THE EFFECTIVENESS OF K5 LEARNING MATERIALS IN IMPROVING THE READING COMPREHENSION OF LEARNERS

Choosing appropriate materials is important in helping learners develop and improve their academic skills. In reading, appropriate materials provide learners with opportunities to practice understanding texts, identifying important information, and answering questions. Research has shown that targeted instruction in reading fluency and comprehension can help improve reading outcomes among elementary learners who experience difficulties in reading (Cockerill et al., 2023). This highlights the importance of providing learners with suitable materials and activities that support their reading development. Reading comprehension is an essential part of reading because it enables learners to understand and gain meaning from what they read. However, reading difficulties remain a concern among learners in many countries. In the Philippines, the results of PISA 2022 showed that only 24% of Filipino students reached the minimum proficiency level in reading, compared with the OECD average of 74% (OECD, 2023). Although the assessment involved 15-year-old learners, the results emphasize the continuing need to strengthen reading skills at an earlier stage of education. The use of appropriate learning materials may help address difficulties in reading comprehension. A study by Acedillo (2023) found that contextualized learning materials helped improve the reading comprehension skills of Grade 5 pupils. This supports the idea that additional and well-designed reading materials can provide learners with meaningful opportunities to practice comprehension. However, the effectiveness of specific materials may differ depending on the learners and the learning context. In the school, some Grade 4 learners experience difficulties in reading and understanding texts. Based on classroom observations and the learners' reading performance, some learners have difficulty identifying important details, understanding the meaning of what they read, making inferences, and expressing their understanding of a passage. These difficulties affect their ability to participate effectively in reading activities and may also influence their performance in other learning areas where reading and comprehension are required. In the present study, K5 Learning materials will be used as an additional resource to help learners practice reading comprehension. The materials provide reading passages and comprehension exercises that allow learners to read, understand, and respond to questions about texts. In the researchers' school context, some Grade 4 learners have experienced difficulties in understanding passages and answering comprehension questions based on their reading activities and assessment results. This situation indicates a need for additional reading materials that can provide consistent practice and support. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effectiveness of K5 Learning materials in improving the reading comprehension of Grade 4 learners. It will examine the learners' reading comprehension before and after the use of the materials and determine whether improvement occurs following the intervention.