“ Assessing Reading Difficulties and Reading
Strategies at Elementary Level in Grade V Learners”
PRESENTER: SYEDAANUMANWAR
SUPERVISOR: MS.SHAISTA
RESEARCH COORDINATOR: MS. NADIATHALHO
GOVERNMENTELEMENTARY
COLLEGEOFEDUCATION(W)
HYDERABAD.
Content:
Introduction Problem
Statement Research
Objectives Research
Questions
Significance of the Study
Literature review Research
Methodology Population
and Sample Action
Plan/Time Span
Analysis of Reconnaissance stage Analysis of
Action Stage
Findings
Conclusion
Chapter1:Introduction:
Reading is a dynamic process of constructing meaning, involving interaction between the reader,
text, and context (Wixon et al., 1987). With the shift from grammatical to communicative
approaches, reading has become a crucial skill in Pakistan, especially in higher education and the
globalized world.
BackgroundoftheStudy
Reading is a mental process where readers
identify written text to understand its contents
(Brunan W.K, 1989). Good readers comprehend
ideas, suggestions, and unfamiliar words from
context. There's a strong connection between
readingandacademicsuccess(Pretorius, E.).
Rationaleof theStudy
Research suggests that reading levels in
Government Primary PC Urdu Section School
with GECE (W) Hyderabad are below
standard. Many students struggle to acquire
reading skills, leading to poor performance and
dropout rates. This study aims to investigate
reading difficultiesfacedbygrade five pupils.
■ SignificanceoftheStudy
■ This research is essential for
understanding reading difficulties and
assessing strategies used in teaching
reading. The findings will shed light on
difficulties faced by learners and provide
expert suggestions from teachers. This
study will create awareness among
educators,learners,andpolicymakers.
■ StatementoftheProblem
■ The ability to read is crucial for success in
life. Despite its importance, many students
encounter reading problems, affecting their
performance in other subjects. This study
seeks to establish factors leading to reading
difficulties and challenges teachers
experienceinteachingreading.
■ ObjectivesoftheStudy
■ This action researchthesisaimsto:
■ 1.To identifyreading difficultiesfacedbygrade5 learners.
■ 2. To determine reading strategies used by learners to
overcome difficulties.
■ 3. To collect teachers' opinions and suggestions on reading
difficulties.
■ 4. To identifyfactorshindering learners' readingskills.
■ DelimitationoftheStudy
■ This studyislimited to:
■ 1. Government Primary PC Urdu section School attached with
GECE(W) Hyderabad.
■ 2. Grade5 learners(5studentsout of35).
■ 3. One teacher fromthe school.
■ 4.Qualitativeresearchtools(preandpost-test).
■ 5.Small-scalestudyduetotimeconstraints.
OperationalDefinitions
1. Reading:Adeliberateprocessofunderstandingwrittenlanguage(Williams, 1998).
2. Reading Difficulty: Unexpected failure to read fluently, including mispronouncing, omitting, substituting,or
addingwords(Peyrard-Janvidetal., 2004).
3. ReadingComprehension:Thelevelofunderstandingofatext/message(Wikipedia).
4. ReadingStrategy: Aplanselectedbythereadertoaccomplishaparticulargoal ortask(Parisetal., 1983,
1991).
5. Decoding: Translatingwrittenwordsintospokenwords(oftensilently).
6. Prefix:Aletteror groupoflettersaddedtothebeginningofawordtochangeitsmeaning.
7. Suffix:Aletterorgroupoflettersaddedtotheendofawordtochangeitsgrammaticalfunction.
8. Vocabulary: Alistofdifficultorunfamiliarwordswithexplanations(Oxforddictionary).
9. Prediction: Thinkingaheadwhilereadingandanticipatinginformationandeventsinthetext.
ReviewLiterature
S.No: Author Yearof
Publication
Statements
1 Showling (2000) Explained that problems withphonemicawareness and decodingarecommon
causes of reading struggles, as these skills are essential for recognizing
words.
2 Fuchs (2001) SuggestedthatusingtoolslikeDIBELStoidentifyreadingproblemsearly.
3 Rasinki (2004) Emphasized that poor reading fluency, such as slow and inaccurate reading,
reducescomprehension andoverall readingefficiency.
Chapter3:ResearchMethodology
3.1 ResearchQuestions
1. Main Research Question: What are the
reading difficulties and strategies used by grade V
learners?
2. ResearchObjective.
1. To identify the common reading difficulties
faced by Grade 5 learners.2. 2. To examine the
effectiveness of various reading strategies in
improving reading comprehension among
Grade 5learners.
