TEACHING APPROACHES AND READING SKILL LEVELS OF KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS: BASES FOR AN ENHANCED PRE-READING INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM

Teaching approaches are significant as they directly influence the development of foundational skills among learners, enhance engagement and comprehension, and foster a supportive learning environment that caters to diverse needs, ultimately shaping academic success and lifelong learning habits. This study examined the teaching approaches and reading skill levels of Kindergarten learners in Zones III and IV, Schools Division of Zambales, during the School Year 2024-2025. Employing a descriptive-correlation research design, the study involved 157 kindergarten teachers and 157 reading facilitators using total population sampling and a researcher-designed questionnaire. The kindergarten teachers were predominantly female, aged 30–39 years, in Teacher I positions, with less than nine years of service and master's units. Teaching approaches—storytelling and narrative, interactive read-alouds, multisensory methods, and engagement in a literacy-rich environment—were moderately demonstrated as perceived by both kindergarten teachers and reading facilitators. The learners' reading skills—alphabet knowledge, print awareness, vocabulary building, and listening comprehension—were also rated as moderately skilled by their kindergarten teachers. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in teaching approaches as perceived by kindergarten teachers and reading facilitators. However, significant differences were noted in teaching approaches based on the kindergarten teachers’ age, position, and educational attainment, while sex and length of service showed no significant effect. A positive, moderately significant correlation was established between the teaching approaches and the reading skill levels of kindergarten learners. Based on these findings, an enhanced pre-reading instructional program was developed to address the moderate demonstration of teaching approaches and skill levels, aiming to improve literacy outcomes for young learners in the Schools Division of Zambales.