IMPROVING READING PERFORMANCE OF READERS AT RISK THROUGH

SYNTHETIC PHONICS APPROACH TO KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS OF UPPER

PULACAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

An Action Research Proposal

Submitted to the
Schools Division Research Committee (SDRC)
Schools Division of Zamboanga del Sur
Provincial Government Center, Dao, Pagadian City

Research Proponents:

RITCHIE E. COLIS
Teacher III

Upper Pulacan Elementary School

Labangan 1 District
Upper Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur

September 2023
II. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

Teaching reading in kindergarten in not easy. Some of the Upper Pulacan

kinder learners enrolled in this School Year 2023-2024 cannot identify alphabets and
even alphabet sounds. The CRLA result of the kinder pupils got low score from the
previous school year. Out of 38 kinder pupils, only 16 is Grade 1 ready, 16 full
refresher and 9 light refreshers. At this early age, it is crucial for the children to learn
reading fast. For the school year 2023-2024, out of 36 kindergarten learners, 30
learners cannot identify letters and letter sound. The reading approach is at hand with
the kinder teacher on how these children learn how to read.
Learning to read is unquestionably one of the most significant skills focused on
in kindergarten. The learners who read well progress better understanding and
effective adjustment towards life. When the learners comprehend, they could
recognize, organize, shape, establish, produce, make changes and arrives at correct
choices. Reading is one of the powerful areas where the learners must be placed under
a proper plan ang can be address to guarantee the learners to learn effectively the
basic skills in reading.
Poor reading performance is one of the many problems that a teacher
encountered as she teaches. It is a vital task of all the teachers to improve the quality
of instruction to help the slow readers and readers at-risks gain the basic knowledge
and skills in reading which could be use as avenue to accept other subject areas
prescribed in the curriculum. The quality of education acquired by the pupils depend
largely upon the learners know how to read and interpret printed materials effectively;
and without such abilities they are banded from learning effectively to the other
subjects in the curriculum.
Phonics is one of the best approaches for teaching in kindergarten. Even if a
child learns to read words by sight, they still need to know how to use phonics.
Phonics teaches children about how words are pronounced and what the word’s letters
sound like (Reading Teacher 2023). Phonics teaching in the kindergarten classroom
plays an important role in helping kinder learners improve their reading skills in
preparation for grade one. Phonics approach is teaching reading that focuses to the
acquisition of letter-sound correspondences and their use in reading and spelling.
One of the phonics approaches to use in this research is Synthetic Phonic
Approach. Synthetic Phonic Approach is blending of sounds to make a word and
enable children to read (Phonics Hero 2023). This approach is reading from simple to
complex. A synthetic phonics approach will teach these 44 sounds from the simple to
complicated.
With this research, it aims to find out that synthetic phonic strategy will
improve the reading ability of the readers at-risk of kindergarten pupils of Upper
Pulacan Elementary School.

III. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

This action research aimed to improve the reading abilities of readers-at-risk in
kindergarten pupils of Upper Pulacan Elementary School for the school year 2023-
2024 through phonics approach. This will provide the necessary remedial measures to
correct and improve the reading potentials of these pupils.
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following question:
1. What is the reading level of pupils after the phonics approach is used?
2. How effective is the strategy used in determining the reading level of the
pupils.
 3. How did phonic approach help the learners in reading?

IV. INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY

There is one intervention need of pupils who have been formally diagnosed with
reading disabilities. It will address pupils who may not meet formal criteria for a
learning disability in the area of reading but who struggle with identifying and
comprehending written language through Synthetic Phonic Approach.

V. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

A. Research Design
This research employs qualitative research as method in discovering the
answers of the research questions. Qualitative research a process of realistic
inquiry that seeks an in-depth understanding of social phenomena within
their natural setting.

B. Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information

This study limits to 36 kindergarten pupils for school year 2023-2024 of
Upper Pulacan Elementary School.

C. Research Instruments
For the purpose of this research, there will be 2 instrument to use. First
instrument is the alphabet block that contains letters for the learners. The
teacher will use CRLA Assessment Tool to be used for pretest and posttest
as the second instrument.

D. Data Gathering Procedures

The researcher will ask permission from the principal in the Upper
Pulacan Elementary School to conduct the study. The proponents will
conduct pretest and posttest assessment to the 36 kindergarten pupils of
Upper Pulacan Elementary School.

