The Effectiveness of Reading Intervention Programs on Learners with Reading Difficulties in Multigrade Schools


Authors : Mylene Funelas Hacutina

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 4 - April


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2vyvzsbm

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/ycx33jxv

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25apr274

Google Scholar

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Note : Google Scholar may take 15 to 20 days to display the article.


Abstract : In Magallanes South District, teachers are employing a combination of self-initiated projects and formal Department of Education (DepEd) reading programs to effectively support students grappling with reading difficulties. These reading intervention programs have shown considerable effectiveness in enhancing literacy skills, but their success is often impeded by logistical challenges. Themes derived from interviews with educators in the district reveal a robust commitment to literacy skill-building, with high success rates attributed to adaptive approaches tailored to individual student needs. Furthermore, socio-economic adaptations have facilitated changes in how reading difficulties are addressed, although logistical challenges remain a significant factor affecting overall effectiveness. The implementation of these programs relies heavily on teacher dedication and a collaborative atmosphere that fosters professional development. Teachers utilize individualization instruction methods and ongoing monitoring to create a supportive learning environment, maximizing the impact of their efforts. However, various challenges complicate these initiatives. Resource limitations, tight scheduling, and inconsistent parental involvement can hinder the optimal delivery of reading interventions, indicating a pressing need for systemic improvements. To tackle these challenges, a proposed intervention program aims to establish a supportive framework for educators and students in multigrade classrooms. By addressing resource limitations and fostering parental engagement, the program seeks to ensure sustained and effective reading interventions that cater to diverse learners. This initiative underscores the critical role of community and collaboration in the educational landscape, suggesting that a holistic approach could significantly enhance the efficacy of literacy initiatives in Magallanes South District.

Keywords : Magallanes South District, Reading Difficulties, Literacy Intervention, Teacher-Led Initiatives, Parental Involvement, Educational Strategies.

References :

