Proponent: Rufina E. Ramos
Research Agenda
Category: Teaching and Learning
Subject: Filipino and English
Office/School: Balanga Elementary School

Developing strong reading comprehension skills is indispensable for a productive academic, professional, and personal life. Being able to comprehend the meaning of words help pupils to “develop holistically – something we all want for our children.” The latest research by Beaty (2015), a concerning trend emerges where students lack adequate reading comprehension skills, hindering their ability to derive meaning from
texts. This deficiency prevents students from understanding the content they read, limiting their connection to personal experiences and prior knowledge, ultimately impacting academic achievement.

Muralidharan and Venkatesh (2011) emphasized the essential goal of reading
instruction: cultivating an intrinsic desire to read. Effective comprehension instruction not only enhances skills but also fuels students’ motivation to read. As children transition from learning to read to reading to learn, Stewart (2012) underscores the critical nature of comprehension in ensuring success in school. Furthermore, Hornery et al. (2014) highlight the broader consequences of reading failure, linking it to poor academic performance, anxiety, depression, unemployment, criminal tendencies, and substance dependency.

The Philippines faces a pressing challenge, as reported by The Philippine Star
(2010) and Quijano (2007), where low reading comprehension contributes to poor student performance in achievement tests, posing a threat to global competitiveness. The Achievement Test results revealed alarming reading mastery percentages among grade 6 and 4th-year high school students. This deficiency in reading comprehension, as articulated in DepEd Order #70 s. 2011, undermines the “Every Child A Reader Program (ECARP)” objectives, impeding the development of competent readers and potentially perpetuating failure in life.

In response to the evident decline in reading proficiency, the researcher, who has firsthand teaching experience, aims to explore the impact of reading comprehension skills on academic achievement among grade six pupils in the Division of Balanga. The observed variability in pupils’ reading and comprehension abilities necessitates an indepth investigation to design targeted interventions and address the challenge of struggling and non-readers effectively. This study aligns with the broader goal of achieving “Zero Non-Readers” and contributes to fulfilling the vision and mission of the Department of Education (DepEd) by fostering life-long learners and ensuring the full potential of grade six learners is realized.