The Reading Comprehension Difficulties in Mathematics of Grade Four Pupils

The leveling up of Mathematics education in the Philippines is one of the major concerns of the Department of Education (DepEd). The dismal situation of mathematics achievement in elementary and high school is evident in international, national and regional mathematics test. For instance, the performance of the Filipino students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) International Mathematics released in 2004 showed that Philippines ranked 23rd among the twenty-five countries in Mathematics. This paper analyzes the reading difficulties of grade four pupils in their Mathematics classes and the comprehension strategy instruction of Grade 4 teachers. The study used the descriptive method of research. The initial process was to identify the least mastered skills of the grade four pupils. This was done through the intensive analysis of the table of specifications and the frequency of correct responses of the Math Achievement Test administered for the school year 2010-2011 and its correlations to the explicit reading competencies instruction of Grade 4 Mathematics teachers.