  1. Aminu, B. (2014) Concept of Multigrade Teaching: Unpublished paper presented at a Training Workshop for Teacher Educators, Access Hotel, Kaduna
  2. Ballesteros, M. & Ocampo, R.O. (2016). Best practices of multigrade teaching in Luna, Apayao. International Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning, 3(6). https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/pa per/BEST%20PRACTICES%20OF%20MULTI RADE-848.pdf
  3. Bennell, P. (2022). Missing in action? The World Bank’s surveys of teacher absenteeism in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparative Education, 58(4), 489-508. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2022.2083342
  4. Blease, B., & Condy, J. (2014). What challenges do foundation phase teachers experience when teaching writing in rural multigrade classes? South African Journal of Childhood Education, 4(2), 36-56. https:// doi.org/10.4102/SAJCE.V4I2.203.
  5. Bongancisco, R. (2016). Effects of Contextualization on the reading comprehension performance of Filipino learners. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/31067 1685
  6. Cabalo, J. P., & Cabalo, M. M. (2019). Factors affecting pupils’ reading proficiency in multi-grade classes among rural elementary schools. International Journal of Science and Management Studies, 2(2), 108-124.
  7. Cailing, P. (2018). Graphic organizer: A teaching strategy for improving reading comprehension level among Grade I and II pupils in a multi-grade class. Academia.edu. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/37762262
  8. Casserly, A. M., Tiernan, B., & Maguire, G. (2019). Primary teachers’ perceptions of multi-grade classroom grouping practices to support inclusive education. European Journal of Special Needs Education34(5), 617-631.
  9. Castigador, D. L. (2019). Lived experiences of Multigrade teachers. The PASCHR Journal,1(1). Retrieved from https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=14771.
  10. Chi, C. (2024). Explainer: With students’ poor literacy, are all teachers now ‘reading teachers’? https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/01/11/2325063/explainer-students-poor-literacy-are-all-teachers-now-reading-teachers
  11. Daga, C. (2021). Challenges and indulgences behind multigrade teaching: A case study challenges and indulgences behind multigrade teaching: A case study. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 11(3), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.9790/7388-1103074556
  12. Didion, L., Toste, J. R., & Filderman, M. J. (2020). Teacher professional development and student reading achievement: A meta-analytic review of the effects. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 13(1), 29-66.
  13. Erden, H. (2020). Teaching and learning in multi-graded classrooms: Is it sustainable? International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 12, 359–378. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1245296.pdf
  14. Fargas-Malet, M., & Bagley, C. (2022). Is small beautiful? A scoping review of 21st-century research on small rural schools in Europe. European Educational Research Journal, 21(5), 822-844. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211022202
  15. Feruzi, S. M. (2021). Development of Reading Fluency from the Perspective of Automaticity Theory. International Journal of English Language Studies, 3(9), 23-27.
  16. Filderman, M. J., Austin, C. R., Boucher, A. N., O’Donnell, K., & Swanson, E. A. (2022). A meta-analysis of the effects of reading comprehension interventions on the reading comprehension outcomes of struggling readers in third through 12th grades. Exceptional Children, 88(2), 163-184.
  17. Gedik, O., & Akyol, H. (2022). Reading Difficulty and Development of Fluent Reading Skills: An Action Research. International Journal of Progressive Education, 18(1), 22-41.
  18. Gersten, R., Haymond, K., Newman-Gonchar, R., Dimino, J., & Jayanthi, M. (2020). Meta-analysis of the impact of reading interventions for students in the primary grades. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 13(2), 401-427.
  19. Gilpin, C. (2015). How academic intervention directly affects student performance (Doctoral dissertation, Northwest Missouri State University).
  20. Hudson, A., Koh, P. W., Moore, K. A., & Binks-Cantrell, E. (2020). Fluency interventions for elementary students with reading difficulties: A synthesis of research from 2000–2019. Education Sciences, 10(3), 52.
  21. Hyry-Beihammer, E. K., & Hascher, T. (2015). Multi-grade teaching practices in Austrian and Finnish primary schools. International Journal of Educational Research, 74, 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2015.07.002
  22. Jamshidifarsani, H., Garbaya, S., Lim, T., Blazevic, P., & Ritchie, J. M. (2019). Technology-based reading intervention programs for elementary grades: An analytical review. Computers & Education, 128, 427-451.
  23. Kalender, B., & Erdem, E. (2021). Challenges faced by classroom teachers in multigrade classrooms: A case study. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 5(4), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpr.2021473490
  24. Khazaei, L., Ahmadi, P., Rahmani, F., Bakhshi, H., Gholipour, J., & Hosseinpour, R. (2016). Challenges and disadvantages of multigrade teaching: Qualitative research.
  25. Kim, J. S., Burkhauser, M. A., Mesite, L. M., Asher, C. A., Relyea, J. E., Fitzgerald, J., & Elmore, J. (2021). Improving reading comprehension, science domain knowledge, and reading engagement through a first-grade content literacy intervention. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(1), 3.
  26. Kim, Y. S. G., Lee, H., & Zuilkowski, S. S. (2020). Impact of literacy interventions on reading skills in low‐and middle‐income countries: A meta‐analysis. Child development, 91(2), 638-660.
  27. Kobayashi, C. (2022). Understanding Head Teachers’ Responsibility towards Children’s Foundational Learning in Rural India: Focusing on their Perceptions, Attitudes, Barriers, and Actions. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Cambridge). https://doi.org/ 10.17863/CAM.80268
  28. Leko, Melinda et al (2015). If the book fits: selecting appropriate texts for adolescents with learning disabilities. Intervention in school and clinic; Austin Vol. 48, Iss. 5: 267.doi:10.1177/1053451212472232
  29. Maquiling, Z. M. C. Enhancing Literacy and Numeracy Instruction in Multigrade Classrooms.
  30. McBreen, M., & Savage, R. (2021). The impact of motivational reading instruction on the reading achievement and motivation of students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Educational psychology review, 33(3), 1125-1163.
  31. Meron N., (2018) How poverty affects education in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.truevolunteer.org/how-poverty-affects-education-in-the-philippines/
  32. Mortazavizadeh, S. H., Nili, M. R., Isfahani, A. R. N., & ... (2017). Teachers’ lived experiences about the teaching-learning process in multigrade classes. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(4), 354-363. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1155851
  33. Msimanga, M. (2020). Teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms: The LEPO framework. Africa Education Review, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/ 18146627.2019.1671877
  34. Mulaudzi, M. S. (2016). "Challenges experienced by teachers of multi-grade classes in primary schools at Nzhele East Circuit," Master Thesis, University of South Africa.
  35. Naparan, G. B., & Ivy Leigh P., & Castañeda, M. (2021). Challenges and coping strategies of multigrade teachers. International Journal of Theory and Application in Elementary and Secondary School Education, 3(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.31098/ijtaese.v3i1.510
  36. Naparan, G.B. and Alinsug ,V.G. (2021). “Classroom strategies of multigrade teachers” Retrieved from https://doi.org/10:1016/j.ssaho.2021.100109.
  37. Neitzel, A. J., Lake, C., Pellegrini, M., & Slavin, R. E. (2022). A synthesis of quantitative research on programs for struggling readers in elementary schools. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(1), 149-179.
  38. Ntombela, S. S. (2021). Managing difficulties associated with multigrade classes in Mpumalanga primary schools. Ulspace.ul.ac.za. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/3776
  39. Özdemir, E. Ç., & Kurnaz, E. (2022). Developing Problem-Solving Skills of Students Studying in Multigrade Class: Interactive Book Reading Activity. Journal of Kirsehir Education Faculty23(3).
  40. Proctor, C. P., Silverman, R. D., Harring, J. R., Jones, R. L., & Hartranft, A. M. (2020). Teaching bilingual learners: Effects of language‐based reading intervention on academic language and reading comprehension in grades 4 and 5. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(1), 95-122.
  41. Qayoom, A., Aziz, A., Akram, M., & Khan, M. F. (2024). Multi-grade Teaching and its Detrimental Effects on the Performance of Primary School Teachers in District Hub, Balochistan. International Journal of Social Science & Entrepreneurship, 4(1), 271-284.
  42. Ramrathan, L. & Mzimela, J. (2016). Teaching reading in a multigrade class: teachers; adaptive skills and teacher agency in teaching across Grade R and Grade 1. South African Journal of Childhood Education 6(2), a448.
  43. Rapp, A.C., & Corral-Granados, A. (2024). Understanding inclusive education – a theoretical contribution from system theory and the constructionist perspective. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(4), 423-439.
  44. Reiber-Kuijpers, M., Kral, M., & Meijer, P. (2021). Digital reading in a second or foreign language: A systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 163, 104115.
  45. Reyes, R. R., & Ching, D. A. (2024). Opportunities and Challenges of a Multigrade Teacher: Inputs for a Proposed Professional Development Action Plan. TWIST, 19(3), 445-455.
  46. Rotas, E., & Cahapay, M. (2021). From stress to success: Exploring how Filipino students cope with remote learning amid COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 3(1), 27-35. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.2021366608
  47. Şahin, A., Ramazan, S. A. Ğ., Yilmaz, F., Kartal, A., & Karaman, G. (2022). Impact evaluation of the multigrade classroom readiness program for prospective teachers (The First Step to Villages Schools (FSVS) Program). Pakistan Journal of Distance and Online Learning, 8(1). Retrieved from http://journal.aiou.edu. pk/journal1/index.php/PJDOL/article/viewFile/1360/23 3
  48. Sampson, C (2016). “One teacher experiences of teaching, reading in an urban multi-grade foundation face class: perspective in education” Retrieved https://bit.ly/3oxynl
  49. Samuels, S.J., & Flor, R.F. (1997). The importance of automaticity for developing expertise in reading. Reading and Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 13, 107–121.
  50. Shareefa, M. (2021). Using differentiated instruction in multigrade classes: A case of a small school. Asia Pacific Journal of Education41(1), 167-181.
  51. Stevens, E. A., Austin, C., Moore, C., Scammacca, N., Boucher, A. N., & Vaughn, S. (2021). The current state of the evidence: Examining the effects of Orton-Gillingham reading interventions for students with or at risk for word-level reading disabilities. Exceptional Children, 87(4), 397-417.
  52. Tomas, M. J. L., Villaros, E. T., & Galman, S. M. A. (2021). The perceived challenges in the reading of learners: Basis for school reading programs. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9(5), 107-122.
  53. UNICEF (2013) Multigrade Teaching Methodology for Nomadic Education School Teachers
  54. UNICEF (2022).   UNICEF: Only a third of 10-year-olds globally are estimated to be able to read and understand a simple written story. https://www.unicef.org/bulgaria/en/press-releases/unicef-only-third-10-year-olds-globally-are-estimated-be-able-read-and-understand
  55. Wa-Mbaleka, S. (2018). Publish or Perish: Fear no more (2nd ed). Cavite, Philippines: Oikos Biblios Publishing House.

