PROJECT EDUCATIONAL VIDEO - ASSISTED RECIPROCAL AND STRATEGIC READING (EARES): AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO ADDRESS DIFFICULTIES IN WORD RECOGNITION AND COMPREHENSION AMONG GRADE 6 PUPILS

Many learners struggle to master reading skills. Hence, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of Project EARES in addressing difficulties in word recognition and comprehension among Grade 6 learners in Tuhian Elementary School. This undertaking employed quantitative method. Meanwhile, quasi-experimental research design was utilized, specifically pretest-posttest, with a comparison group design to demonstrate causality between the intervention and an outcome. The respondents involved 40 Grade 6 learners who comprised the control and experimental groups formed through matched sampling. The reading performance of the respondents in both groups was assessed using the standardized passages from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) at two points of the experimental study: one was before the treatment (pretest), and the other one was after the treatment (posttest). For the analysis of the data gathered, the following statistical tools were used: mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-test. Based on the findings, there was no significant difference between the pretest scores of controls and experimental groups before the implementation of Project EARES in terms of word recognition and comprehension. This implies that the grouping matches and there is homogeneity of group performance. On the other hand, after the implementation of the treatment, there was a significant difference between the progress of control and experimental groups regarding word recognition and comprehension. The results demonstrate a positive effect of Project EARES on addressing difficulties in reading skills. Moreover, it implies that the use of the intervention program in the treatment group is more effective than the teacher-led reading approach, which was utilized in the control group. Likewise, the utilization of Project EARES, as a reading intervention program that provides explicit instruction in metacognitive strategy within mixed-ability cooperative learning group, is a useful tool in addressing difficulties in word recognition and comprehension resulting to the improvement of reading performance