LEAD PROPONENTS GALLANOSA, M.A., HUGO, X.J., & BERTULANO, V.J.

TITLE OF Project P-RARE: A READING PROGRAM FOR

RESEARCH STRUGGLING READERS IN ROSARIO NATIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL
A Continuous Improvement Based Research

DIVISION Cavite Province

Context and Rationale

Nowadays, some of the grade seven students are having difficulty

when it comes to understanding what they have read. Another thing is their

vocabulary skill is not fully enhanced. Therefore, the teachers must use a better

strategy that may improve the vocabulary skill as well as the reading

comprehension skills of the students. Reading comprehension is a skill that is

critical in educational success of all individuals so that the students must possess

an adequate reading comprehension skill in order for them to perform well in

every subject matter, (Baier, 2005). Furthermore, the teachers are one of the

responsible persons in developing reading comprehension skills. To do this, the

teacher must use and integrate better strategies in making them motivated to

understand what the students have read. According to the Constructivism theory

which was proposed by Lev Vygotsky, the students will be more encouraged to

understand the text through the help of the MKO or More Knowledgeable Others

such as teachers, friends or parents. In relation to this theory, the teachers have

something to do in order to help the students engaging themselves deeper to the

text. Furthermore, motivation has a positive effect in reading comprehension of

the students so that motivating activity must be applied before, during and after

reading process. Before reading the text, the prior knowledge must be activated

by giving them some information about the author and the background of the text

itself. Then, during the reading process, the teacher may throw some thought-

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provoking questions that may let the students think critically about the text. Lastly,

after reading the text, the teacher may assess the comprehension of the students

by asking them some questions related to the text. However, there are still

students who are having difficulty in comprehending because of several factors.

Nevertheless, the combined strategies, cross-age tutoring and same-age peer-

tutors are truly effective (Van Keer & Verhaeghe, 2005) in doing so. The peer

tutoring is a great help for the students who re having tough times understanding

what they have read.

This project is for the students who are having hard time in decoding,

recognizing words and comprehending a text especially in English subject. This

project is to develop the students’ comprehension skills in a certain level of

competencies. However, this is only for grade 7 students because it would be

better to focus on the first level of the students in secondary school. The peer

tutoring is one-on-one assistance among the students who are having difficulties

especially in reading comprehension.

The basis of this project is the struggles among the students who are

until now do not know how to read and understand what is read. This has been

the major problem why students are having difficulty coping with the specific

competencies in English subject.

Specifically, this project aims to;

a. to improve he vocabulary knowledge of the students from grade 7 to 10;

b. to enhance the phonemic awareness of the readers who have difficulty in

producing consonant and vowel sounds;

c. to enhance and develop the skills of the students in reading;

d. to enhance he students’ reading ability through prepared activities or

exercises suitable for the reading level of the students; and

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 e. to boost the confidence of the readers in performing reading-related activities.

Action Research Questions

1. What is the participants’ level of reading ability before the
implementation of Project P-RARE?
2. What is the participants’ level of reading ability during the continuous
implementation of Project P-RARE for the past three years?
3. Is there any statistical difference of the result from 2016 until the
present year?

Proposed Innovation, Intervention and Strategy

The idea of this study will only focus on the PROJECT P-RARE (Peer-

Reading Assessment and Reading Empowerment) as a reading program for

non-readers, struggling readers and for readers as well. This will focus on

grades seven to ten students of Rosario National High School who are

purposively selected based on their reading ability through pre-assessment in

Philippine Informal Reading Intervention which was accomplished during the

enrolment period. After the gathering their reading ability, the proposal will be

made to conduct the reading activities to these frustrated readers.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT METHODOLOGY

ASSESS ANALYZE ACT

Step 5: Do the root cause analysis Step 8: Pilot Solution

Step 1: Getting Organized, prepare
the data and profile of the students,
needs analysis
Step 2: talk to the students involved
and parents concerned.
Step 6: Develop solution, improve Step 9: Roll out solution
the process.
Step 10: Check its progress.
Step 7: Finalize Improvement Plans.

Step 3: Start the process of reading

empowerment

Step 4: Identify the improvement

areas, the strengths and weaknesses 3
of the program.
Action Research Methods
A. Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information

Purposive sampling was used to choose the respondents of this

research study. The 30- selected students from grades 7 to 10 from the

heterogeneous section of Rosario National High School are purposively

selected based grade level and the result of PHIL-IRI. These participants

were classified in frustration level before the implementation of Project P-

RARE on 2016 and are continuously monitored until 2019..

B. Data Gathering Methods

The data gathering is composed of three phases. The first phase is he

PHIL-IRI or pre-reading assessment during the enrolment period. The second

phase is the actual process of P-RARE activities. At last, the development of

root cause analysis and the development of improvement plan.

C. Data Analysis Plan

The research is mixed method following the descriptive design which

aims to interview the improvement of 30 selected students who are the

subjects of this continuous plan and research. Pre and Post reading

assessment will be accomplished to determine their improvement. The data

from the survey will be gathered and tabulated.

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 Diagnose the Preparation for Implementation of
Focus Group
students reading Project P-RARE Project P-RARE
Discussion
skill launching launching

Writing the parents

Set – up PHIL-IRI Preparation of interview Drafting the MOA Reading
pre-test guide and Survey Form Empowerment
Conference with
Reading interpretation Accomplishment parents Result of Evaluation
Report
Profiling of the Preparation of the Profiling
students who are in Reflections of the materials
the frustration level survey result in CI team Evaluation of
Preparation of new Progress
schedule

Reward and Project P-RARE

Recognition process from 1st to
4th grading

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Action Research Work Plan and Timelines

ACTIVITIES Month Month Month Month Month Month

(Jul.) (Aug.) (Sept.) (Oct.) (Nov.) (Dec.)

Identifying the
subjects/respondents for
the study and their needs
Reading literature and
studies about Developing
Vocabulary and Reading
Comprehension Skills
Generating the Research
Questions.
Planning the Research
instrument
conducting an interview
and survey to the
participants of this study
Continuous process of
the reading activity
Working on the results
and improvement plan.

Cost Estimate

ITEM AMOUNT
Folders 20
Bond papers 200
Printing 550
Total 770

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Plans for Dissemination and Utilization
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

1. Focus Group Discussion about the implementation of project P-RARE to all

teachers in Rosario National High School
2. Present the paper to a conference so that other researchers may recognize
this reading program and use this in their own schools
3. Develop an improvement plan about this reading program and require all the
teachers to implement this as part of teaching and learning process.

REFERENCES

Dole, J. A. Duffy, G. G., Roehler, L. R., and Pearson, D. D. (1991). Moving from the old to
the new: research on reading comprehension instruction. Review of Educational Research 61

Dubin, F., and Bycina, D. (1991). Models of the process of reading. In Celce-Murcia

(ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Boston, Mass.: Heinle and Heinle. 

Duke, N. K., and Pearson, D. P. (n.d.). Effective practices for developing reading

comprehension. Available at //effective reading.com/ (Oct. 15, 2001).
Estes T. H. (1999). Strategies for reading to learn. Available at www.reading strategies. 

Joklova, Katerina, (2009) “Using Pictures in Teaching Vocabulary”. Retrieved from

http://is.muni.cz/th/123676/pedf_b/BachelorThesisUsing_pictures_in_teaching_vocabulary.p
df. Retrived on September 20, 2016

Li, Su (2010). “Vocabulary Learning Beliefs, Strategies and Language Learning

Outcomes: A study of Chinese Learners of English in Higher Vocational Education”.
Retrieved from http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/1064/LiS.pdf?
sequence=3. Retrived on September 20, 2016