GETTING THROUGH THAT INVISIBLE WORD: LESSONS FROM STRUGGLING READERS

The Sagayen National High School (SNHS) in Asuncion, Davao del Norte, has not been exempted from the enduring struggle caused by the perennial problem in reading. The result of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PIRI) conducted to its Grade 7 students has provided a backdrop of the reality that besets our students in the secondary schools. The College of Teacher Education and Technology, through the Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) Department, answers the challenge via the “Summer Big Brother/Sister: Learning is Fun Project”, a project in the Integrated Reading Enhancement Approach to Developing Readers (i-READR) Program: A Community Extension Program to a Participatory Action Research. This was designed to eventually transform frustration-level readers into “grade-level” readers, implemented in three years. Through Participatory Action Research (PAR), the Project provides for these identified “frustration-level” readers to develop the necessary skills not just to “make sense” of the written word but, more importantly, overcome the invisible yet more serious consequences of their condition. This is in consonance with PAR, which, according to McTaggart (1997), encourages capacity development and capacity building of all who participate. Findings reveal that struggling readers have more serious social problems that are caused by their inability to read. Enhancements in the existing reading program are also necessary to cater to the growing reading-related needs of the learners.