ICanRead: A Needs-based Reading Intervention Program for Grade 3 Pupils

The main purpose of the study was to develop and create a reading intervention program that will help Grade 3 struggling readers to achieve proficiency in reading.  It sought to accomplish the following specific objectives: 1) identify the specific reading skill/skills where pupils need intervention; 2) design and develop the reading intervention program that will help struggling pupils improve in the identified reading skill/skills; 3) evaluate the reading intervention program through experts’ validation and try-out. This study followed the developmental research design which is a systematic study of designing, developing and evaluating instructional programs, processes and products that must meet the criteria of internal consistency and effectiveness (Richey & Klein, 2005). In this particular study, a reading intervention program which was named as “ICanRead” specifically for Grade 3 struggling readers was conceptualized, designed and developed according to the needs of the struggling readers. It was validated by experts and then tried-out to the student participants, and evaluated. The ICanRead program integrates essential components of reading (word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) into a 45-minute routine with individualized instruction. It includes activities which follow the elements of an effective reading instruction (National Reading Panel (NRP), 2000): word recognition (phonics and phonemic awarenes), fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. These elements are integrated within the three main parts of the program which are Get Ready, Read Aloud, and Reading Skills Boost. The following results and conclusions were drawn from the study: reading intervention programs are helpful for struggling readers to cope up and progress in reading; struggling readers may have different needs according to the skills where the child demonstrates difficulty (word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension); effective reading intervention programs are designed and developed according to the specific needs of particular struggling readers and supported by research-based learning principles; teacher’s explicit scaffolding is very important for the students to achieve reading proficiency. Through all the processes and results of the study, the following recommendations were suggested: this study be replicated in developing reading programs for struggling readers from the other grade levels, like, 1^st Grade to the 6^th Grade; the struggling readers be assessed using appropriate assessment tools to determine reading level and skills where they demonstrate difficulty as basis for intervention for good outcomes; school directors and educators develop and establish reading intervention programs that will cater to the specific needs of struggling readers in their respective schools; reading intervention programs should be implemented with the teacher’s  intentional, sincere, and explicit mediation , guidance, and support to the struggling reader.