ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED READING PROGRAMS OF GRADE FOUR STRUGGLING READERS

The Department of Education (DepEd) is currently implementing various programs to improve the reading capabilities of learners in public schools. ECARP (Every Child a Reading Program) which aims to make children able to read as expected at their level is a national program that supports the thrust of the Department of Education to make every child a reader and write at his/her grade level (DepEd Order Number 40, series 2013). The research locale supports the implementation of ECARP where every school in the districts has its own schoolbased reading program that is highly observed in the school. Despite the implementation of reading programs, problems still arise on the inability of the learners to read. Hence, the researcher came up with this study to analyze these programs and assessed the impact of school-based reading programs on grade four struggling readers. The research aimed to assess the school-based reading programs of selected public elementary schools in the First Congressional District of Quezon, and thereupon, developed an enhanced reading program for the benefit of the district’s grade four struggling readers. The researcher used the quantitative and qualitative method of research to describe the assessment of the adapted school-based reading programs and to assess the impact of the designed school-based reading programs on the learners. Through this method, the researcher applied the statistical tool particularly the weighted arithmetic mean, normality testing, Spearman Rho correlation and the thematic analysis in analyzing the data. In connection with this, the assessment of the teachers was described through a five-point Likert scale. Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that the school-based reading programs were found helpful, suitable, acceptable and feasible for utilization for grade 4 struggling readers. Furthermore, the different reading programs implemented in the research locale developed positive effects on the learners. However, there are some factors to be reconsidered like the time allocation and the assessment tools used. It is recommended that the teachers conduct continuous assessment and monitoring of the pupils reading ability and comprehension that covers all aspects of reading such as phonics, phonemic alertness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension and there should be a wider parent-teacher involvement to monitor the development of the child. Further, research on other reading programs for lower levels/grades may be conducted to look for other variables that influence the reading growth of younger struggling readers. For the output of the study, the researcher developed or designed an enhanced reading program which is according to suitability to the grade level of the learners.