Preparation and evaluation of reading materials for grade two

Abstract

The value of reading as a school subject cannot be underestimated or denied. Skill in reading is essential for effective adjustment to a multitude of everyday life activities, as well as for learning in school. It has been generally recognized that reading is the most important subject taught in the elementary school, for failure to learn in content subjects of the curriculum may be traced to poor reading ability. Most of what the child is supposed to learn in all subjects is greatly derived from reading. Reading, as Sutaria and Bowen say, unlocks the doors of the vast storehouse of knowledge and offers a satisfying as well as edifying form of recreation. They summarize the nature of reading thus: In a general sense reading is the process of getting the meaning of something written or printed by interpreting its characters or symbols. Printed symbols are merely media used by the author to convey ideas. To interpret them one must understand that it has the same meaning as its spoken counterpart. Reading should not merely be the oral interpretation of printed matters but should involve a deeper study into the meaning and purpose of what is read. In defining reading. Guzman aptly stated: A good reader does not stop after getting the writer's ideas from his sentences. He realizes that this limits him to a knowledge of the facts and opinions presented in a given paragraph or essay. That he uses these to make decisions, solve problems, or understand parallel situations is a greater benefit derived from reading. This involves being able to reason logically using the author's ideas as stated in his writings as the starting point. Learning to read is a complicated process. It not only deals with the mechanical process of correctly pronouncing words but also involves the recognition and even the making of meaning. Because of the complexity and sensitivity of this process, teaching to read is not an easy job for the teacher, especially since there are multiple factors which may present a child from reading effectively. For example, reading is sensitive to pressures like those from the home and parents, from within the child himself, from the school, and from the demands of basal reading materials. The child's responses to reading depends on which pressure affects him most. Since every child is unique, the teacher should see to it that every child's own needs are met in order for learning to take place. Grey and Reese declare that reading is important to everyday life as an aid in meeting everyday needs, a tool for vocation, a pursuit for leisure time, an aid to enrichment of experience, a tool of citizenship, and a source of spiritual refreshment. Prom the above list, it is apparent that reading plays a vital role in the total development of an individual, as the basis of his happiness and well-being. As for a nation, the implications of the acquisition of good reading ability arc grave. Thus, if the Philippines intends to be self— reliant economically stable, politically and socially mature, it must have an intelligent and educated citizenry, and this requirement is assured by having citizens who can read well. Today, our country is facing a threat of having a literacy which is non-functional. Former Minister Jaime C. Laya of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports reported to 407 school superintendents attending the 1985 Conference of School Superintendents at the Teachers' Camp at Baguio City on May 7 - 10, 1985, that literacy rates of grade school and secondary school dropouts have fallen alarmingly over the past decade or so. He further said that one of the causes of the deterioration in the communication skills of pupils, in both English and Filipino, is the cumulative effect of ill-considered tinkering with curricula and text- books.4 The inability to read is not only the problem of the teachers and school officials but also the concern of all sectors of society. It is the duty of the teacher, therefore, to overcome the obstacles to effective reading and, most importantly, to develop among the children interest in and love for reading. The child's needs, interest, reading ability or difficulty, and the accessibility of reading materials must be taken into consideration. If all of these could be met and if reading materials which are within the child's sphere of experiences and reading ability could be provided, love for reading will just automatically set in. Statement of the Problem This study is part of a general project aimed to prepare and evaluate reading materials which are designed to supplement the basic reading materials for the levels Pre—primer to Grade two, in Region VI. Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following questions: 1. What types of stories appeal to grade two pupils in Region VI? 2. Are the prepared reading selections valid and usable? 3. Are the test exercises that accompany the selections valid and reliable?