Use of Story Maps to Improve Reading Comprehension

MARIA LOURDES L. RUBA

Researcher

Bagontaas Central Elementary School

November, 2019

1
 Use of Story Maps to Improve Reading Comprehension

MARIA LOURDES L. RUBA

Bagontaas Central Elementary School

Abstract

Story maps can be an effective strategy in improving reading comprehension of

learners. Since story maps are graphic organizers, they allow students to tap into visual
learning and organize multiple literary elements. The study assessed the effectiveness of
story maps in improving the reading comprehension level of the twelve (12) Grade 6-
Einstein pupils of Bagontaas Central Elementary School for School Year 2019-2020. The
respondents belonged to the independent level in word recognition but frustration level in the
comprehension questions. The learners were given pretest, intervention and then posttest.
The participants took the pretest where they were asked to read a story and answer an eight-
item test. They were then subjected to the three-phase implementation on the use of story
maps for twelve (12) sessions. After the twelve (12) sessions, the teacher conducted a
posttest by giving the same story but this time the participants filled in a story map before
answering the eight-item comprehension test. Descriptive statistics were used to see the
effectiveness on the use of the story map in improving reading comprehension. T-test was
also used to determine the significant difference in the Mean Percentage Score of the pretest
and posttest comprehension questions. The researcher also used the Phil-IRI Table of
Percentage for Comprehension Scores to determine the comprehension level of each
participant.
Findings revealed that story maps are effective in improving reading comprehension.
The use of story map was taught through explicit instruction that is why the learners
mastered the skill and they were able to apply it effectively. The comprehension level of the
respondents significantly improved after using the story maps.

Keywords: story maps, graphic organizers, literary elements

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 CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

Reading is one of the basic skills that a learner should possess if he/she

wants to improve his/her academic performance. It is often a misconception that

word recognition is already reading. Reading involves not only word recognition but

also comprehension. Reading comprehension is the ability to construct and extract

meaning from a written text (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 1997). It is considered to be the

most critical skill that is needed to succeed in school.

It is not enough to identify a written word by sight because it is purely word

recognition. It has to be coupled with an intentional and thoughtful interaction

between the reader and the text which is comprehension. Scharer (2012) pointed

out that we use the words “understanding,” “knowledge,” and “comprehension” in

describing our end-goal in reading.

One of the effective strategies in improving reading comprehension is the use

of graphic organizers. One of the most common graphic organizers used in reading

is the story map. It is a reading strategy that teaches students to monitor their

understanding of materials by reflecting upon specific questions while reading.

Story maps are based on the underlying principles of the schema theory.

Anderson, et al (1977) pointed out that schema theory is the correspondence

between a reader’s underlying knowledge structures (schemata) and the textual

materials. This correspondence will determine the extent of comprehension. In the

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same manner, Spiro (1980) pointed out that one way of building knowledge

structures is to make readers aware of the relationship between existing schemata

and reading materials which can be done through a basic framework for organizing

and storing information, thus, the use of story maps.

Christensen (2016) stressed that because story maps are graphic organizers,

they allow students to tap into visual learning and organize multiple literary

elements. She added that story maps can give students a chance to organize

information into smaller categories, helps students summarize the story, and

reinforces kinesthetic, visual, and even auditory learning styles. As the learners

create their story map, they organize their thoughts and ideas, thus, leading to

reading comprehension. In the same way, Edmonds et al. (2009) pointed out that

the use of story maps or other graphic organizers can help students with learning

disabilities to make sense of the text and allow them to record the most important

information as they read.

Story mapping is simply filling out story elements on a graphic organizer and

has been found to be effective across many studies (Stetter & Hughes, 2010). Story

maps can helps learners of varying abilities to organize information and ideas

efficiently from the stories they have read. By identifying story characters, plot,

setting, problem and solution, students read carefully to learn the details. A story

map is an effective reading strategy since it is flexible and can be used with the

entire class, small groups, or for individual work. In group or individually, learners

can examine the different components of an assigned text or story.

