The Use of Phonic and Word Recognition Strategies in Improving Poor Reading Skills

The Use of Phonic and Word Recognition Strategies in Improving Poor Reading Skills

CHAPTER ONE

Objectives Of The Study

Purposes of this research work include filling up a practical gap in the educational process. The entire aims and objectives of formal education which deductively aims at eradicating illiteracy is often defeated by the inability to instill in a child this skill without which he cannot be lettered. This research work aims at mapping out the various phonic and word recognition techniques that can be employed in the improvement of a bad reading skill. Like we mentioned in the background, it usually isn’t result oriented making the child repeat the reading material. For instance, sometimes merely making them go through the sample reading material and recognizing the words and attempting to distinguish them phonetically from others before reading the material through will help improve a child reading skill.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction 

This section presents a review of related literature that supports the current research being undertaken. The chapter therefore involves the systematic identification of documents containing analyzed information related to the research report and review. It assists the researcher to know what has been there already and what needs to be done, pointing out research strategies, specific procedures, and instruments which has been used and its outcomes. This chapter also deals with contributions of reading and comprehension problems and suggested strategies.

English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in large number of countries including Ghana. It is estimated that the number of people in the world that use the English language to communicate on a regular basis is 2 billion! English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce, research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English. Its importance in the global market place therefore cannot be understated, learning English really can change your life.

Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English. Therefore, by learning English you will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to have a greater cultural understanding. Most of the content produced on the internet (50%) is in English. So knowing English will allow you access to an incredible amount of information which may not be otherwise available. Although learning English can be challenging and time consuming, we can see that it is also very valuable to learn and can create many opportunities.

According to De Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport (2005, p. 123), literature is aimed at contributing towards a clear understanding of the nature and meaning of a problem that has been identified. Marshall and Rossman (1999) in De Vos et al. (2005) state that literature is an excellent source for selecting or focusing on a topic, as it reduces the chances of selecting an irrelevant or outdated topic by investigating what has already been done in a particular problem area. Rubin and Babbie (2001) in De Vos et al. (2005 p. 128) agree with Marshall and Rossman (1999) that an early review of literature is a prime source for selecting a topic to begin with as it provides substantially better insight into the dimensions and complexity of the problem.

Concept of Reading

Reading is interpreting written or printed materials. In other words the ability of a person to decipher or decode codes before him is defined as reading. Reading may also be defined as giving meaning to what is before you. Marie Clay’s definition of reading provides a framework for discussing our goals for reading instruction. She writes, “I define reading as a message getting, problem-solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced” (1991, p. 6).Reading is not only a cognitive, psycholinguistic activity, but also a social activity. Reading is a complex cognitive process requiring visual, auditory and motor skills to enable a child to recognize words and symbols, to associate them with the appropriate sounds and to invest them with meaning derived from previous experience. It has been established by Morris (1966) in Reid and Donaldson (1977) that reading achievement is related to the skill of the teacher, and that the child taught by untrained, inexperienced and unskilled teachers tend to be especially backward in reading (Reid and Donaldson, 1977, p. 62).

According to Hengari (2007), reading is the ability to make sense of written or printed symbols. It includes word recognition, comprehension and interpretation, appreciation and application of what is read. It is an interaction with language that has been coded into print.

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CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researcher discussed the research design, population and sampling procedures for the study, the sampling technique, the research instruments used in collecting data, the data collection and procedures, Data Analysis Procedures.

Research Design 

A research design is a plan or blueprint of how one proposes to do the research (Babbie, 1992). The research design for this study is “Experimental Research”. Experiment research is one of the most powerful research designs researchers use. Amedahe (2002) maintains that in an experimental study, the researcher manipulates at least one independent variable, controls other relevant variables and observes / or sees what will happen to the subjects as a result. The researcher determines which group of subjects gets a particular treatment. According to Compbell and Stanley (1963), this is the kind of research in which variables are manipulated and the effects of the manipulation upon the variables are observed.

The earliest, assumptions of experimental research were based upon what was known as the law of the single variable. In its simple form, the law of the single variable state that: if two situations are alike in every respect, and one element is added to one and not the other, any difference that develops is the effect of the added element, or if two situations are alike in every respect and one element is removed from one but not from the other, any difference that develops is would be attributed to the subtracted element.

Experimental research is unique in two very important respects: it is the only type of research that directly attempts to influence a particular variable. Also, it is the only type that can really test hypotheses about cause and effect relationship. This design was chosen because the researcher identified a problem with the JSS 2 students‟ reading and comprehension abilities. The researcher thought it wise to help the pupils overcome these difficulties through the use of the phonic method of instruction. This research was intended to help JSS 2 students of Axim Road M.A. Junior High School to improve their skills in the aspect of reading and comprehension.

