Empowering the Parents of Struggling Readers: An Action Research in Developing Reading Comprehension Sikap Elementary School Learners through Parent Tutoring.

Reading comprehension functions as an essential ability which forms the essential base needed for academic achievements alongside continuous educational development, enabling individuals to construct meaning, analyze texts, and engage with diverse perspectives. This action research aimed to enhance the reading comprehension skills of struggling primary school students at Sikap Elementary School through a parent tutoring program. The study addressed gaps in parental involvement by equipping parents with skills and tools to support their children’s literacy development. Key objectives included evaluating students' perceptions of parental involvement, assessing reading comprehension levels pre- and post-intervention, and identifying the effectiveness of the tutoring program. A pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design was utilized. The intervention involved 11 students identified as struggling readers based on the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA). Their parents attended 10 structured sessions focused on phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies using a tailored module. Data collection methods included surveys, pre-tests, post-tests, and feedback on the module. Findings revealed significant improvements in students’ reading comprehension. Pre-intervention, none of the students were grade-level ready, with 27.27% at the "Full Refresher" level and 54.55% at the "Light Refresher" level. Post-intervention, 81.82% achieved "Grade Ready" proficiency, highlighting the program's effectiveness. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant difference in pre- and post-test scores. The results emphasize the critical role of parental involvement in literacy development. The program not only improved students’ reading skills but also strengthened parent-child relationships and fostered a culture of collaborative learning. Schools can adopt similar models to bridge gaps in home-school collaboration, ensuring sustainable literacy gains and holistic student development. Recommendations include scaling the program for broader application and refining modules based on participant feedback to maximize impact.