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 The use of the Phil-IRI as an assessment for learner’s word recognition level,

comprehension level and reading level is very helpful for teachers to know where to

start their reading remediation. Based on the results of the Phil-IRI pretest for School

Year 2019-2020, almost 60% of the Grade 6 learners of Bagontaas Central

Elementary School belong to the independent level when it comes to word

recognition. When it comes to comprehension, most of them can answer only four

out of 8 questions that is why they fall under the frustration level. Thus, their reading

level is frustration regardless of them being independent in word recognition.

The Phil-IRI Pretest in Grade 6-Einstein shows that out of 39 learners, 29

belong to the frustration level. Out of the 29 frustration readers, twelve (12) have an

independent level in their word recognition. It clearly shows that even if pupils are

good at word recognition it does not follow that they can comprehend what they are

reading.

It is in this light that the researcher decided to improve the reading

comprehension of the twelve (12) Grade 6-Einstein learners through the use of story

maps. These learners are already good in word recognition but they are poor in

comprehension. They were subjected to the use of story maps during the school

reading program time (1:00-1:40). They were asked to read stories and fill in story

maps to aid them in answering the questions asked orally by the researcher.

The intervention was conducted for twelve (12) sessions which consisted of

three phases – modeling, guided practice and independent practice. First, the pupils

were asked to take the pretest. They answered an eight-item comprehension test
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after reading a story. Explicit instruction was used by the researcher. Teacher

modeled first how to use the story map. Then, learners filled in the story map with

their partners. After they have shown mastery on its use, they filled in the story map

template individually and answered orally the questions asked by the teacher. It is at

this time that the teacher can assess if they have improved on their reading

comprehension. Lastly, they took a posttest with the same story and questions

conducted in the pretest but this time they have filled in the story map before

answering the comprehension questions.

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 INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY

With the pressing problem on learners who cannot comprehend, story maps

can be employed. The use of story maps to illustrate concepts and relationships

between concepts in a text or using diagrams is very helpful to learners who belong

to the frustration level. A story map can be used to identify story characters, plot,

setting, problem and solution. In addition, story maps can be used for teaching

learners to work with story structure for better comprehension.

The researcher used the story maps developed by Pearson (1982) and was

used by Idol (1987) and Idol and Croll (1987) in their studies. The story maps

required the learners to fill in the blanks for setting (character, time, and place),

problem, goal, action and outcome.

To ensure the effectiveness of the story maps in improving reading

comprehension, the researcher used explicit instruction for twelve (12) sessions. As

pointed out by Adler (2001), the use of explicit instruction to teach comprehension

skill is highly effective. The steps of explicit instruction are direct explanation,

teacher modeling, guided practice and individual practice.

The researcher familiarized the learners who belong to the frustration level

with the strategy first. She selected a reading passage, prepare a story map

template and display it in class. Using the template, she modeled the strategy by

reading the passage aloud and stopping at key points that can be included in the

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map. The researcher read aloud the story to the participants. She asked them to

think aloud and look for information about character and setting at the beginning of

the story. They also recorded new characters as they appeared in the story. They

were showed how to determine the setting early in the story. Setting is defined as

time (past, present, future) and place. After the teacher finished reading the story,

the final step was to identify several important events that happened in the story like

the problem, goal, action and outcome. Throughout this phase, the researcher

modeled how to fill out the story map on the board while students copied down the

answers on their own story maps.

During the guided practice phase, students filled in the story map with teacher

support. Participants took turns reading the story out loud and discussed the story

elements with support from the researcher. Students took turns in reading and as

they read, they stopped and discussed story elements as they come across them

and write them down as they had learned during the modeling phase. Students

worked together to prompt each other and pointed out when story elements arose

that should be written down. They worked by pair with researcher support over the

four sessions.

In the independent practice, students read the story and completed the story

map on their own. Story maps were filled out while reading and then taken away

before answering questions. The teacher called them one by one and asked the

comprehension questions orally which was revised by the researcher from the study

of Idol & Croll (1987).

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 After the twelve (12) sessions, they were asked to take the posttest. The

participants were given the same story (pretest) and were asked to fill in a story

map. The story and story map were taken away by the teacher before they

answered the eight-item comprehension questions.

Scores of the participants were interpreted based on the Phil-IRI scoring

guide for comprehension questions.