Population

The research was undertaken at Lugbe Junior secondary school  in  AMAC with a total population of 233 students from JSS 1 to JSS 3.

The total enrollment or population of the class is Thirty two (32). The sample for this study was limited to Thirty seven (37) JSS 2 of JSS lugbe  and teachers. The population for this study was made up of fifteen girls, seventeen boys and five teachers.

The researcher focused on this particular population for the study because they were found in the class which the researcher was handling during the student fieldwork program and also the class within which the aspect of reading and comprehension can also be found in the English language syllabus.

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Overview

This chapter is about the results and findings of the pre-intervention and postintervention scores.

During the researcher’s stay as a class teacher, it was found out that JSS 2 students of the school were performing poorly in reading and comprehension related problems especially with pronunciation as well as the processes of word recognition due to lack of proper reading and comprehension skills, which dampened their interest in this aspect. The researcher, in order to address this situation, decided to use the phonic method of instruction and develop appropriate teaching and learning materials to aid in teaching the aspect.

The researcher considered the following questions

1. What factors contribute to the difficulty in reading experienced by the JSS 2 students of JSS lugbe?
2. To what extent would the use of the phonic method of teaching reading help address the JSS 2 students‟ difficulty in reading?
3. In what ways would lack of good reading instruction in the early childhood stage make it difficult for teachers to teach reading in higher levels of learning?

The analysis of the result takes into consideration a report on the general performance of students in the pre- intervention and post- intervention test. The statistical tool adopted for analyzing the data included statistical descriptive and paired comparism t-test.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In this chapter, a summary of the study is presented, conclusions are drawn on the basis of the research questions and findings of the study and recommendations are made.

Summary 

Reading is essential to success in a society. A society suffers when citizens cannot read adequately. People with low reading levels comprise many of the unemployed, high school dropouts, the poor and those convicted of crimes. The growth of poverty and the loss of family values all show some association with poor reading (Richeck et al. 1996, p. 3). Parents and teachers should identify clear and specific worries concerning how well children are learning to read. Large numbers of school-aged children including children from all social classes, have significant difficulties in learning to read (Snow,

Burns and Griffin 1987, p. 17). Many children in schools Basic and Junior High schools lack proper reading skills and cannot read properly. Some learners have dropped from schools without acquiring necessary reading skills while others read without understanding what they read (Kuutondokwa, 2003, p. 8).

Summary of the Study 

The researcher, in order to address this situation, decided to use the phonic method of teaching reading develop and its associated appropriate teaching and learning materials to aid in improving the reading and comprehension skills of the pupils with difficulty in reading such as poor pronunciation and recognition of common words during reading lessons.

The main objective of this study is to assist the JSS Two pupils to improve upon their performance in acquiring reading and comprehension skills so that they can solve their reading and comprehension difficulty such a pronunciations and recognition of words during reading.

This research is an action research aimed at improving pupils reading and understanding on the aspect of reading and comprehension of JSS two students of JSS Lugbe. These pupils are experiencing difficulties in pronunciations as well as recognition of words.

The population for this study was limited to Thirty seven (37) JSS Two students of JSS Lugbe and teachers. The population for this study was made up of fifteen girls, seventeen boys and five teachers.

The researcher focused on this particular population for the study because they were found in the class which the researcher was handling during the student fieldwork program and also the class within which the aspect of reading and comprehension can also be found in the English language syllabus for JSS in Nigeria.

The researcher used user test intervention in collecting his data. The user test is made up of Pre – test and Post-test. The Pre-test was conducted to find out the how well pupils understand the concept before the intervention was used. The post- intervention test was conducted to find out pupils‟ performance after the intervention has been done.

The researcher used a teaching learning method known as the phonic method of teaching and its appropriate teaching and learning materials to help pupils to improve upon reading and comprehension after the Pre-intervention test results was obtained. Pupils were taking through and its teaching learning materials by the researcher and they were also allowed to practice using the teaching learning materials themselves at some point in time to ensure they can read and understand better. After the intervention had taken place, a Posttest was conducted to find out pupils‟ performance after the intervention had taken place.

The researcher used frequency tables and pie charts to analyze data. This was used after pupils have been taken through the pre-test and the post test. Paired comparison t-test was used by the researcher to find out if there was a difference in pupils performance in the pre-test and post-test.

Key Findings 

The data was collected based on some test conducted. Hence, the pre – intervention and the post intervention test. The pre-intervention test produced a fair result. The post intervention test was far better than the pre-intervention test.

