Preparation and evaluation of reading materials for grade one

Abstract

Since a reading lag definitely and adversely affects academic achievement, pupils must be helped out of this deficiency. Their reading deficiencies should not be allowed to accumulate to the extent that these will affect their intellectual and social growth. Reading deficiencies as can inflict "financial and penalties, cause psychological wounds and impute the shame of social stigma. To help solve this problem, the reading teacher has the task to help pupils develop their interest in, and genuine love for reading and to help them acquire basic reading skills. According to Russel, there are at least three basic factors which determine what a child will read. These are: (1) the needs and interest of the child, (2) the reading ability of the child or the reading difficulty of the material, and (3) the accessibility of the material. In accord with the statement above, the teacher could meet the child's reading needs, interests, and abilities if she could provide varied reading materials that are within the child's reading level and experiential background. The materials should contain concepts within their sphere of understanding and should be written in a language not too far beyond the structures and vocabulary which they find easy and familiar. Statement of the Problem One of the causes of poor reading instruction in the elementary schools is the insufficiency of reading materials. Alano16 states that the need for adequate reading materials has always been a problem in public schools. The findings of the Survey on Outcomes of Elementary Education (SOUTELE) reveal the same reason for pupils' difficulties with reading and writing. Shortage of instructional materials has been pointed out as the very reason why 45 per cent of Grade VI pupils in the elementary schools could hardly read with understanding. Reading materials in public schools such as books, workbooks, and other reading materials are few, expensive, and not suited to the reading levels of school children for whom they have been intended. Because reading materials are limited and inappropriate, children are deprived of the enjoyment, delight, and pleasure of discovering new things in print. To help children acquire reading skills and to provide teachers with suitable and varied materials to facilitate the pupils' acquisition of these reading skills at their own rate or capacity, this project has been undertaken. This project study is also an attempt to evaluate reading materials which are based on the abilities and interests of Grade I pupils, among thirteen districts in Region VI. This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. What types of stories appeal to Grade I pupils? 2. How valid and usable are the reading selections prepared by the researcher? 3. How valid and reliable are the test exercises that accompany each selection?