In Magallanes South District, teachers are employing a combination of self-initiated projects and formal Department of Education (DepEd) reading programs to effectively support students grappling with reading difficulties. These reading intervention programs have shown considerable effectiveness in enhancing literacy skills, but their success is often impeded by logistical challenges. Themes derived from interviews with educators in the district reveal a robust commitment to literacy skill-building, with high success rates attributed to adaptive approaches tailored to individual student needs. Furthermore, socio-economic adaptations have facilitated changes in how reading difficulties are addressed, although logistical challenges remain a significant factor affecting overall effectiveness. The implementation of these programs relies heavily on teacher dedication and a collaborative atmosphere that fosters professional development. Teachers utilize individualization instruction methods and ongoing monitoring to create a supportive learning environment, maximizing the impact of their efforts. However, various challenges complicate these initiatives. Resource limitations, tight scheduling, and inconsistent parental involvement can hinder the optimal delivery of reading interventions, indicating a pressing need for systemic improvements. To tackle these challenges, a proposed intervention program aims to establish a supportive framework for educators and students in multigrade classrooms. By addressing resource limitations and fostering parental engagement, the program seeks to ensure sustained and effective reading interventions that cater to diverse learners. This initiative underscores the critical role of community and collaboration in the educational landscape, suggesting that a holistic approach could significantly enhance the efficacy of literacy initiatives in Magallanes South District.

Keywords : Magallanes South District, Reading Difficulties, Literacy Intervention, Teacher-Led Initiatives, Parental Involvement, Educational Strategies.

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe