Preparation and evaluation of reading materials for elementary school pupils in grades IV and V

Abstract

Statement of the Problem This project is an attempt to construct and validate reading materials which may help develop vocabulary, word attack and comprehension skills in Grades IV and V pupils. These skills were specified in the Revised Elementary Learning Continuum and the Barbe Reading Skills Sequential Skill Plan. The primary aim of this project was to establish the validity, reliability and usability of the proposed reading materials and to prepare a teacher's manual for these materials. The proposed reading materials would be an answer to the long-felt need for reading materials for Grades IV and V. The need for this material to be constructed was inferred from the following observations: 1. The success of the reading instruction depends on the suitability of the reading materials to the learner's abilities, interests, and needs. 2. There are some readers who may be able to encode and decode but fail to understand, to reason, to infer, to interpret and get the meaning. 3. The reading performance of the pupil is indicative of the individual's rate as he advances. Self-correction is an important part of the learning process and a pupil should be given freedom to find out why his answer is wrong or correct.