This action research was conducted at Mayor AS Fortuna Memorial Elementary School during school year 2020 -2021.
The gathering of the data was done according to the following scheme: preliminary preparation, administration and collection of instruments, scoring and statistical treatment of data. This research used a survey-based design to assess the significance of technology assistive instruction for grade 3 struggling readers in English.
The reading performance in English of grade 3 learners as to oral fluency was instructional. The data implied that some learners promoted to the next level even if their reading ability were frustration. Their performance level in comprehension was also instructional. It showed that there were still many learners in the grade three level under frustration level in the comprehension. All of the respondents read the Self-Learning Kit.
Twenty one of them preferred to read books and some were using mobilephone. Hence, children are not allowed to go to school because of the pandemic, one of the primary sources of the learners in reading was books aside from SLK due to the availability of the materials or resources at home. Eighteen of them or 58 percent spent time in reading during their free time for less than 30 minutes with verbal description of infrequent.
This study proves that Assistive –Technology Instruction significantly improved the reading performance of the Grade Three Struggling Readers in English. The top three issues encountered by the learners and researchers in the implementation of the program were lack of resources, lack of parent involvement, and competing priorities.
Table of contents
INTRODUCTION
Context
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
METHODOLOGY
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND REFLECTION
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
REFERENCES
Appendix
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Reading is a process that involves recognizing words, leading to the development of comprehension. Reading is a process that negotiates the meaning between the text and its reader. Learning to read (or, reading skills acquisition) is the acquisition and practice of the skills necessary to understand the meaning behind printed words. For a skilled reader, the act of reading feels simple, effortless, and automatic. However, the process of learning to read is complex and builds on cognitive, linguistic, and social skills developed from a very early age. As one of the four core language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), reading is vital to gaining a command of the written language (Rayner, Schotter, Masson, Potter, & Treiman, 2016).
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography, alphabetics, phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and motivation. The simple view of reading is a scientific theory about reading comprehension. According to the theory, in order to comprehend what they are reading students need both decoding skills and oral language (listening) comprehension ability. Neither is enough on their own. In other words, they need the ability to recognize and process (e.g., sound out) the text and the ability to understand the language in which the text is written (i.e., vocabulary, grammar and background knowledge). Students are not reading if they can decode words but do not understand their meaning. Similarly, students are not reading if they cannot decode words that they would ordinarily recognize and understand if they heard them spoken out loud (Castles, Anne; Rastle, Kathleen; Nation, Kate, 2018).
However, the process of alphabetic decoding is essential for learning to read, but it is important to note that even skilled adult readers continue to use alphabetic decoding and phonological processes as a matter of routine. The most obvious evidence of this is that skilled readers can generalize: They can read not only words with which they are highly familiar but also new words that they have never seen before (or indeed nonwords, such as slint and vib). There is also substantial evidence that alphabetic decoding processes affect skilled readers’ word recognition and comprehension (Rayner, Schotter, Masson, Potter, & Treiman, 2016). One powerful demonstration of the impact of phonological decoding on skilled word recognition is the pseudohomophone effect. If a thorough understanding of the text is not the reader's goal, then speed reading or skimming the text will allow the reader to get through it faster with moderate comprehension. The way to maintain high comprehension and get through text faster is to practice reading and to become a more skilled language user (e.g., through increased vocabulary). This is because language skill is at the heart of reading speed.
Since difficulties with reading, writing and/or math are recognizable problems during the school years, the signs and symptoms of learning disabilities are most often diagnosed during that time. However, some individuals do not receive an evaluation until they are in post-secondary education or adults in the workforce. Other individuals with learning disabilities may never receive an evaluation and go through life, never knowing why they have difficulties with academics and why they may be having problems in their jobs or in relationships with family and friends. Learning disabilities should not be confused with learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps; of intellectual disability; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantages. (Gundogmuş, 2018).
Good reading instruction is necessary for students to learn to read. It is also no simple task. Reading and language experts have likened teaching reading to rocket science Benson, Sitwe (2018). With so many different reading components, it can be difficult to diagnose students' difficulties and find precisely the right techniques to remediate them. To be successful, teachers need strong and deep understanding of reading theory and practice. When a student has difficulty with reading, it can be overwhelming to teachers and emotional for both parents and students. The more that is learned about reading and the specific problem, however, the less overwhelming things will seem. Parents and teachers can act on behalf of a student who struggles with reading by trying to pinpoint the nature and source of a student's difficulty, by increasing skills levels, and by building upon his or her strengths.
