Difficulties of Teachers in Teaching Reading to Grade 1 Learners

Reading is the basis for all academic learning. A youngster who struggles with reading may have missed the chance to utilize the educational tools offered by the government and the school system because they need to understand their importance fully (Roque et al.,2023). Along this line, this study explored teachers’ difficulties in teaching reading to Grade 1 learners in selected districts in a large school division in Central Philippines during the school year 2022-2023. Data needed for this descriptive paper was collected from 38 Grade 1 teacher-respondents using a 30-item survey questionnaire that has hurdled the rigorous tests of validity and reliability. The ensuing analysis showed the level of difficulties of teachers in teaching reading to Grade 1 learners was moderate in content knowledge (m=2.51; sd=0.843), low in the availability of teaching and reading materials (m=2.3; sd=0.837), and teaching strategies (m=2.02; sd=0.624). There was no significant difference in teacher difficulties when grouped according to the aforementioned variables. There was a significant difference in the availability of teaching and reading materials when grouped according to age. The study’s results called for regular checking of DLL/DLP and providing proper guidance to teachers on effectively utilizing the Teachers’ Guide alongside supplementary materials from LRMDS. The findings are equally provided. Keywords: teachers’ difficulties, teaching reading, Grade 1 learners