3. To investigate the relationship between
phonemic awareness and reading difficulties in
Grade 5learners.
3.2 ResearchDesign
Thischapteroutlinestheresearchmethodology,
including:
1. Researchdesign
2. Action research
3. Cycleofaction research
4. Population
5. Sampleandsamplingprocedure
6. Researchinstruments
3.3 ActionResearch
Action research is a process of studying a real
school or classroom situation to understand
andimprovethequalityofactionsorinstruction.
Time Span
S.no: Date Action Place DataCollection tool Reflection
1 30 Sep
2024
Reconnais
sance
PrimaryP.C
Urdu Section
School attached
withG.E
C.E (W)
Hyderabad
Interview
QuestionnaireTool
I visited PC Primary School. First, I met with the HM and discussed
my research topic. After that, I asked some questions about
readingdifficultiesandreading strategies.
2 2 Oct
2024
Cycle01 Primary P.C
Urdu Section
School attached
withG.E
C.E
(W
)
Hyderabad
Observational
checklist
I observed and analyzed the teacher's information about reading
difficulties (e.g., decoding, fluency, comprehension, and
strategies). I also observed the teacher's methods, including her use
of questioningand techniquestobuildcomprehension.
3 8 Oct
2024
Cycle2 Primary P.C
Urdu Section
School attached
withG.E
C.E
(W
)
Observational tool
(RunningRecord)
By observing each student as they read a passage aloud, I can
identify areas such as decoding issues, fluency gaps, and
comprehensionstrategies.
Hyderabad
4 21 Oct
2024
Cycle3 Primary P.C
Urdu Section
School attached
withG.E
C.E
(W
)
Hyderabad
Assessment After observing these difficulties and strategies in reading, I used a
test to assess reading through the ASE PAT-R (Progressive
AssessmentTestinReading).
3.4 OverviewofActionResearch
Theactionresearchprocessinvolvesfiveessential steps:
1. Identifyaproblemorareaofexploration
2. Collectdata
3. Analyzedata
4. Describefindingsand planfor action
5. Reportorsharefindingsandplanforaction
3.7PopulationandParticipants
Thepopulationconsistedof35gradeFivestudentsandoneteacherfromGovernmentPCUrdusection SchoolHyderabad. Five
studentsandoneteacherwereselected asparticipants.
Chapter4:DataAnalysisandInterpretation
4.1 DataInterpretationandAnalysis
Thedataanalysisrevealed that:
- 80% of students agreed to having difficulty
graspingthe main ideaof atext
- 80% of students agreed to having difficulty
identifyingmainpoints
- 100%ofstudentsagreedtofindingdifficultyin
understandinglargewords
- 80% of students agreed to mostly forgetting
vocabularytheyread
4.3Analysisof1stActionStage
The analysis of the 1st action stage revealed an
improvement in students' reading
comprehension scores, from 25% to 54%, after
the delivery of a lesson using different
instructional strategies.
Pre-Assessmentand Post-AssessmentResults
- Pre-assessment: Students scored 40% on
average, indicating a need for improvement in
reading comprehension.
- Post-assessment: After implementing
instructional strategies, students' scores
increased to 80%, demonstrating significant
improvement.
Chapter5:Conclusions,Findings,andRecommendations
5. Major Findings
The studyinvestigatedreadingdifficulties facedby5th-gradestudents at Government PCUrdusection School
Hyderabad. Keyfindingsinclude:
1. Studentsareawareoftheirreadingdifficulties, particularlyinvocabulary.
2. Participantsreporteddifficultyincomprehensionandconceptual levels.
3. Studentsrecognizetheroleofteachersandparentsinimprovingreading skills.
4. Students use strategies like scanning, rereading, summarizing, and discussing with others to cope with
readingdifficulties.
■ 5.1Conclusion
■ Reading is a crucial element for everyday life. The study aimed to investigate reading
difficulties faced by 5th-grade students and explore strategies used to overcome these
difficulties. Findings suggest that students need to develop a reading habit from an early age, and
attentionshouldbegiventoadult studentswithdifficulties.
■
■ 5.2RecommendationsforFurtherResearch
■ Theresearchersuggestsfurtherresearchonreadingdifficulties, focusingon:
■
■ 1.Primaryandotherlevelstogetaholisticpicture.
■ 2.Includingmoreteachersandstudentsforabroaderperspective.
■ 3.Examiningothergradestoidentifypatternsandtrends.