Although the instructional methods used will depend on students’ capabilities, the text being read, the purposes for reading, and the context in which reading occurs, teachers can provide effective direct explicit instruction in the critical areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension by concentrating their efforts (Heilman et al. 2002). It is important to keep in mind the various reading skills that may distinguish students experiencing different types of difficulties.
Reed, D., (2020) revealed that assessing students in only one way will not be sufficient for ensuring accurate and early identification of all students who might need reading intervention. In order to understand how to progress, it is important to acknowledge a serious problem in the world of educational technology today. Educational technology is usually developed by commercial companies. Unfortunately, the market for educational technology products is not terribly interested in the evidence supporting technology-based programs.
Success in school is virtually synonymous with success in reading, and children who finish elementary school with weak reading skills are at a very high risk of dropping out before they finish high school. Children’s reading failure in the early grades costs the education system and society a great deal, in special education, remediation, grade repetition, delinquency, and, ultimately, dropout. Reading failure is concentrated among schools serving many disadvantaged, minority, and limited-English-proficient children. It is in the early elementary grades where the gap in performance between children of different ethnicity first appears, and this gap is perhaps the most important policy issue in education (Baye, A., Lake, C., Inns, A., & Slavin, R., 2019)
Computer-Aided Instruction includes the use of computers to teach academic skills and to promote communication and language development. It includes computer modeling and computer tutors. This intervention category meets evidence-based practice criteria within the elementary age groups for promoting cognitive and academic skills. It can be used effectively to address academic and communication skill. In the academic domain, evidence-based research focuses on vocabulary and grammar. It is an effective new teaching mode and approach, which is widely used in various learning subjects (Zhu, Y., 2020).
Educators have also turned to technology to help struggling readers. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programs are easy to implement, adapt to children’s specific needs, and provide activities with graphics that can supplement classroom instruction. CAI applications in early literacy have overwhelmingly consisted of individual students working through self-instructional materials geared to their level of performance. Because there may or may not be teachers available during tutoring time, traditional CAI activities in reading are typically designed to be relatively easy and repetitive. Perhaps for these reasons, research evaluating traditional computer-based instruction for reading has found few effects for struggling readers or for children in general (Inns, A., Lake, C., Pellegrini, M., & Slavin, R., 2019).
Presently, the most common assistive technology used as an aid to students with learning disabilities is the computer. The computer can be used for curriculum assistance that correlates with the reading programs to help students reading comprehension and decoding skills. Learners need practice reading in order to develop their phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The mastery of these skills will grant them access to increasingly complex knowledge in other academic subject areas. Nyarko, K. et al., (2020) in their study showed that reading proficiency was significantly and positively related with children’s performance on all standard performance tests after controlling for paternal involvement, maternal involvement, financial situation, and age. This implied that parents’ involvement affects the academic performance of the learners especially in this current crisis that the country is facing and the type of learning delivery that the Department of Education is implementing.
This research assumes that Technology Assisteve Instruction as an essential feature of a reading instructional program helps struggling readers become better readers. It is anchored on the flagship program of the Department: “Every Child A Reader Program,” which aims to make every Filipino child a reader and a writer at his/her grade level. This premise is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented--and has been shown to promote achievement for all students.
Context
Reading remediation is a result of realistic expectations set by both students and teachers. This school year is different for everyone, whether learners are wearing masks and socially distanced in a classroom or continuing to receive remediation online. As students’ and teachers’ learning environment continues to evolve, it’s totally understandable that students will not make the same kind of progress compared to previous years. However, educators and students can still make strides and improve reading skills during this challenging time. Time spent in activities where "surfing the net" occurs could substitute away from time allocated to reading, studying and completing homework. This may hurt academic performance in the short term, which might also diminish the ability or incentive to continue regular classes. At the start of the school year 2020 -2021, the grade three classes still have a number of syllabic/struggling readers, despite the implementation of remedial reading program.
To introduce this research, issues relating to reading acquisition and phonological awareness for reading are reported, followed by implementation of the of action plan to improve the struggling readers to better readers. The proposed reading intervention in reading are teacher-researchers made materials on video lessons and video reading tutorials and print materials since the school where the researchers currently teach is adopting the modular print. This is also one of the considerations of the researchers if the learners do not have technology to access to access the non-print materials. Thus, the purpose of this research is to adopt Technology Aided Instruction for Grade three struggling learners to fill this gap.
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