ENHANCING THE READING SKILLS OF GRADE THREE PUPILS THROUGH BIG BOOKS

This study sought to determine the effectiveness Big Book as a strategy to improve the reading performance of the Grade 3 pupils in English who are enrolled

1. ENHANCING THE READING SKILLS OF GRADE THREE PUPILS THROUGH BIG BOOKS _________________ About the Researcher Rank/Position: School/Agency: Length of Service wit the Department: Baccalaureate Course:

2. Background of the Study This study sought to determine the effectiveness Big Book as a strategy to improve the reading performance of the Grade 3 pupils in English who are enrolled at __________ with ______ students as a respondents during the school year 2018-2019 . Children who fail to read in the early grades fall further behind each school year, because reading ability is progressively used as a tool for acquiring other types of knowledge. Thus, learning to read is essential in order to read to learn ( Nhan -O’Reilly, 2014). In line with the dilemma in English above-mentioned , the researcher who also attends as the English teacher of the Grade 3 pupils of _____________________noticed a high number of low performers in English reflected through its Quarter Test with almost 91% of the class. Further, the researcher aims to propose the use of Big Books in improving the reading skills of Grade 3 pupils of _________________

3. Background of the Study Using Big Book in the classroom is not only an educational tool but also it is a way to make learning more interesting and memorable for students. ( Fahmi , Suhartono , & Arifin , 2014). The visual aid of Big Book is a gives students and brings positive effects of reading experiences ( Fahmi , Suhartono , & Arifin , 2014). Big book is described as a large format book with big print texts and illustrations (O'Connor, 2006). In implementing big book, there are some activities that should be conducted by the teacher in the learning activity ( Tatminingsih , 2013). These include (1) pre-reading activity, an activity before the reader reading big book and reading the complete story, (2) re-reading activity an activity after reading activity, and (3) close activity. One study investigated whether or not there was a significant effect of the implementation of Big Book as media on reading comprehension achievement of the fifth grade students ( Mahayanti , Artini , & Nur Jannah , 2017).

4. Paradigm of the Study INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT Reading pretest (noting details) Efficiency of Big Book     Improvement of Reading Skills through Big Book Pre-test  ↓ Big Books ↓ Conduct of Post-test feedback

5. Statement of the Problem This action research looked into whether the use of Big Books improved the reading skills of 18 third grade pupils in one public elementary school in San Nicolas District II, Pangasinan . It sought to answer the following related research question: 1. What is the performance of the third grade pupils before the use of Big Books? 2. What is the performance of the fifth grade pupils after the use of Big Books? 3 . Is there a significant difference between the reading skills of the third grade pupils before and after the use of Big Books?

6. Results and Discussions shows that they have reading problem as indicated in the 9.61 mean or 48.05%. Results indicate that pupils have not yet developed the reading skills of third grade pupils. This low level of reading proficiency maybe attributed to the limited exposure in reading activities. Pupils Pretest 1 11 2 9 3 8 4 10 5 9 6 9 7 8 8 11 9 9 10 8 11 9 12 13 13 10 14 11 15 10 16 9 17 8 18 11 Mean 9.61 MPS 48.05% Pupils Posttest 1 16 2 16 3 15 4 13 5 14 6 15 7 16 8 16 9 17 10 15 11 14 12 15 13 13 14 16 15 16 16 15 17 16 18 14 Mean 15.11 MPS 75.55% the overall math performance of the pupils (15.11 or 75.55%) after they have been exposed to Big Books was good considering the 75 % passing average.

7. Results and Discussions Data in the figure indicate that the reading skills in terms of comprehension improved in the posttest due to the use of Big Books in improving the reading skills of pupils. The enlarged texts allow the students to follow exactly what the teacher is modeling, the thinking process, getting meaning from print as well as decoding of words.

8. Results and Discussions The paired-sample t-test analysis shows that the mean score on the posttest (M = 15.11) in math test is significantly higher than the mean score on the pretest (M = 9.61). As can be seen from the pretest and posttest results, there is an improvement on the performance of the pupils in math after the use of Big Books has taken place. The mean difference is 5.5, indicating that the performance in reading in terms of answering literal and inferential questions had improved. Group Means Standard Dev. t-ratio p-value Decision Posttest 15.11 6.23 -5.39 0.000 Reject Ho Pretest 9.61 2.41

9. Conclusions To conclude, the present study found that Big Books enhanced the reading skills of third grade students in terms of answering the literal and inferential questions. Big Book helped the students understand the text because of asking questions and predicting during reading. Teaching reading using Big Book positively involved the students in the process of comprehension. Big Book also improved students’ participation in reading class activity.

10. Recommendations 1 . Teachers can create a reading corner which contains big book collection. Having a dedicated space for big books and reading can help make reading a natural and enjoyable part of classroom life. 2. Teachers can vary the books they use for the read aloud sessions, choosing a different book each time or reading the same book a number of times. 3. Linking Big Books to each other and to topics of common interest makes the children more aware of connections between book and life experiences. 4. Make the Big Book available for group readings and provide big books for the children to use independently. 5. Teachers should develop Big Books to teach reading and to help develop or enhance pupils’ reading skills in terms of comprehension.

11. Thank you! NOTE: Just in case your adviser failed to tell you, please come in your e xecutive attire on your scheduled defense. No slacks for women and no denim jeans f or men. Preferred attire for men is long sleeves with tie. Women are requested t o come in dignified attire, no plunging necklines and revealing clothing. This is a f ormal activity, not a fashion show… but not an ordinary day either to wear your polo shirt and maong pants…