ENHANCING READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH PROJECT STRATEGIC USE OF VISUAL ILLUSTRATIONS (SUVI) AMONG GRADE 7 STUDENTS IN ASUNCION NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

This descriptive pre-experimental quantitative study employing pre-test and post-test approach aimed to address low reading comprehension levels among the 39 identified non-readers in Grade 7 students at Asuncion National High School through the Strategic Use of Visual Illustration (SUVI). Statistical tools are used to analyze the data obtained from the respondents. Pre-test and post-test results across four indicators showed significant improvements. Prior to the intervention, Literal had a mean score of 31.79 (Low) in the pre-test and 62.56 (High) in the post-test; Interpretative from 26.67 (Low) to 62.05 (High); Evaluation from 31.03 (Low) to 64.10 (High); and Creative from 30.26 (Low) to 58.21 (High). These results indicate substantial enhancement in students' reading comprehension skills. A paired-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the two scores, t(38) = 17.8, p < .001, indicating a highly significant improvement in reading comprehension following the intervention that the null hypothesis will be rejected, since the p-value is less than 0.05 level of significance. In-depth interviews with grade 7 students provided further insights. Themes from the interviews included Enhancing Reading Comprehension, Improving Memory Retention, Facilitating Support for Vocabulary Enrichment, Improving Grasp of Difficult English, Lessons Providing Cues for Meaning-Making. Overall, the study underscores the success of the Strategic Use of Visual Illustration (SUVI) in significantly improving Grade 7 students' reading comprehension levels. Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Visual Illustration, Digital/Non-Digital, Project SUVI, Non-Readers, Philippines