Assessing Reading Difficulties and Reading Strategies at Elementary Level in Grade V Learners”by Anum Anwar.pdf

  • 1.
    “ Assessing ReadingDifficulties and Reading Strategies at Elementary Level in Grade V Learners” PRESENTER: SYEDAANUMANWAR SUPERVISOR: MS.SHAISTA RESEARCH COORDINATOR: MS. NADIATHALHO GOVERNMENTELEMENTARY COLLEGEOFEDUCATION(W) HYDERABAD.
  • 2.
    Content: Introduction Problem Statement Research ObjectivesResearch Questions Significance of the Study Literature review Research Methodology Population and Sample Action Plan/Time Span Analysis of Reconnaissance stage Analysis of Action Stage Findings Conclusion
  • 3.
    Chapter1:Introduction: Reading is adynamic process of constructing meaning, involving interaction between the reader, text, and context (Wixon et al., 1987). With the shift from grammatical to communicative approaches, reading has become a crucial skill in Pakistan, especially in higher education and the globalized world. BackgroundoftheStudy Reading is a mental process where readers identify written text to understand its contents (Brunan W.K, 1989). Good readers comprehend ideas, suggestions, and unfamiliar words from context. There's a strong connection between readingandacademicsuccess(Pretorius, E.). Rationaleof theStudy Research suggests that reading levels in Government Primary PC Urdu Section School with GECE (W) Hyderabad are below standard. Many students struggle to acquire reading skills, leading to poor performance and dropout rates. This study aims to investigate reading difficultiesfacedbygrade five pupils.
  • 4.
    ■ SignificanceoftheStudy ■ Thisresearch is essential for understanding reading difficulties and assessing strategies used in teaching reading. The findings will shed light on difficulties faced by learners and provide expert suggestions from teachers. This study will create awareness among educators,learners,andpolicymakers. ■ StatementoftheProblem ■ The ability to read is crucial for success in life. Despite its importance, many students encounter reading problems, affecting their performance in other subjects. This study seeks to establish factors leading to reading difficulties and challenges teachers experienceinteachingreading. ■ ObjectivesoftheStudy ■ This action researchthesisaimsto: ■ 1.To identifyreading difficultiesfacedbygrade5 learners. ■ 2. To determine reading strategies used by learners to overcome difficulties. ■ 3. To collect teachers' opinions and suggestions on reading difficulties. ■ 4. To identifyfactorshindering learners' readingskills. ■ DelimitationoftheStudy ■ This studyislimited to: ■ 1. Government Primary PC Urdu section School attached with GECE(W) Hyderabad. ■ 2. Grade5 learners(5studentsout of35). ■ 3. One teacher fromthe school. ■ 4.Qualitativeresearchtools(preandpost-test). ■ 5.Small-scalestudyduetotimeconstraints.
  • 5.
    OperationalDefinitions 1. Reading:Adeliberateprocessofunderstandingwrittenlanguage(Williams, 1998). 2.Reading Difficulty: Unexpected failure to read fluently, including mispronouncing, omitting, substituting,or addingwords(Peyrard-Janvidetal., 2004). 3. ReadingComprehension:Thelevelofunderstandingofatext/message(Wikipedia). 4. ReadingStrategy: Aplanselectedbythereadertoaccomplishaparticulargoal ortask(Parisetal., 1983, 1991). 5. Decoding: Translatingwrittenwordsintospokenwords(oftensilently). 6. Prefix:Aletteror groupoflettersaddedtothebeginningofawordtochangeitsmeaning. 7. Suffix:Aletterorgroupoflettersaddedtotheendofawordtochangeitsgrammaticalfunction. 8. Vocabulary: Alistofdifficultorunfamiliarwordswithexplanations(Oxforddictionary). 9. Prediction: Thinkingaheadwhilereadingandanticipatinginformationandeventsinthetext.
  • 6.
    ReviewLiterature S.No: Author Yearof Publication Statements 1Showling (2000) Explained that problems withphonemicawareness and decodingarecommon causes of reading struggles, as these skills are essential for recognizing words. 2 Fuchs (2001) SuggestedthatusingtoolslikeDIBELStoidentifyreadingproblemsearly. 3 Rasinki (2004) Emphasized that poor reading fluency, such as slow and inaccurate reading, reducescomprehension andoverall readingefficiency.
  • 7.
