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

Abstract

The demands of modern life call for improvement in the reading skills of elementary school pupils. Such an improvement is being hindered by dearth of materials for use by elementary school teachers in their class programs. To be of maximum use, such reading materials must be suited to the particular grade levels and accompanied with a pertinent teacher's guide or manual to guide teachers in their use. The present work is a response to this felt need. It is hoped that the reading materials presented here can supplement basic reading materials now used in the public school system. Background of the Study The present work is geared towards answering the need for supplementary reading materials in the Division of Bacolod City Schools, Region VI-Western Visayas. The Division of Bacolod City Schools is composed of 1,313 elementary teachers and 720 high school teachers serving the division. District II which was the district chosen for this study is composed of one central school, four barrio schools and one primary school. The present study was designed to fit the particular requirements of District II Grades Four and Five pupils. The participating subjects in this study were one hundred and twenty grade four pupils and one hundred and twenty grade five pupils attending four schools in District II, Division of Bacolod City Schools during the school year 1983-1984. Reading materials used at present in grade four are Story Parade, More Stories on Parade, and Building English Skills 1 and 2. In grade five, the reading materials used are Doorways to Reading and Building, English Skills (Reading). Objectives of the Study To be able to serve the needs of the Region in general, and the Division and District in particular, especially the Region’s English Program, this study was conducted. Its specific purpose was to prepare and validate reading materials for grades four and five of District II, Division of Bacolod City Schools. Each reading material should consist of a story and a reading exercise which tests for competence at the three levels of comprehension. The test items should be analyzed to determine the power of discrimination and the level of difficulty of each item. Furthermore, the reliability of the whole exercise on each selection should also be determined.