READINESS AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN ENGLISH OF GRADE 1 LEARNERS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN MASINLOC, ZAMBALES: FOUNDATION FOR AN ENHANCED ENGLISH COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

Developing strong communication skills in English at an early age plays a vital role in learners' academic success. This study assessed the readiness and communication skills in English of Grade 1 learners in public and private schools in Masinloc District, Schools Division of Zambales, during the School Year 2024-2025. The quantitative-descriptive, causal-comparative, and correlational research designs were employed, involving 147 home reading facilitators, 147 Grade 1 learners, and their teachers through total population sampling. The reliability coefficients of the research instruments ranged from 0.81 to 0.99. Findings revealed that teachers perceived learners as highly ready in listening comprehension, vocabulary development, speaking confidence, and pronunciation skills, while home reading facilitators rated them as moderately ready. Additionally, learners exhibited proficient skills in reading fluency, sentence construction, grammar usage, and oral expression. No significant difference was noted between the readiness in English communication of Grade 1 learners as perceived by their teachers and home reading facilitators. A weak negative and non-significant correlation was found between readiness in English communication (as perceived by teachers) and communication skills, whereas a moderate positive and significant correlation was observed between readiness (as perceived by home reading facilitators) and communication skills. These findings led to the development of an enhanced English communication program to strengthen the readiness and communication skills of Grade 1 learners. This study provided empirical insights into the relationship between learners' readiness and their communication skills in English, offering a foundation for designing targeted intervention programs.