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 ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study aimed to answer the following questions:

1. Is story map effective in improving the reading comprehension level of

learners?

2. Is there a significant difference in the comprehension test results before

and after using story maps?

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant difference in the comprehension test results before and

after using story maps.

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 ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

Research Participants

The participants of the research were the twelve (12) Grade 6-Einstein pupils

of Bagontaas Central Elementary School who belonged to the independent level in

word recognition but frustration level in the comprehension questions. They were

exposed to the use of story maps during the School Reading Program at 1:00-1:40

in the afternoon for twelve sessions.

Research Locale

The research was conducted at Bagontaas Central Elementary School,

Division of Valencia City where the researcher is assigned. No research has been

made yet in this school regarding the use of story maps to improve reading

comprehension.

Research Design

The research design used in this study is the One-Group pretest and posttest

design. The learners were given pretest, intervention and then posttest.

Data Gathering Instruments

The participants took the pretest where they were asked to read a story and

answer an eight-item test. They were then subjected to the three-phase

implementation on the use of story maps for twelve (12) sessions. After the twelve
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(12) sessions, the teacher conducted a posttest by giving the same story but this

time the participants filled in a story map before answering the eight-item

comprehension test.

The stories used for Phase I and II were taken from the Phil-IRI Manual 2018.

Stories chosen were the ones intended for grade 5 since the respondents cannot

comprehend yet the expository text intended for Grade 6 as shown in their Phil-IRI

results. The researcher decided to go one grade level lower than their current grade

level so that the respondents will be exposed to narratives which are appropriate for

story maps. For the individual practice, the stories were taken from Developing

Reading Power 6 which are intended for grade 6 learners.

Research Procedure

The following steps were done to materialize this study:

The researcher asked permission from the school head that she would

conduct a study from September to November, 2019 in Grade 6-Einstein. She also

formally sent a letter stating the intervention that she would use.

Upon the approval of the school head, the researcher conducted a pretest to

the twelve respondents and the scores were recorded.

The use of story maps to improve comprehension was then conducted for

twelve (12) sessions during the School Reading Program time from 1:00-1:40 in the

afternoon.

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 The teacher modeled first how to use the story map. Then, they filled in the

story map with their group and partner. After showing mastery on its use, they filled

in the story map template individually. The teacher called them one by one and

asked the comprehension questions orally.

After the twelve sessions the participants were given a posttest using the

same story used during the pretest but they were asked to fill in the story map first

before answering the eight-item comprehension test.

Statistical Techniques

The following statistical techniques were applied in the analysis of the

gathered data:

Descriptive statistics such as the mean, frequency and percentages were

used to see the effectiveness on the use of the story map in improving reading

comprehension.

T-test was also used to determine the significant difference in the Mean

Percentage Score of the pretest and posttest comprehension questions.

The researcher also used the Phil-IRI Table of Percentage for

Comprehension Scores to determine the comprehension level of each participant.

Since it is an eight-item test, those who got 0-4 belong to the frustration level, 5-6

belong to the instructional level and those who got 7-8 belong to the independent

level.

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Table 1. Phil-IRI Table of Percentage for Comprehension Scores

Score in Comprehension % Comprehension Level

8 100
Independent
7 88

6 75
Instructional
5 63

4 50

3 38
Frustration
2 25
1 13

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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents discussions on the results of the study which are

sequenced based on the following research questions:

1. Is the story map effective in improving the reading comprehension level of

learners?

2. Is there a significant difference in the comprehension test results before

and after using story maps?

On the question “Is the story map effective in improving the reading

comprehension level of learners?”

Table 2 presented the scores of the respondents in the 8-item pre and post

comprehension test. Mean and mean percentage scores were used to analyze the

data.

Table 2. Scores of Pupils in the 8-item Comprehension Test

Mean diff

Pretest 3.58

Posttest 6.75 -3.17

The data reveals that the reading comprehension of the respondents obtained

a mean of 3.58 and 6.75 for pretest and posttest respectively.

