Reading Literacy Gaps Among Grade One Learners: Evidence from Comprehensive Reading Literacy Assessment (Crla)

This study assessed the reading literacy gaps among Grade One learners of San Rafael Elementary School and Tubod Elementary School in Barili District, Division of Cebu Province, during School Year 2025–2026, as a basis for developing a contextualized Reading Intervention Program. It employed a descriptive-correlational research design and purposive sampling involving 62 Grade One learners, with two teachers serving as assessment facilitators. Data were obtained through a structured learner profile questionnaire and existing Comprehensive Reading Literacy Assessment (CRLA) results. Frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviations, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient were utilized for data analysis. Findings revealed that most learners demonstrated favorable word reading, reading fluency, and comprehension performance and were classified as Grade Ready. However, difficulties remained in oral reading fluency, particularly phrasing, punctuation, and expression, while a few learners exhibited substantial comprehension difficulties. Fathers’ educational attainment demonstrated a significant but weak negative relationship with overall CRLA performance, whereas other learner profile variables showed no significant relationships. The study concluded that favorable reading performance did not eliminate individual literacy gaps and emphasized the importance of assessment-based instructional support. It recommended the adoption and implementation of the proposed contextualized Reading Intervention Program to strengthen foundational reading competencies through differentiated instruction, guided reading activities, and continuous progress monitoring.