Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) Performance of Grade 8 Students: Basis for a Reading Intervention Program

Christian Hector  Misanes,; Elizabeth  Pascual,

Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) Performance of Grade 8 Students: Basis for a Reading Intervention Program

Christian Hector Misanes | Elizabeth Pascual

Discipline: Education

Abstract:

Before the pandemic, education leaders had been concerned about Filipino students' low reading comprehension, as reflected in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), wherein the Philippines scored the lowest among the 79 participating countries. Now that we have had two years of no face-to-face classes, their reading comprehension has been more seriously impacted. This study sought to measure Solano High School Gr. 8 students' reading comprehension levels during the pandemic and investigate factors related to their performance. A quantitative research approach was used in determining the reading comprehension level of student-respondents through the Group Screening Test of Phil-IRI, a reading inventory composed of graded passages. Moreover, the study used a descriptive survey and a correlational methodology to determine the significant relationship between the respondents' reading performance and their profile variables. The study revealed that 98.7% of the respondents fall under "Frustration," the lowest level, in which readers find reading materials so difficult that they cannot successfully respond to them. Findings also showed that a student whose parents have higher educational attainment, sufficient family income, access to multimedia resources, and superior academic performance might perform better in reading comprehension. Moreover, gender, ethnic affiliation, parental involvement in their reading activities, and length of one's exposure to multimedia materials were found to have no significant relationship with the respondents' reading comprehension level. Following the results, a reading program was designed that shall raise awareness among all stakeholders on the student's reading performance and the factors that influence it to meet readers' needs and abilities; equip teachers with the knowledge and skills in producing both digital and print reading materials that integrate content across learning areas and promote an inclusive reading environment that stimulates students to learn through reading.