Learners’ Academic Performance in Reading Comprehension Towards Interactive Activities

Abstract

This study assessed the reading comprehension skills and academic performance in English of Grade 3 learners in selected public elementary schools in the Albuera District, Department of Education (DepEd), Schools Division of Leyte, Region VIII, during School Year 2025–2026, as a basis for developing interactive reading activities. A descriptive-quantitative research design was employed, involving six teachers and 90 learners from six public elementary schools. The learners were selected through simple random sampling. Data were gathered using a structured paper-and-pencil questionnaire covering respondents’ profiles, learners’ performance in five reading comprehension strategies, academic performance in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and storytelling, and the issues and concerns encountered in implementing reading comprehension activities. Frequency counts, percentages, and weighted means were used to analyze the data, together with a test of association to examine the relationships between instructional strategies and learners’ academic performance. The findings revealed that the strategies used in reading comprehension obtained an overall average weighted mean of 3.26, interpreted as Highly Effective. Story mapping and the use of photographs received the highest ratings, with weighted means of 3.30 each, followed by activating prior knowledge at 3.23 and monitoring and clarifying at 3.20. In terms of academic performance, learners demonstrated a lack of mastery in noting details (M = 2.20), decoding (M = 2.23), phonics (M = 2.40), vocabulary (M = 2.30), and storytelling (M = 2.40). The findings further revealed that monitoring and clarifying and the use of photographs had statistically significant associations with selected academic competencies, whereas activating prior knowledge and story mapping did not demonstrate significant associations with the measured competencies. The specific association coefficients and p-values were not available in the supplied results. These findings highlight the need to strengthen learners’ foundational reading skills, particularly identifying details, decoding words, applying phonics, developing vocabulary, and organizing narratives. Based on the findings, interactive reading activities are proposed for consideration and implementation by the concerned school officials, in collaboration with teachers, parents, and the DepEd Schools Division of Leyte, to address learners’ literacy needs and improve their reading comprehension and academic performance.