Evaluating a Remedial Reading Program to Enhance English Proficiency among Frustration-Level-Readers

The research assessed whether a remedial reading program could affect the English reading ability of Grades 4 to 6 frustration-level readers at Ellaperal Elementary School, Placer, Surigao del Norte, in the SY 2024 to 2025. It utilized PHIL-IRI indicators of oral reading pre-test and post-test levels on the variables of learners' performance in word recognition, comprehension, and fluency, while Frayer's Model was employed for vocabulary. The study concluded whether there was a significant change due to the intervention. The respondents consisted of six Grade 4 learners, sixteen Grade 5 learners, and seven Grade 6 learners who were classified as frustration-level readers according to pre-test PHIL-IRI outcomes. The components of the intervention were Repeated Reading with Purpose, Direct Structured Lessons in phonics and decoding, Fluency-Oriented Activities, and explicit Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Strategies. The comparison of the findings was made using descriptive statistics, and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was employed to compare the paired samples. Results revealed a substantial reduction in Frustration-level readers across Grades 4–6, with post-test results showing 86–100% of learners progressing to Instructional or Independent levels across reading domains. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests indicated statistically significant improvements in word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary for all grade levels (p < 0.05), with Grade 5 showing the largest gains (Z up to −3.742, p < 0.001). The remedial reading program significantly enhanced the reading performance of Grade 4, 5, and 6 frustration-level readers by reducing Frustration-level classifications and increasing Instructional and Independent mastery across all reading domains; thus, it is recommended that the program be sustained and scaled to other grade levels and schools to strengthen learners’ reading proficiency further.