Storytelling: Towards enhancement of reading skills among selected learners of indigenous peoples in Panay

Abstract

Reading is a major developmental skill which is directly related to academic achievement. As such, educators continually strive to come up with strategies that will improve this particular skill among learners. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of using storytelling coupled with direct instruction in the reading of sight words among selected IP learners enrolled in an elementary school. The researchers designed the storytelling and tutorial session interventions that were implemented by SPEDSA student-tutors. The DOLCH Sight Words List was used to measure reading skills. Pre- and post-test DOLCH results of the learners were subjected to a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to test for significant difference. Interviews with teachers and journals student-tutor leaders were analyzed. A significant increase in the pre- and post-test sight-words reading was noted. Interviews as well as the journals' analyses point to a positive change in the attitude towards reading of the learners after the interventions were conducted. Recommendations include: continuing and expanding the reading interventions among the learners to include not only sight but also phonemic words; individualizing direct instruction for learners experiencing difficulty in reading; telling stories in the IPs' mother tongue to improve comprehension; and, conducting further studies on other strategies that can improve learners - both IP and non-IP's- reading skills.