Reading Proficiency Of Grade 7 Tutees Through Reading Remediation Activities

Abstract

Reading is one of the important factors in achieving full literacy in the learner’s academic journey in both cognitive and expressive domains. Acquisition through literacy helps students gain better understanding of the lesson while focusing on developing their cognitive, social and environmental abilities fostering a holistic development which benefits the learner in the long run. The ARAL Program's remediation activities are designed to bridge critical learning gaps and elevate the literacy skills of below-grade-level students through targeted interventions like phonics, guided reading, vocabulary building, and comprehension exercises. Beyond correcting core mechanical weaknesses, the program focuses on boosting student confidence, motivation, and classroom engagement. Ultimately, these structured efforts aim to help struggling readers achieve the necessary proficiency to catch up with grade-level competencies, succeed academically, and participate fully in regular instruction.

This study employs a quantitative methodology and a descriptive research design to investigate reading remediation strategies and community partnerships for struggling readers at Inosloban-Marawoy Integrated National High School. By collecting numerical data, the researcher aims to objectively determine and describe the factors and resources influencing the persistence of reading difficulties in this specific school locale. To gather this data, the researcher utilized convenience-purposive sampling to select 45 relevant and readily available participants, including Grade 7 public junior high school students enrolled in the ARAL Program and teachers actively engaged in it. The primary data collection instrument was a tailored, researcher-made survey questionnaire designed to capture the specific complexities of instructional strategies, community partnerships, contributing factors, and available school resources. The data collection process was carried out in three distinct phases: first, securing official authorization from school authorities; second, distributing the survey questionnaires along with informed consent forms via online and direct scheduled platforms; and third, guiding the participants through the completion of the validated questionnaire at their convenience. Finally, the gathered data will be processed using descriptive statistical tools in SPSS to analyze the utilization of reading strategies prescribed by the Department of Education, their perceived effects on students, and the challenges faced by teachers in achieving the program's objectives.

Despite initially starting at a 88.37% frustration level in reading, the Grade 7 tutees achieved extensive literacy growth through a highly organized remediation program. Following targeted interventions, students demonstrated mastery "To a Great Extent" across all major comprehension levels—literal, inferential, critical, and applied—advancing from basic word recognition to independent critical thinking and real-world problem-solving. This rapid development was driven by the regular deployment of research-based instructional strategies, including phonics-based decoding, guided oral reading, vocabulary reinforcement, and active comprehension exercises. Ultimately, the program’s success was heavily optimized by a robust support network consisting of readily available learning resources, exceptionally high student motivation, adaptive and individualized teacher guidance, and strong parental involvement at home.

Most Grade 7 tutees initially demonstrated low reading performance rooted at the frustration level, highlighting significant gaps in foundational reading skills and a critical lack of independent reading capabilities. To address these weaknesses, a structured, research-based remediation program was implemented, focusing heavily on phonics-based instruction, guided oral reading, vocabulary enhancement, and comprehension-building activities. This systematic intervention successfully elevated the students' comprehensive reading proficiency, generating marked improvements across literal, inferential, and critical comprehension domains while equipping them to apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts. Ultimately, while the learners naturally encountered reading difficulties, these challenges were effectively mitigated by a comprehensive support system of diverse learning materials, adaptive teacher guidance, high student motivation, and strong parental involvement, which collectively fostered continuous reading growth