1. Taking a critical look at table 4.1, one will agree that 32 pupils took part in the pre-test. Out of 10marks (100%), only 4 pupils scored 6 marks (60%) which represent 12.5% of the total class, 10 pupils scored 4 marks (40%), which also represent 37.5%, 12 pupils scored 2 marks (20%) while 4 pupils scored 0 marks (0%) which also represent 37.5% and 12% of the total class respectively. This implies that pupils performed poorly when they were not introduced to the phonic method of teaching and appropriate teaching learning materials hence obtaining lower marks in the Pre– test results.
2. From table 4.3, the same 32 pupils took part in the post-test. Out of the 10 marks (100%), 10 pupils performed excellent by scoring 10 (100%) which represents 31.25% of the pupils, 12 pupils scored 8 marks (80%) representing 37.5% of the pupils whiles 10 pupils scored 6 (60%), representing 31.25%. This clearly shows that the introduction of the phonic method of instruction helped pupils to score higher marks after had been taken through with appropriate teaching learning materials.
3. Considering the calculated scores for both the pre-test and the post-test is the Σf = 96 and Σf =256 marks, thus the difference between both test is 256 – 96 = 160. The mean difference (M D) = 160. This means that the average of pupils who took part in the pre-test and post-test score is 160th higher in the post test than that of the average score in the pretest(96th). This means that using the phonic method of instruction and its appropriate teaching learning materials enhanced pupils‟ reading and comprehension.

Conclusion

For the teaching of English language at all levels of education to be successful, it is based on the use of teaching and learning materials and the effective methodology used by teachers. From the results of this study, the following conclusions could be made.

1. It is clear that the use of teaching and learning material help children to understand and acquire pronunciations as well as word recognition skills very well. This is because, they get the opportunity to practice and manipulate the teaching learning materials.
2. Comparing the pupils‟ performance before and after the intervention, the researcher concludes that pupils can read and understand better when appropriate teaching and learning materials are used. Hence teaching aids are very useful.
3. The intervention for this action research (phonics method of teaching reading and learning materials) was implemented and yielded good results. The pupils benefited a lot as a result of the intervention used. This has built a solid foundation in the pupils reading and comprehension hence pupils can read, understand and solve problems pertaining to reading and comprehension with the guidance and knowledge acquired from the use of the phonics method of teaching reading and its learning materials.

Recommendations

Reading is the beginning of formal education at all levels of education in our country and the whole world. It is a fact that success in any formal education, training and work in general in our country rests on the ability to read and comprehend in the English Language. The following recommendations were put forward based on the findings of the study.

Recommendation for Policy and Practice :

1. When teaching reading and comprehension, teachers must find time to prepare their pupils by taking them through activities and this can be done by the preparation of enough appropriate Teaching-learning materials.
2. The approach to teaching in English language should be flexible where pupils are made to have enough practice, explore, discover and come out with their own findings and possible solutions.
3. Again, teachers have to be patient, tolerant and have sympathy towards pupils‟ efforts and needs in learning English language aspect such as reading and comprehension. This would enhance teacher-student relationship, which is very vital in contributing to students learning and understanding.
4. Also, English language teachers should include phonics exercise and other skills when teaching word recognition and pronunciation.
5. English teachers when teaching reading with the phonics method should also judiciously combine other reading teaching methods (eclectic) since it help achieve maximum result.
6. It is also recommended that parents see the need for their wards to study at home and cultivate the habit of reading because their wards cannot reach any significant height in formal education without intensive reading after class’s hours.
7. The government should make available reading textbooks and supplementary reading books in the school. This will enable pupils to always have reading materials anytime they want to practice reading on their own.

REFERENCES

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• Adams, M. (1990). Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
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• Aunola, K., Nurmi, J. E., Pekka, N., Lekanen, M. K, and Puttonen, H. R. (2002). Development dynamics of achievement strategies: Reading Performance and Parental Beliefs, 37, July/August/September, 310327.
• Babbie, E. (1992). The Practice of Social Research. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
• Barr, R. (1975). The effect of instruction on pupil reading strategies, Reading Research Quarterly 10: 555–582.
• Bond, G.K. & Dykstra, R. (1967). The co-operative research program in first grade reading instruction, Reading Research Quarterly 2: 5–142.
• Chall, J. S. (1983). Stages of Reading Development. New York: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved April 11, 2008, from http://www.academic-associaes.com/statesofreading.htm
• Chard, D. J., & Dickson, S. V. (1999).Phonological Awareness: Instructional and Assessment Guidelines. Intervention in School and Clinic, 34(5), 261-270.
• Churton, P. & Klein, P. (1997).Foundation of special Education. New York: Brooks Publishing Company.
• Curtis, M.E. (1980). Development of components of reading skill, Journal of Educational Psychology 72: 656–669.

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