LOW READING COMPREHENSION LEVEL IN GRADE

10 STUDENTS

A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of

Masarawag National High School
Masarawag, Guinobatan, Albay

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements in
English 10

by

NICOLE KIMBERLY
C. MANORIÑA

June 2022
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………. i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………….... ii
CHAPTER
I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction……………………………………….. 1
Background of the Study………………………... 4
Theoretical Framework………………………….. 7
Conceptual Framework…………………………. 8
Statement of the Problem………………………. 9
Scope and Limitation of the Study…………….. 10
Definition of Terms………………………………. 10
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Academic success for children is usually founded on their ability to read

proficiently, as most subjects across the school curriculum rely, to varying

extents, on reading skill. Consequently, there is a great deal of interest and

research into the skills which affect reading ability and contribute to growth in

reading skill. Studies investigating the cognitive abilities supporting reading

comprehension have highlighted the importance of verbal abilities (Nation and

Snowling, 2004, Ouellette, 2006, Ricketts et al., 2007) and decoding skill (Nation

and Snowling, 2004, Share, 1995). Indeed, according to the simple view of

reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986), these two cognitive skills are the chief

elements important for reading comprehension so that a child is able to read

unfamiliar words (phonological decoding skill) and understand what they have

read (verbal ability).

Increasingly however, there has been interest in the importance of

children’s motivation, and how it may affect reading comprehension performance

and growth in reading comprehension skill (Baker and Wigfield, 1999, Gottfried,

1990, Taboada et al., 2009, Wang and Guthrie, 2004). Taboada et al. (2009)

found that both cognitive skills (background knowledge and cognitive strategy

use) and intrinsic reading motivation accounted for significant and independent

variance in reading comprehension performance and reading comprehension

growth, suggesting that both are important contributors. In addition, Anmarkrud

and Bråten (2009) found that reading task value (measuring the usefulness,

importance and intrinsic interestingness of reading comprehension) was a

predictor of reading comprehension performance after variance associated with

gender, achievement in the domain, topic knowledge and strategies were

controlled for. Finally, Lau and Chan (2003) argued that both cognitive and

motivational factors are important for reading skill in Chinese. Whilst these

studies have highlighted the role of motivation in reading, it is possible that

motivation plays a greater role in reading performance for those children with

poorer reading skill and lower cognitive abilities. When faced with assessments at

the same difficulty level as their peers, those children with poorer reading skill

and lower cognitive abilities will have a more challenging task ahead of them and

may need to be more motivated in order to persist with the task and perform well.

A child’s motivation therefore may potentially play a greater role in their

performance and growth in reading comprehension skills if they have lower

abilities; however there is currently no research which has examined this.

The role of motivation in children's reading comprehension is not thought to

act separately from the cognitive skills underpinning their performance; rather it is

thought to act as an energizer (Taboada et al., 2009), which engages children’s

cognitive skills and leads to greater levels of success. Therefore motivation may

not only lead to improved performance, but may lead to growth in skills over time,

as those children who are more motivated may put more cognitive effort into

understanding texts and decoding unfamiliar words. This would confer

advantages for reading comprehension skills if this additional effort was put in

over time.

Ryan and Deci (2000) have explored the differences between intrinsic

motivation (internal motivation within an individual, e.g., curiosity) and extrinsic

motivation (external motivating factors, e.g., grades). Children who are

intrinsically motivated tend to show greater persistence and put more effort into

task through their own volition. On the other hand, children who are extrinsically

motivated may perform tasks with resentment and disinterest, through coercion of

an external goal or reward. Wang and Guthrie (2004) found that whilst intrinsic

reading motivation had a positive direct association with text comprehension,

extrinsic motivation was negatively related to text comprehension. Similarly,

Lepper, Henderlong Corpus, and Iyengar (2005), found that intrinsic motivation

correlated positively with children’s academic performance, whilst extrinsic

motivation correlated negatively with academic outcomes. In addition, Lau and

Chan (2003) have illustrated that good and poor readers differ significantly in

their levels of intrinsic reading motivation but not extrinsic motivation. One of the

most common measures of motivation within the domain of reading is the

Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (Wang and Guthrie, 2004, Wigfield and

Guthrie, 1997). Therefore a questionnaire based on these constructs measuring

intrinsic reading motivation was used in the current study. In addition, measures

of verbal ability and decoding skill were used so that the importance of motivation

could be examined when included with cognitive skills commonly associated with

reading.
 It was predicted that intrinsic reading motivation would explain additional

variance in reading comprehension skill after accounting for cognitive abilities.

However, it was predicted that intrinsic motivation would explain more variance in

poor readers’ reading comprehension performance when compared with their

high ability peers on the same assessment. Finally, it was predicted that intrinsic

reading motivation would predict growth in reading comprehension skill after

accounting for previous reading comprehension performance.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Reading comprehension is attained through successful interaction between

the reader and the text. This interaction is the major factor that plays the most

important role in comprehension. Accordingly, background knowledge will be of

primary importance for EFL readers. So schema-based, pre-reading activities

should be used for activating such background knowledge. It is assumed that

prior knowledge activation requires pre-reading activities. The present study,

aims at investigating the role of activating background knowledge in reading

comprehension through text previewing. In this study a previewing strategy called

THIEVES is used to verify this hypothesis. The researchers hypothesize that if

students preview a text before reading it, they are likely to understand its content

better. In order to investigate this, we conducted an experimental study using a t-

test as a statistical measure of the data. We arrived at the conclusion that

previewing a text through THIEVES as a prior knowledge activator-facilitates

better comprehension. We found a positive correlation between previewing a text

through THIEVES as a pre-reading activity (that aims to activate prior knowledge)

and better reading comprehension.

Reading comprehension is a complex process that involves the integration

and coordination of various skills, including word decoding, the ability to decipher

or recognize printed words, and oral language or listening comprehension, the

ability to understand what is decoded in spoken form (Simple View of Reading;

Gough and Tunmer, 1986). Most research into reading comprehension difficulties

has focused on children with poor decoding whose weaknesses manifest early in

reading development as phonological awareness and word reading deficits (e.g.,

Snowling, 2000). In contrast to poor decoders, poor comprehenders’ difficulties

appear to emerge later, when decoding becomes automatized and more variance

in reading comprehension is accounted for by oral language skills (Catts et al.,

2012). Oral language difficulties tend to be masked by poor comprehenders’ age-

appropriate decoding skills, and as a result, early indicators of later reading

comprehension difficulties are often overlooked.

A few studies have identified poor comprehenders based on English L1

reading performance in a French immersion context and suggest that poor

comprehenders demonstrate relatively poor oral language skills in both English

L1 and French L2 (e.g., D’Angelo et al., 2014; D’Angelo and Chen, 2017).

D’Angelo et al. (2014) retrospectively investigated the reading and language

abilities of a small sample of English L1 children in French immersion who were

identified as poor and average comprehenders based on their English L1 reading

performance in grade 3. They found that poor comprehenders scored relatively

lower on English and French vocabulary across grades 1 to 3, despite average

phonological awareness and word reading skills in both languages. Such findings

suggest that poor comprehenders may indeed have an underlying problem in oral

language. The current study extends the existing research to a larger, more

representative sample of children in French immersion to facilitate comparison.

The purpose is to determine the extent to which those identified as having poor

reading comprehension in English, the societal language, also demonstrate poor

reading comprehension in French, an additional language and the language of

instruction.

Existing longitudinal studies have used a retrospective approach to

examine poor comprehenders’ deficits across previous grades and suggest that

oral language weaknesses are prevalent in poor comprehenders before their

reading comprehension difficulties become apparent (Catts et al., 2006; Nation et

al., 2010; Tong et al., 2011). For example, Nation et al. (2010) identified poor

comprehenders based on reading achievement at age 8 and retrospectively

examined their reading and language skills beginning at age 5. While poor

comprehenders’ phonological processing and word reading skills progressed

over time, their oral language skills remained persistently weak, suggesting that
early weaknesses in understanding and producing spoken language contributed

to poor comprehenders’ comprehension difficulties.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Schema theory is an explanation of how readers use prior knowledge to

comprehend and learn from text (Rumelhart, 1980). The term "schema" was first

used in psychology by Barlett as "an active organization of past reactions or

experiences" (1932,p.201); later, schema was introduced in reading by Rumelhalt

(1980), Carrell (1981) and Hudson (1982) when discussing the important role of

background knowledge in reading comprehension (all cited in An, 2013).

The fundamental principle of the schema theory assumes that written text does

not carry meaning by itself. Rather, a text only provides directions for readers as

to how they should retrieve or construct meaning from their own previously

acquired knowledge (An, 2013).

According to schema theory, comprehending a text is an interactive

process between the reader’s background knowledge and the text. Efficient

comprehension requires the ability to relate the textual material to one's own

knowledge. As Anderson (1977, p.369) point out, "every act of comprehension

involves one’s knowledge of the world as well."

Reading comprehension operates in two directions, from bottom up to the top

and from the top down to the bottom of the hierarchy. Bottom-up processing is

activated by specific data from the text, while top-down processing starts with

general to confirm these predictions. These two kinds of processing are occurring

simultaneously and interactively, which adds to the concept of interaction or

comprehension between bottom-up and top-down processes (Carrel and

Eiserhold, 1983. Cited in An, 2013).

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 Engaging with challenging texts can be a great way to develop essential

English reading skills. This KS3 reading comprehension includes a detailed text

on conspiracy theories such as the moon landings hoax, the Illuminati, and the

supposed JFK assassination cover-up. With plenty of pictures and facts, this

makes a captivating read for KS3 English students who struggle to engage with

non fiction texts. There is also a set of reading comprehension questions,

differentiated according to ability, with teacher answers included, and a

vocabulary sheet. This KS3 English worksheet is great for preparing students for

the GCSE reading assessment objectives. An interactive version of this resource

has also been included.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 This study aims to identify the factor that affects the low reading

comprehension level in Grade 10 students in Masarawag National High School,

S.Y 2021-2022 to improve the critical thinking skills in terms of reading and

comprehending.

1.What are the factors that affect the grade 10 students in low reading

comprehension level?

a.Critical thingking skills

b.High order thingking skills

c.Reading comprehension skills

2. How to reduce or minimize the factors that affect the grade 10 students in low

reading comprehension level?

a.Understanding

b.Analyzing

c. Summarizing

3.How to improve the Reading Comprehension skills and recommend sowtrons

on how to enhance the deep understanding specifically in reading.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to improve the reading comprehension skills at

Grade 10 students School Year 2021-2022 and will focus on (1) Identify the
 factor that affect the grade 10 students in low reading comprehension level (a)

critical thingking skills (b) High order thinking skills (c) Reading comprehension

skills (2) Determine on how to reduce or minimize the factors that affect the grade

10 students in low reading comprehension level (a) Understanding (b) Analyzing

(c) Summarizing (3) Improve the reading comprehension skills and recommend

solutions on how to enhance the deep understanding specifically in reading.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Comprehension - The action or capability of understanding something.

Reading - the action or skill of reading written or printed matter silently or aloud.

Low - below average in amount, extent, or intensity; small.

Level - below average in amount, extent, or intensity; small.

Critical Thinking - the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to

form a judgment.

High Order Thinking – Thinking on a level that is higher than memorizing facts

or

telling something back to someone exactly the way it

was told you to.

Reading Comprehension - the ability to process text, understand its meaning,

and to integrate with what the reader already knows.

 Understanding - the ability to understand something; comprehension.

Analyzing - examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of

(something, especially information), typically for purposes of explanation

and interpretation.

Summarizing - means cutting it down to its bare essentials.

Reference
Tiger Tuesday. (2014). Tiger Tuesday. https://tigertuesday.com
‌Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers. (2019). Reading Rockets | Launching
Young Readers. https://www.readingrockets.org
‌The Edvocate. (n.d.). The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org
‌Dermitzaki, I., Andreou, G., & Paraskeva, V. (2008). High and Low Reading
Comprehension Achievers’ Strategic Behaviors and Their Relation to
Performance in a Reading Comprehension Situation. Reading Psychology, 29(6),
471–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702710802168519
Sukarni, S. (2019). Reading Attitude and Its Influence on Students’ Reading
Comprehension. Edukasi: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pengajaran, 6(1), 193–204.
https://doi.org/10.19109/ejpp.v6i1.2935

LOW READING COMPREHENSION LEVEL IN GRADE

10 STUDENTS
Masarawag National High School
Junior High School

NICOLE KIMBERLY C.
MANORIÑA

10-Mabini

2022