From Design to Validation: A Contextualized Reading Intervention Manual for Struggling Junior High School Readers in Region I, Philippines

Abstract

Reading proficiency remains a critical challenge among Junior High School learners in the Philippines, particularly in Region I, where many students perform below grade-level expectations. Previous assessments using the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-IRI) revealed that a significant proportion of learners in Grades 7 to 10 remain at frustration and instructional reading levels, indicating a gap of approximately three years in expected literacy skills. This study addressed this gap by developing contextualized, task-based reading intervention manuals that meet the specific needs of struggling readers and were validated by educational experts.

Using a developmental research design, the study combined descriptive assessment of learners’ reading performance with the evaluative development and validation of instructional materials. Data were sourced from 319,310 Junior High School learners’ PHIL-IRI results and expert validators, including Regional Education Program Supervisors, Division Education Program Supervisors, and Focal Persons in reading programs. The instruments used were the PHIL-IRI for baseline reading assessment and a Content Validity Evaluation Checklist for assessing the manuals across four dimensions: clarity and relevance of objectives, appropriateness of reading strategies and passages, quality and alignment of comprehension questions, and organization and presentation.

Findings revealed that learners predominantly performed at frustration and instructional levels. In response, four intervention manuals were developed for Grades 4–7, 5–8, 6–9, and 7–10, integrating K–12 reading competencies, scaffolded lessons, contextualized literary selections from the four major provinces of Region I, comprehension exercises, and cross-curricular integration. Content validity assessment demonstrated that all manuals were rated Excellent/Highly Appropriate across all dimensions (overall mean = 4.67). These manuals are designed to guide learners progressively from frustration to instructional and independent reading levels while addressing the cognitive and affective aspects of reading.

The study concludes that the developed manuals are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and pedagogically sound, offering practical tools for improving the reading performance of struggling Junior High School learners. The researcher recommends implementing these manuals in schools, conducting continuous monitoring of learners’ progress, and conducting further studies to examine their effectiveness in other regions or grade levels.