    Chapter3:ResearchMethodology 3.1 ResearchQuestions 1. MainResearch Question: What are the reading difficulties and strategies used by grade V learners? 2. ResearchObjective. 1. To identify the common reading difficulties faced by Grade 5 learners.2. 2. To examine the effectiveness of various reading strategies in improving reading comprehension among Grade 5learners. 3. To investigate the relationship between phonemic awareness and reading difficulties in Grade 5learners. 3.2 ResearchDesign Thischapteroutlinestheresearchmethodology, including: 1. Researchdesign 2. Action research 3. Cycleofaction research 4. Population 5. Sampleandsamplingprocedure 6. Researchinstruments 3.3 ActionResearch Action research is a process of studying a real school or classroom situation to understand andimprovethequalityofactionsorinstruction.
  • 8.
    Time Span S.no: DateAction Place DataCollection tool Reflection 1 30 Sep 2024 Reconnais sance PrimaryP.C Urdu Section School attached withG.E C.E (W) Hyderabad Interview QuestionnaireTool I visited PC Primary School. First, I met with the HM and discussed my research topic. After that, I asked some questions about readingdifficultiesandreading strategies. 2 2 Oct 2024 Cycle01 Primary P.C Urdu Section School attached withG.E C.E (W ) Hyderabad Observational checklist I observed and analyzed the teacher's information about reading difficulties (e.g., decoding, fluency, comprehension, and strategies). I also observed the teacher's methods, including her use of questioningand techniquestobuildcomprehension. 3 8 Oct 2024 Cycle2 Primary P.C Urdu Section School attached withG.E C.E (W ) Observational tool (RunningRecord) By observing each student as they read a passage aloud, I can identify areas such as decoding issues, fluency gaps, and comprehensionstrategies.
  • 9.
    Hyderabad 4 21 Oct 2024 Cycle3Primary P.C Urdu Section School attached withG.E C.E (W ) Hyderabad Assessment After observing these difficulties and strategies in reading, I used a test to assess reading through the ASE PAT-R (Progressive AssessmentTestinReading).
  • 10.
    3.4 OverviewofActionResearch Theactionresearchprocessinvolvesfiveessential steps: 1.Identifyaproblemorareaofexploration 2. Collectdata 3. Analyzedata 4. Describefindingsand planfor action 5. Reportorsharefindingsandplanforaction 3.7PopulationandParticipants Thepopulationconsistedof35gradeFivestudentsandoneteacherfromGovernmentPCUrdusection SchoolHyderabad. Five studentsandoneteacherwereselected asparticipants.
  • 11.
    Chapter4:DataAnalysisandInterpretation 4.1 DataInterpretationandAnalysis Thedataanalysisrevealed that: -80% of students agreed to having difficulty graspingthe main ideaof atext - 80% of students agreed to having difficulty identifyingmainpoints - 100%ofstudentsagreedtofindingdifficultyin understandinglargewords - 80% of students agreed to mostly forgetting vocabularytheyread 4.3Analysisof1stActionStage The analysis of the 1st action stage revealed an improvement in students' reading comprehension scores, from 25% to 54%, after the delivery of a lesson using different instructional strategies. Pre-Assessmentand Post-AssessmentResults - Pre-assessment: Students scored 40% on average, indicating a need for improvement in reading comprehension. - Post-assessment: After implementing instructional strategies, students' scores increased to 80%, demonstrating significant improvement.
  • 12.
    Chapter5:Conclusions,Findings,andRecommendations 5. Major Findings Thestudyinvestigatedreadingdifficulties facedby5th-gradestudents at Government PCUrdusection School Hyderabad. Keyfindingsinclude: 1. Studentsareawareoftheirreadingdifficulties, particularlyinvocabulary. 2. Participantsreporteddifficultyincomprehensionandconceptual levels. 3. Studentsrecognizetheroleofteachersandparentsinimprovingreading skills. 4. Students use strategies like scanning, rereading, summarizing, and discussing with others to cope with readingdifficulties.
  • 13.
    ■ 5.1Conclusion ■ Readingis a crucial element for everyday life. The study aimed to investigate reading difficulties faced by 5th-grade students and explore strategies used to overcome these difficulties. Findings suggest that students need to develop a reading habit from an early age, and attentionshouldbegiventoadult studentswithdifficulties. ■ ■ 5.2RecommendationsforFurtherResearch ■ Theresearchersuggestsfurtherresearchonreadingdifficulties, focusingon: ■ ■ 1.Primaryandotherlevelstogetaholisticpicture. ■ 2.Includingmoreteachersandstudentsforabroaderperspective. ■ 3.Examiningothergradestoidentifypatternsandtrends.