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 Since pretest mean is only 3.58, it means that before using the story map,

respondent’s reading comprehension belongs to the frustration level as shown in the

Phil-IRI Table of Percentage of comprehension scores. After the twelve sessions,

their comprehension scores improved having a mean of 6.75 which means the

comprehension level now belongs to the independent level. The difference of 3.17 in

the mean scores only showed that the intervention was effective in improving

reading comprehension. The use of story map was taught through explicit instruction

that is why the learners mastered the skill and they were able to apply it effectively.

The result is supported with the findings of Stetter and Hughes (2010) that

story map interventions can improve reading comprehension across ages and

grades and that modeling on how to use a story map both result in improved

comprehension outcomes for students with learning disabilities and struggling

readers. The respondents were not used to filling in a story map but with constant

guidance and practice they were able to master filling in the story elements which

leads to comprehension. It is also consistent with the findings of Mahdari & Tensfeldt

(2013) who asserted that story mapping is filling out of story elements on a graphic

organizer which would result to improved reading comprehension.

On the question, “Is there a significant difference in the comprehension

test results before and after using story maps?

After the 12 sessions of using the story map, a posttest was conducted. The

comparative data is shown in Table 3. Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) and t-test

were utilized to determine difference.

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Table 3. Comparison of results in the pretest and post comprehension test
MPS Diff t-value p-value remarks

Pretest 3.58 -7.56 .00001 sig.

Posttest 6.75 -3.17

Data shows that the pretest and posttest scores of learners had a mean

difference of 3.17 showing a prominent significant increase in the posttest (p=<0.05).

The null hypothesis saying “There is no significant difference in the

comprehension test results before and after using story maps” is therefore

rejected.

The comprehension level of the respondents significantly improved after

using the story maps. They were able to take note of the story elements and wrote

them down on the story map. Through this, they can easily recall and understand the

story. Therefore, they were able to answer the comprehension questions asked from

them orally during the independent practice. During the posttest they were able to

comprehend the story because they filled in first a story map before taking the

written comprehension test.

The posttest result supports the position of schema theorists (Spiro, Bruce &

Brewer, 1980) that when readers are provided with relevant schemata they can draw

a relationship between those schemata and the reading materials.

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 REFLECTION

As an English teacher, I oftentimes feel frustrated when my pupils cannot

answer even wh- questions on a story read. In short, they cannot comprehend what

they are reading. The result of the Phil-IRI pretest serves as my wakeup call that I

should do something to improve the comprehension level of my pupils. Since I am a

grade 6 teacher, most of my pupils are good in word recognition. What they need to

improve on is their comprehension skills. Faced with this dilemma every year I

thought of trying the story map to aid them in comprehension. After 12 sessions I

found out that story maps are really effective if they are also taught using explicit

instruction.

Because of its effectiveness, I can now use the story map in my reading

lessons and English classes. I will ask permission from my school head if I can

conduct a SLAC on the importance of story maps in reading comprehension and

how it will be employed. I will motivate my co-teachers to use it also to solve the

pressing problem on frustration readers.

There are many strategies in improving reading comprehension but so far, for

me, this is one of the most effective. I will use this intervention especially during the

conduct of our School Reading Program every 1:00-1:40 daily so that I can

contribute to the Division’s mantra that No Valenciano is left behind.

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 ACTION PLAN

To ensure a smooth implementation, the action plan below was followed.

Persons Means of
Objectives Activities Time Frame
Involved Verification

To assess the Conduct a Phil-IRI June 17-21, 2019 Teacher Phil-IRI

reading level of the pretest results
learners Pupils

To assess the Conduct pretest by September 05, 2019 Teacher Pretest

comprehension level letting pupils read Results
of pupils (Pretest) a story and answer Pupils
the 8-item
comprehension
test

To model to the Phase I: Teacher September 09-20, Teacher Story map

learners on how to Modeling Phase 2019 templates
use story maps Pupils

To guide learners on Phase II: Guided September 23 – Teacher Story map

how to use story Practice October 04, 2019 templates
maps to comprehend Pupils
stories read

To individually use Phase III: October 07-18, 2019 Teacher Story map
story maps to Individual Practice templates
comprehend stories Pupils
read

To assess the Conduct posttest November 04, 2019 Teacher Posttest

comprehension level by letting pupils Results
of pupils read the same Pupils
story, fill in story
(Posttest) map and answer
the 8-item
comprehension
test