E. Data Analysis
The collection of data primarily focused on the results of the reading
assessment kinder learners. CRLA will be used for reading assessment for
pretest and posttest. Pre-test will be conducted to be the baseline data. The
proponent will find the difference between pretest and posttest if the strategy
used to readers at-risk improves.

V. ACTION RESEARCH WORK PLAN AND TIMELINES

Table 2 below shows the work plan and timelines in the conduct of this
research. It indicates the prescribe activities with its target date and who are the
persons involve.

Table 2. Research Work Plan and Timelines

Target Persons
Activities
Date Involved
A. Planning and Design
  Drafting of Proposal September 2023 Researchers
 Finalizing Proposal October 2023 Researchers
 Submission of Proposal to SDO thru November 2023 Researchers
SDRC
 Drafting of Questionnaire November 2023 Researchers
 Finalizing Questionnaire November 2022 Researchers
 Research Implementation January – June Researchers /
2024 Respondents
B. Data Collection
 Data Assessment 1st Week July Researchers /
2024 Respondents
rd
 Tabulation of Responses 3 Week July Researchers
2024
C. Data Analyses
 Quantitative Analysis of Data 4th Week July Researchers
2024
 Translate and Transcribe Data 2nd Week August Researchers
2024
D. Research Evaluation
 Research Presentation of Results to 1st Week Researchers
SDRC September 2024
 Research Editing with Plagiarism 2nd Week
Results September 2024
 Research SDO Congress Presentation of 4th Week
Results September 2024
E. Dissemination
 Intervention Briefs 1st Week October Researchers
2024
 Intervention Dissemination 2nd Week October Researchers
2024
 Intervention Workshops 3rd Week October Researchers
2024

VI. COST ESTIMATES

Table 3 below shows the cost estimates in the conduct of the study based on
the required deliverables. It shows what are the deliverables to come up with the
study.

Table 3. Cost Estimates

Cost
Deliverables Particulars
Estimate
1. Encoded Proposal Encoding Cost 200
Printing Cost, Photocopy
2. Proposal Reproduction Expenses 200
3. Encoded Questionnaire Encoding Cost 200
4. Questionnaire Reproduction Printing Cost, Photocopy 200
 Expenses
5. Accomplished Survey Transportation, Meals, Snacks,
200
Questionnaire- Checklist Other Expenses
Encoding Cost, Printing,
6. Tabulation Result Tabulator snacks and Meals 1000
7. Reproduction of Final Output Encoding and Printing Cost 1000
8. Reproduction of Evaluated
Output Encoding and Printing Cost 1000
Transportation Allowances,
9. Conduct of Workshops Meals, Snacks and Supplies 500
10.Conduct of Policy Conferences Transportation Allowances,
and Meetings Meals, Snacks and Supplies 1000
TOTAL 5,500

VIII. PLANS FOR DISSEMINATION AND UTILIZATION

Results of this study shall be in motivating the teachers and parents. The
strategy shall be disseminated and be used to teachers and be used by observers.
Policy dissemination shall be done in meetings, conferences, and other sorts of forum.

PERSONS RESOURCES TIME EXPECTED

ACTIVITIES OBJECTIVES
INVOLVED NEEDED FRAME OUTPUT
A. FACILITATE
To inform
MEETING Last Meeting
School Head School
WITH Record Book Friday of Planned
and Teachers Head &
SCHOOL Attendance August and
for the teachers
HEAD & 2023 scheduled
innovation.
TEACHERS
First
B. PREPARE Prepare
Monday
SURVEY Research tool Research
Researchers Research Tool of
QUESTIONN to tool created.
Septemb
AIRE beneficiaries
er
Second
To conduct Researchers
C. CONDUCT Friday of Research
research to and Research Tool
STUDY Septemb done.
beneficiaries teachers
er
Last
D. ANALYZE Data
Analyze data Friday of
DATA Researchers Research Tool analysis
collected Septemb
COLLECTED done
er
IX. REFERENCE

2023. Reading Teacher. October 4. Accessed October 4, 2023.

https://readingteacher.com/the-best-methods-for-teaching-reading-in-kindergarten/.