store and regaine explanation from written texts (Educational Research :2000). 1.2 NOTING DETAILS On the basis of the findings through the analysis, significant improvement in the reading abilities of the students in Grade 7 was achieved. Their reading comprehension improved especially in noting details. Regular and intensive evaluation of students performance enables the teacher to apply varied remediation. The activities used in this study is strongly recommended to be used in other grade levels in similar competency to provide a continuing approach with a generative difficulty as they progress to high grades. 1.3 SEQUENCING EVENTS There are multiple reasons why sequencing of events is an important comprehension strategy. Sequencing structures help students with different abilities organize information and ideas efficiently. It is an important component of problem-solving across the curriculum, including science and social studies. Sequencing also assists with comprehension (Reading Rockets, 2015). If students are encouraged to identify parts of a story they will better be able to tell or retell someone else what happened in the story. Rather than retelling in one big chunk students can think of it in pieces-beginning, middle, and end. Through sequencing activities students are provided with the opportunity to examine the text and story structure, which, in turn, strengthens their writing skills (Teacher Vision, 2015). Students can sharpen their sequencing skills as they read independently, participate in small group reading activities, or listen to you read a story. Before reading a longer story with students, make charts labeled, "beginning," "middle," and "end." Pause after each section of the story to discuss what has happened and to record information on your charts. 2.1 VOCABULARY SKILLS “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” This is how the linguist David Wilkins (1972) as cited in Thornbury (2002:16) summed up the importance of vocabulary learning. When people have large amount of vocabulary, they can express their idea precisely, and of course, it is very helpful for them, whether in listening, speaking, reading, or writing skills. While Harmer (1991:153) made an analogue, “If language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary that provides the vital organs and flesh.” It shows that vocabulary is very important, even though people have good ability in structures, but they do not have enough vocabulary to express their idea, the structures are useless. 2.2 GETTING THE MAIN IDEA The main idea of a sentence is usually fairly straightforward to identify. Often it is as simple as identifying the subject of the sentence. Whole chapters or books, on the other hand, can seldom be easily reduced to expression in the form of a single, main idea. For these reasons, the paragraph offers the student the most suitable format in which to practice their main idea identification skills. Usually, if the writer knows what they are doing, we can identify a single main idea in every paragraph. We can think of this as the key point that is usually expressed as a topic sentence. It is often found in the paragraph’s first sentence, with subsequent sentences providing the supporting details. It can, however, occur in the middle, at the end, or even be split across the paragraph. It may not even be there at all – at least not explicitly. Writers are a creative bunch, and so students will require more sophisticated means to accurately identify the main idea in all cases and that is exactly what this article will help you help your students to do. 2.3 PREDICTING/OUTCOMES Predicting is an essential reading strategy. It allows learners to utilize info from the text to anticipate what will happen in the story. When making predictions, learners envision what will come next in the text, based on their prior knowledge. Predicting encourages kids to think ahead and ask questions actively. It also allows learners to understand the story better, connect to what they are reading, and interact with the text. Making predictions is also a useful strategy to improve reading comprehension. Learners can make predictions about a story based on what they have already heard, read, or seen. This, in turn, will allow learners to become actively involved in the reading process. To decide if their predictions are correct, learners should be required to reread portions of the text to remember facts about the story’s characters or events. (Matthew Lynch, 2021). REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE IN PHILIPPINES The study found out that the Philippines ranked the lowest in terms of Reading Comprehension with 340, which is the lowest score in all countries surveyed. Meron (2018) argued that poverty is one reason for this. In the Philippine context of the education system, students from low-income families tend to put work first at an early age instead of formal schooling. Poverty and lack of academic resources also affect their cognitive development and socialization with people in the academe. A child surrounded by teachers, books, or any reading materials has a clear vision of the importance of education. The survey also shows that the Philippines ranked second to the lowest in Science and Mathematics. Many academicians argue why the Philippines, one of the best English-speaking countries globally, ranks lowest in the survey. They say that education in reading here focuses on the primary word definition; this is important, but it is a problem in the context of reading comprehension. Filipino students should be surrounded by essays and try to relate and reflect on them, enhancing their Comprehension. They also suggested that learning the mother tongue by heart will lead to the proper understanding of the second language. The first language should be mastered before focusing on the second language, English. According to them, students are having confusion when they study their mother tongue and English language at the same time (Manlapig, 2020). There are two vital elements in Reading Comprehension. These are Vocabulary Knowledge and Text Comprehension. Vocabulary Knowledge is the more profound understanding of the words. It includes the correct definition, pronunciation, written form of the word, spelling, and synonyms of that specific word (Moghadam et al., 2012). It is one of the main goals because people read. Comprehension includes image visualization on the readers and seeks to ask questions. It is also concerned with answering the questions like “what,” “how,” “when,” “who,” and “why.” As observed, most of the reading comprehension assessments include questions at the end of the story to evaluate the students’ ability to understand what was read. Aside from the questions like what, how, when, who, and why, it also assesses whether the students can summarize the story using their own words. The readers should restate the stages of the story, stating the plot, theme, setting, and even identifying the attitude and behaviors of the characters (Allen et al., 2014). These components work together for the readers to be influential, decisive, fast, and critical thinkers. There are the essential components that reading materials should maintain. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ABROAD This element occurs when the readers have a clear visual Caraig & Quimbo / International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction 14(3) (2022) 1983- 2010 1985 representation or, somehow, imagine a picture in their brain reenacting the text's message. As stated in a Malaysian journal article by (Sidek Het. al., 2015), students with deficient scores in vocabulary knowledge tend to fail to understand the overall message of the text that they have read. The study argued that insufficient vocabulary knowledge hinders students' ability to appreciate the story and answer several questions. It also happens when the readers reflect on their personal experiences while or after reading. Another manifestation of practicing text comprehension is when the readers have an insight or predict what will happen next to the story they are reading since there is a personal emotion attached to it (National Institute for Literacy, 2013). According to the National Center for Education Statistics research, 43% of adults with a low reading comprehension and literacy level lived in poverty. It also shows that people who have an average or high literacy can break the cycle of poverty because they can have many opportunities to work full time (Bales, 2018). One factor why people with low literacy and low level of reading comprehension struggle to be successful is the social impact. They have low self-esteem, fear, and powerlessness. Due to these factors, persons with low reading comprehension levels cannot perform well at their jobs or school. Since low-level readers cannot communicate well, there is a wall between their interaction with the world and they will eventually leave (Gunn, 2018). CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY This chapter explains various methodologies that were used in gathering data and analysis which are relevant to the research. The methodologies will include areas such as the research method, research locale, research respondents, research instruments and statistical treatment of data. RESEARCH METHOD The researchers used a qualitative approach since some findings needed personal assessment of the information obtained from students. The sample size that was used in the study were 106 respondents which includes: 48 males and 58 females geographically respondents from Dr. AMMC, Bangkerohan Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. RESEARCH LOCALE This study will be conducted at Dr. Aurelio Mendoza Memorial Colleges located at Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. The respondents of the study are composed of 106 students in 3 sections of Grade 7. RESEARCH POPULATION The target respondents of the study are 106 individuals from Grade 7 in Dr. Aurelio Mendoza Memorial Colleges during first semester of the academic year 20232024. RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS In the conduct of this study, the researchers gathered information and data through questionnaires; determine the Reading Comprehension of Grade 7 students of Dr. Aurelio Mendoza Memorial Colleges. A. Questionnaires The researchers will conduct a reading and use a survey questionnaire for this study. The questionnaire contains checklist and a selection. STATISTICAL OF DATA QUESTIONNAIRES Researchers made this survey questionnaire on the reading comprehension of Grade 7 Junior High School students of Dr. Aurelio Mendoza Memorial Colleges S.Y. 20232024. Gender: _____________ Age: _____________ A. Direction: Please check (√) on the questions below. Your response will not be disseminated and shared with other people. QUESTIONS 1. Do you love reading? ALWAYS 2. Do you usually reread sentences or paragraphs if they are difficult to understand? 3. Do you find it easy to remember details from what you read? 4. Can you understand the main idea of a passage after reading it once? 5. How often do you read? 6. Do you take down notes when you are reading? 7. Did reading comprehension? helped you a lot with your 8. Do you get new words or ideas while reading? 9. How often do you read books by saying every word out loud? 10. How often do you read books by only moving your eyes? SOMETIMES NEVER B. Read and understand the story. Then answer five (5) given questions. Dane’s Adventure This passage tells us what happened when someone got lost in the jungle. Dane had not eaten or drunk anything for two days and he felt weak. Once again, he thought of his friends, Mat and Harry. Were they safe? Perhaps they were still looking for him. The three of them have come to the jungle for a hunting trip but had become separate while running from a wild elephant. Dane had lost his equipment and food supply, but he knew that he should not give up. He prayed for strength to find a way out of a thick tropical jungle. Dane was completely lost and was going round in circles. Wherever he went he was plagued by mosquitoes and other insects. As if that was not enough, the leeches were draining his blood little by little. He was too scared to eat leaves or berries for fear of upsetting his stomach. He came across some animals footprints which lead him to a watering hole. There he drank greedily until he was full. Then, to keep off the biting insects, he rolled himself in the mud. He decided to stay near the watering hole to wait for a search party. Early in the morning of the fourth day. Dane was awakened by something exploring his body. Shaking his fear, he realized that it was an elephant trunk examining him, but as soon as he shouted, the frightened elephant crashed away through the jungle. Dane was thankful that he was safe, for the elephant might have stood on him and crushed him. Another time, Dane woke up from a short sleep to find a wild boar noisily licking him. Frightened, he leap up and screamed. Fortunately, the startled animal disappeared off into the trees. By the sixth day, Dane was feeling very thirsty and feverish. He heard a plane flying overheard but was to weak to shout. He began to despair. Then, later in the day, Dane thought he heard voices calling him. With little strength he had remaining, he left out a feeble cry. The rescuers started in disbelief to see Dane covered in mud from head to foot. He was quickly carried out of the jungle. A few hours later, Dane was in the hospital, remembering his experience and wondering how he had survived the terrible ordeal. Answer the following questions: 1. Where was Dane when the story begins? __________________________________ 2. Why do you think that Dane lost his food and equipment? _______________________________________________ 3. How do you think the mud would keep off the biting insects? ___________________________________________________ 4. From the last paragraph find a word that means a painful, or difficult experience? ___________________________________________________________________ 5. What is the main idea of the story? C. Read and understand the poem. Then answer the five (5) given questions. The Squirrel He wore a question mark for the tail, An overcoat of gray, He sat up straight to eat a nut. He liked to tease and play, And if we ran around this tree, He went the other way. Answer the following questions: 1. What is the title of the poem? 2. What did the squirrel like? 3. Who is the character in the poem? 4. What did the the squirrel wore for the tail? 5. What color is the overcoat?