To analyze the result Tally and analyze November 05-12, Statis- Result of the
of the reading results 2019 tician analysis
pretest and posttest
results

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 REFERENCES

Adler, C.R. (2001). Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching
children to read. Retrieved from http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/
publications/reading_first1text.html September 12, 2019.
Anderson, R.C., Reynolds, R.E., Schallert, D.L., & Goetz, E.T., (1977). Framework
for comprehending discourse. American Educational Research Journal, 14,
367-381.
Christensen, R. (2016). Use story maps for better reading comprehension.
Retrieved from https://www.imaginelearning.com /blog/2016/03/story-maps-
reading-comprehension on October 05, 2019.
Edmonds, M. S., et.al, (2009). A synthesis of reading intervention and effects on
reading comprehension outcomes for older struggling readers. Review of
Educational Research, 79, 262-300.

Idol, L. (1987). Group story mapping: A comprehension strategy for both skilled and
unskilled readers. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 20, 196-205.

Idol, L., & Croll, V. J. (1987). Story-mapping training as a means of improving

reading comprehension. Learning Disability Quarterly, 10, 214-229.

Mahdavi, J. N., & Tensfeldt, L. (2013). Untangling reading comprehension strategy

instruction: Assisting struggling readers in the primary grades. Preventing
School Failure, 57, 77- 92. doi: 10.1080/1045988X.2012.668576.

Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (1997). Best practices in promoting reading

comprehension in students with learning disabilities. Remedial and Special
Education, 18, 197-213.
Pearson, P.D. (1982). Asking questions about stories. Boston: Ginn.
Spiro, R.J., Bruce, B. C., & Brewer, W.F. (1980). Theoretical issues in reading
comprehension. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Stetter, M. E., & Hughes, M. T. (2010). Using story grammar to assist students with
learning disabilities and reading difficulties to improve their comprehension.
Education and Treatment of Children, 33, 115-151.

Stokes, S. (2002) Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning: A Literature

Perspective. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education.
Volume 1, Issue no. 1, p. 10-19. Retrieved from:
http://ejite.isu.edu/volume1no1/pdfs/stokes.pdf on December 18, 2019.

20
 APPENDIX A

SCORES OF RESPONDENTS
Comprehensio Comprehensio
Learner Pretest Posttest Difference
n Level n Level
A 5 Instructional 6 Instructional 1

B 3 Frustration 6 Instructional 3

C 3 Frustration 7 Independent 4

D 2 Frustration 6 Instructional 4

E 5 Instructional 7 Independent 2

F 2 Frustration 7 Independent 5

G 3 Frustration 6 Instructional 3

H 6 Instructional 7 Independent 1

I 4 Frustration 7 Independent 3

J 2 Frustration 7 Independent 5

K 4 Frustration 7 Independent 3

L 4 Frustration 8 Independent 4

MEAN 3.58 6.75 3.17

MPS 44.79 84.38 39.59

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 APPENDIX B

FREQUENCY OF SCORES
Number of learners whose Number of learners whose
Raw Score scores are within the range scores are within the range
(Pretest) (Posttest)
9 0
0-4
3 4
5-6
0 8
7-8
12 12
TOTAL

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 APPENDIX C

NAME: ______________________________ TITLE OF STORY: ___________________

MY STORY MAP

The Setting
Characters: Time: Place:

The Problem

The Goal

Action

The Outcome

Pearson, P.D. (1982). Asking questions about stories. Boston:Ginn

23
 APPENDIX D

NAME: ______________________________

Teacher will ask the comprehension question orally and will put a checkmark
if the pupil answered it correctly.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Story
Questions 1 2 3 4
(Character)1. Who are the main characters?
(Setting) 2. When did the story take place?
(Setting) 3. Where did the story take place?
(Problem) 4. What was the problem in the story?
(Goal) 5. What did ______ want to do?
(Action) 6. How did ______ try to solve the problem?
(Obstacle) 7. Was it hard to solve the problem? Explain.
(Outcome) 8. Did ___ get what he/she wanted? Explain.
TOTAL SCORE

Idol, L., & Croll, V. J. (1987). Story-mapping training as a means of improving reading
comprehension. Learning Disability Quarterly, 10, 214-229.

