A proposed manual for teaching remedial reading in English in the elementary grades

Abstract

Nonreaders in English are the bane of existence of elementary teachers in Benguet and in spite of in-service trainings in reading instruction and guides and materials given to teachers, the problem of nonreaders persist in the elementary schools. Teachers who desire to undertake remedial reading instruction do not have the guides nor books to aid them. To solve this problem, the writer proposed a manual for teaching remedial reading in English. This manual was prepared simultaneously with its tryout at the reading center located at the La Trinidad Central School. The suggested activities in the manual were the result of compilations done with the cooperation of Peace Corps volunteers and teachers of Benguet and new sad old ideas. It discusses briefly the remedial reading teacher -- her qualities and her expectations, reading in a second language and the approaches used. The manual makes suggestions on how to test children for reading disabilities and how to remedy each error, simplified lesson planning, activities that develop the reading skills that will enable each child to apply a differentiated attach on new words, as well as activities that develop those skills which make for better understanding and appreciation of what is read. The manual also provides samples of selections that may be prepared by teachers in the absence of reading materials, samples of forms for testing and record keeping, and finally, a checklist of reading skills for elementary grades. The preliminary report on the results of instruction in the reading center indicates that a nonreader can read within a period of six weeks. It also supports the fact that the remedial reading teacher is a very important factor in the progress of the child and that the suggested activities are useful to any elementary teacher of developmental reading in grades one to sic and to the teacher of retarded children. The thesis concluded that through the use of the devices and activities as suggested in the proposal manual, the retarded renders demonstrated substantial progress in reading ability after six weeks of learning to read; the activities in the proposed manual are good not only for remedial reading but are equally effective in developmental reading especially in the lower grades; the procedures for diagnosing reading disabilities are very simple and uncomplicated for the teachers in preparing lesson plans is easy; and finally, there is a need for a teacher’s manual that is simple, practical and suited to the deprived conditions in the barrios. The proposed manual is recommended for use chiefly for instruction in remedial reading but it is also recommended for use in regular reading classes for developing specific reading skills. However, the manual is not conclusive and there is a need for more data on its effectiveness and is recommended for further study and experimentation.