Psychology

Reading is an indispensible tool to learning.  This study was conducted to find the effects two teachings strategies to the reading performance of students.  This use 41 grade III and 45 grade IV pupils.  The respondents were exposed to oral reading test after they were taught by one teacher using different strategies.

Experimental method was applied because the independent variables (teaching strategies) were tested if they affect reading performance.  The researcher used the Phil IRI oral reading test.

The researchers found out that 17 or 41.46 grade III pupils are under instructional or are rhythmical reader with conversational tone and correct interpretation.  There are also 19 or 46.34 who shows withdrawal from reading situations by crying or refusing to read and committing errors. On the other hand, 8 or 17.78 of the grade IV are under instructional type, 35 or 77.78 are considered under frustration type while 2 or 4.44 are non-readers and lastly, nobody also is under independent type of reader.

Based from the analyzed data presented, the researchers concluded that grade III and grade IV pupils level of reading performance in terms of word recognition is mostly on the bracket of frustration and instructional type of readers, that is they show  withdrawal from reading situations by crying or refusing to read and committing errors in reading such as reversal, repetition, substitution, insertion, mispronunciation and inability to interpret punctuation but others are  rhythmical with conversational tone and correct interpretation.

Using the chi-square test, the researcher found out that teaching strategies affect the reading performance of the students.

Rationale and Background of the Study
Reading is indispensable if a person wanted to live comfortably in the modern society.  It is the golden path in going to the world of enlightenment and enjoyment (Monuz, 2000).

Reading is the activity characterized by the translation of symbols or letters in the words and sentences that have meaning to the individuals.  The ultimate goal of reading is to be able to understand written materials to evaluate it, and to use it for ones needs (Paculanan 1999).

Reading is considered as the most important subject in the curriculum, because its mastery depends on the learning of nearly all other subjects.  On account of this reality, Filipino educators have in countless instruction channeled their effort towards developing strategies and approaches in the teaching of reading (Tamundong 1998)

Reading requires more than mechanical skills.  As a tool for learning in the content subjects, the learners have to demonstrate growing ability to handle information effectively.  In this area of complex skills are efficient location, selection organization, and retention of information and the ability to gain knowledge from the printed page depending on the learners that equipped with the necessary skills in reading.  A persons reading abilities has a help to read facts about the varied and rich factual information and verbal knowledge accumulated through the ages and that of maturity, organizes these actual information and verbal knowledge, process, and interprets them through experiences to form concepts and principles which are essential in solving problems and in developing creative thinking.

Paterno (1985) enumerated various factors in the disabilities or weaknesses of reading.  This may range from defective hearing or maladjustments in school, to brain damage. Paterno added that some of the specific causes of reading disability, however, may cause by a combinations of several factors.  The most common (1) Physical Factors like defective hearing, speech, vision, inadequate nutrition, neurological dysfunction (2) Educational factors- children have unique learning patterns and (3) Environmental factors- not all learning takes place in a classroom and their environmental determines to a great extend, the Childs success in learning to read.

To minimize if not to solve permanently the problems on reading, two objectives of education as stated in the educational act of 1982 are word mentioning.  This are (1) To provide the knowledge and develop skills, attitudes and values essential to personal development and nece4ssary for living in and contributing to a developing and changing social milieu, and (2) To provide learning experiences which increase the childs awareness of the responsiveness to the changes in and just demands of society, and to prepare for constructive and effective involvement (MEC Journal, 1991), Educational Act of 1982.      
Conceptual Framework
Reading is one of the most needed skills to be learned in school. Seemingly, read is a word that always heard, yet difficult to discern. Reading scholars have not really come out with on universal definition of it. They only describe the characteristics of reading. Munoz (2000) describes reading as a two-way complex active process, which uses a high level of thinking skills such as literal (reading the lines), inferential (reading the lines) and critical (reading beyond the lines).

However, comprehension is preceded by recognition of words, thus one cannot really comprehend if he cannot recognize the words correctly.  Therefore in this study, the researchers want to find out the level of reading performance of the pupils in terms of word recognition.

Table shows the input, process and the output variables used in this study. The input represents the oral reading performance of the respondents. The process is the tool used for data gathering and instrumentation in order to gather pertinent data needed for analyzing, tabulation and interpretation of the problem which includes the use of oral reading performance of students to arrive at the expected outputs which is the determination of the effects of two strategies in the reading performance of the respondents in terms of word recognition.

Statement of the problem
The study seeks to find out the reading performance of the grade III and grade IV pupils of Bolosan Elementary School in terms of word recognition.

It specifically sought to answer the following question
1. What is the level of reading performance in terms of recognition of the
A. Grade III pupils
B. Grade IV pupils

2. Is there a significant difference between the level of reading performance of Grade III and Grade IV pupils taught with different teaching strategies

Hypothesis of the Study
There is no significant difference between the level of reading performance of Grade III and Grade IV pupils taught with different strategies.

Significance of the Study
Within the recent years, the demands for effective reading among pupils as an applicable instrument in development have become more prominent that always.  Teachers and parents are in conformity on this scrupulous need. Conceptually, the study brings light to the studentpupils as a necessity in a more successful academic work.  The result of the study are learned to benefit the following.

Parents
The results of the study serve as bases for the effective and efficient involvement of parents in the learning of their children especially with regards to reading.

Pupils
The pupils are the direct beneficiaries of the study.  They will be benefited much from better school leading program, teachers guidance, parents assistance and other activities in the school, home, school administrators can offer them and also for them to know their reading abilities.

Teacher
The results of the study serve as an assessment and or diagnosis of reading ability of the pupil.  From this the teacher would be able to designed effective reading classroom program for the pupil.

School Administrators
The result of the study may be used as reference guide for educational planning and policy formulation in the instruction level.

Lastly, the result of this study may serve as a reference in determining the reading levels of the pupils which can serve as information in making more plans and programs by higher authorities based on the findings.  It will also help in preparing reading materials based on needs and difficult5ies of the pupils.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The study is delimited to determine the effects of two teaching strategies to the reading performance of the respondents in terms of word recognition.  The respondent of the study is composed of 41 grade III and 45 grade IV pupils.

Definition of Terms
Accuracy.  Relates to the quality of a result and distinguished from processing, which   relates to the quality of the operation by which the result is obtained.

Effectiveness.  Degree to which an activity or initiative is successful in achieving specified goal Degree to which activities of a unit achieve the units mission or goal.

Efficacy.  Is the ability to produced an effect, usually a specifically desire defect
Frustration.  The pupils shows withdrawal from reading situations by crying or refusing to read.  The pupils commit errors in reading such as reversal, repetition, substitution, insertion, mispronunciation and inability to interpret punctuation.

Independent.  The pupil is free from tension, finger pointing or lip movement.  He reads with rhythm and with conversational tone and interprets punctuations correctly.

Instructional.  The pupils oral reading is rhythmical with conversational tone and correct interpretation.
Non-reader.  A pupil is unable to recognize and sound out letter sound connections for single consonants or unable to blend them.

Phil IRI.  Philippine Informal Reading Inventory which is a set of oral reading passages for the elementary grades in order to get the reading level of the public elementary school pupils.
Reading ability.  Is the awareness of print relationship to speech, text structure, phonological awareness and letter naming and writing and comprehension of reading material  It often measured by grade level.
Word recognition.  It refers to the ability of the pupils to recognize the words with correct pronunciation.

Experimental research method using oral reading.

Oral reading performance of
Grade II and Grade IV pupils.

Knowledge on the effects of two teaching strategies on the reading performance of the Grade III and Grade IV pupils in terms of word recognition.