Note: Some comprehension questions were revised by the researcher.

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 APPENDIX E

PRETEST
NAME: ___________________________ SCORE: _________
1. Who are the main characters in the story?
A. cow, farmer and goat B. cow, carabao and farmer
C. horse, farmer and carabao D. goat and farmer
2. Where did the story take place?
A. at the city B. at the seaside
C. at the farm D. in school
3. At the beginning of the story, what was one major difference between
the cow and the carabao?
A. The carabao was bigger than the cow.
B. The cow had sagging skin while the carabao had tight skin.
C. The carabao had sagging skin while the cow had tight skin.
D. The carabao worked at night while the cow worked in the day.
4. What did the farmer decide one day?
A. The cow and the carabao will work together.
B. The cow and the carabao should not leave the farm.
C. The carabao will work in the day while the cow will work at night.
D. The cow will work in the day while the carabao will work at night.
5. How did the farmer’s decision affect the cow and the carabao?
A. They did not have time to rest.
B. They hardly saw each other.
C. They did not eat enough.
D. They were always tired.
6. Why did the carabao cry one day?
A. He complained of the little food given by the farmer.
B. He complained that it is just too hot to work all day.
C. He was stressed of farm work.
D. He was left behind by the cow.
7. Why did the cow invite the carabao for a swim?
A. He invited the carabao so that the water will cool him off.
B. He invited the carabao so that they can bond together.
C. He invited the carabao so that they can play with the water.
D. He invited the carabao so that the farmer will get angry.
8. While swimming, what happened when they saw the farmer looking for
them?
A. They hide among the trees.
B. They ran towards the barn.

25
 C. They rushed to put on their skins and did not notice they have
exchanged their skins.
D. They just laughed and continued swimming.

APPENDIX F

POST TEST
NAME: ___________________________ SCORE: _________
1. Who are the main characters in the story?
A. cow, farmer and goat B. cow, carabao and farmer

26
 C. horse, farmer and carabao D. goat and farmer
2. Where did the story take place?
A. at the city B. at the seaside
C. at the farm D. in school
3. At the beginning of the story, what was one major difference between
the cow and the carabao?
A. The carabao was bigger than the cow.
B. The cow had sagging skin while the carabao had tight skin.
C. The carabao had sagging skin while the cow had tight skin.
D. The carabao worked at night while the cow worked in the day.
4. What did the farmer decide one day?
A. The cow and the carabao will work together.
B. The cow and the carabao should not leave the farm.
C. The carabao will work in the day while the cow will work at night.
D. The cow will work in the day while the carabao will work at night.
5. How did the farmer’s decision affect the cow and the carabao?
A. They did not have time to rest.
B. They hardly saw each other.
C. They did not eat enough.
D. They were always tired.
6. Why did the carabao cry one day?
A. He complained of the little food given by the farmer.
B. He complained that it is just too hot to work all day.
C. He was stressed of farm work.
D. He was left behind by the cow.
7. Why did the cow invite the carabao for a swim?
A. He invited the carabao so that the water will cool him off.
B. He invited the carabao so that they can bond together.
C. He invited the carabao so that they can play with the water.
D. He invited the carabao so that the farmer will get angry.
8. While swimming, what happened when they saw the farmer looking for
them?
A. They hide among the trees.
B. They ran towards the barn.
C. They rushed to put on their skins and did not notice they have
exchanged their skins.
D. They just laughed and continued swimming.

27
 APPENDIX G

Story Used in the Pretest & Post test

28
 APPENDIX G

List of Stories Used

Activity Stories Used

Pretest The Cow and the Carabao

The Legend of the Firefly

The Snail with the Biggest House

Phase I: Modeling
The Great Runner

Trading Places

Phase II: Guided Practice Frog’s Lunch

Pedrito’s Snack

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 Amy’s Good Deed

The Wind and the Sun

Daphne

The Face in the Pool

Phase III: Individual Practice
The Flower of Love

The Legend of Lake Buhi

Post test The Cow and the Carabao

30