Perceived Reading Skills of Grade 1 Learners

Abstract: This study investigated the reading skills of 172 Grade 1 learners in a large school in Western Visayas, Central Philippines, to inform the design of an appropriate intervention plan. The research assessed learners' reading proficiency in four domains: decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. It explored the influence of socio-demographic factors, including sex, parental educational attainment, number of siblings, and family income. Findings indicated that the overall reading level of the respondents was at the "Emergent" stage, with decoding as the strongest skill and fluency as the weakest. Notably, learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds outperformed their peers, suggesting that other factors, such as home literacy practices or community support, may positively influence reading development. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in decoding skills based on parental educational attainment, but no significant differences were found across other domains. The study concludes with recommendations for targeted literacy interventions, strengthened fluency instruction, and increased parental engagement, emphasizing the importance of context-aware, inclusive, and evidence-based approaches to early literacy education. Keywords: Early grades, literacy intervention, reading skills, socio-demographic factors,