Reading illiteracy still exists among pupils in spite of educator’s hard work and sacrifices. Some can hardly read and are poor in comprehension and reasoning. Other children have trouble learning word attack skills. At home, many parents fail to help their children even by just providing simple picture books to develop their children’s reading readiness.
The mind of the youth in the next millennium can be filled with information and the mind must select, filter and discriminate ideas. It becomes imperative that the pupils be taught of the art of thinking creatively, constructively, independently and critically. The youth of tomorrow needs to be equipped with reading skills in schools. He needs to assess information, analyze it, synthesize it and apply to according to the demand of the situation. How can he adjust to the present complex society if he is deficient in reading comprehension skills that will help him to think creatively, constructively and critically?
Therefore, it is the task of the reading teacher to bridge the gap between the text and the reality by helpi8ng the students develop their skills in reading comprehension. The ability to read is recognized generally as one of the most important skills that a person can have. Reading is the most important subject taught in the elementary school. The children must be skillful readers to succeed in the various subject matters.
Especially today, pupils are bombarded by many sorts of reading materials such as magazines, books, pamphlets and catalogues; and surrounded with information and technology innovations, which influence what they do. For sure, they will get meaning to reach, to judge and to evaluate ideas. In other words, no day in their lives will be without reading activity, that regardless of what job a person is doing, he has to read if he expects personal improvement.
The goal of education is to improve the students academic performance. No academic skill is more important than reading with comprehension. Reading comprehension continues to be a key goal in the school. In fact, the arrival of the computers and the internets has increased the importance of reading comprehension. Reading then is not only mere production of sounds but the process of making and getting meaning from the printed symbols. It is active dialogue between the author and the reader. The proficient reader then is ready to evaluate, challenge and criticize reading materials. The man who reads well is the man who leads.
By: Pheobe Hazzlee I. Valeroso | Teacher III | Sisiman Elementary School | Sisiman Mariveles, Bataan
