Filipino Learning Support Program: Effects on Reading and Comprehension Skills to Non-Filipino Speakers

Abstract

The increasing number of non-Filipino speaking students struggling with reading and comprehension skills calls for an investigation into the effectiveness of the Learning Support Program as a school intervention, highlighting critical areas for instructional improvement. Employing a Posttest Non-equivalent Group pre-experimental research design to 34 students in Learning Support Program using the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), the study reveals that the level of the oral reading of the majority of students at various levels are still at the frustration level with (LSP-Level 0 is 83.33 %, LSP-Level 1 is 40%, and LSP-Level 2 is 83.33 % ) in word recognition, (LSP-Level 0 is 58.33 %, LSP-Level 1 is 20%, and LSP-Level 2 is 16.67 %), (LSP-Level 0 is 91.67 %, LSP-Level 1 is 60%, and LSP-Level 2 is 75 %) in reading speed, and (LSP-Level 0 is 58.33 %, LSP-Level 1 is 30%, and LSP-Level 2 is 83.33 %) in comprehension. Additionally, the focused group discussion reveals that LSP helps them primarily with vocabulary building as the highlight, and the lack of differentiated instructional materials for the students as the lowlights of the LSP. Findings revealed that the Learning Support Program in Filipino is not effective in developing oral reading and comprehension among non-Filipino speaking students. The findings emphasize the need for instructional support across levels through comprehensive reading intervention.