Factors Affecting the Reading Comprehension Level of Grade VI Learners of Selected Elementary School in the District of Tanza, Cavite

This study probed on factors affecting the reading comprehension among 264 Grade Six learners in the three selected schools in the District of Tanza Cavite for the academic year 2018-2019. The researcher aptly considered the descriptive method of research using Phil-IRI Test and a researchermade questionnaire as data gathering instruments. The gathered data were analyzed through percentage, mean, arbitrary scale with its corresponding adjectival interpretation, and the Pearson product moment of correlation. The singular hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that majority of the Grade VI learners comprised the instructional level of reading comprehension; the parent, home, teacher and learner factors all have moderate extent of association to the learners’ level of reading comprehension; and that the parent factor had a weak association with learners’ level of reading comprehension, while home, teacher and learner factors have had a negligible association with learners’ reading comprehension level. Furthermore, it revealed that the all the factors considered significantly affect the reading comprehension of the 6 Grade learners. The researcher therefore recommends Reading/English teachers and school managers to expose students with variety of reading materials so it can positively affect learners level of reading comprehension; and that the external stakeholders must be informed on the relevance of reading activities at school and at home to ensure that learners will be molded holistically.


Background of the Study
Reading requires the use of eyes to see and perceived written symbols thereby, getting meaning from the relayed data. Lyon (2013) defines reading, as a fundamental process a learner shall adept to acquire current learning. Moreover, Juel (2012) opined that as a process, reading extracts meaning from written symbols in order to put information in the form of codes to derived meaning into an understanding of complex ideas. The ability to perceive a written word is one way of catching attention, thus widening in learner's ability to comprehend a text is a must.
In the study of Linane (2014), 2 out of 3 students struggles in identifying ideas or themes when they read. Findings reflected that the struggles of students when reading affect proficiency when they read. Jaua (2017) identified the causes including, poor construction of sentences, pronouncing of words and understanding what has been read. Until this word level reading is mastered, most effort is exerted in simply decoding words, and insufficient attention can be given to making meaning of these words (Rasinski, 2011). According to Protacio et al. (2013), reading practices in a public and the English classroom is limited to code breaking such as chunking of words or sound-letter relationships and their pronunciation of words and documents in which give lesser opportunities to the students' contact in reading. It was stated by Martohardjono et al. (2009) that difficulties in reading frequently arise towards learners to gain knowledge in life because they didn't master English strong causing them to commit mistakes and failure while reading sentences, especially sentences that are foreign or their second language like English.
Written ideas are believed to improve learners' creative ability, communication skill both written and spoken and exposure to reading exercises promotes reading skills. Supposing that the learners didn't learn to read and comprehend, create including avail to interact the belief as well as the overview, the encouraging circumstances because of a fulfilling and fruitful growth hold actively agree. Cimmiyotti (2013) suggests that one who is unable to comprehend and communicate well in any forms is deprived of a wonderful learning experience in the life as a person. In this ambiance, condition must have a judgment peaked out from the primary minister of need theory. The judgment on the printed materials or sheet of papers on learner's comprehension level have made cautious items pointed mostly on the internal structure of one's persons and to the degree of organization in one's thoughts (Peterson as cited by Cada, 2016). Accordingly, schools teach the children to do these things rightly, however, several variables affect the degree of learning and the extent to what should be learned.
In between reading and understanding, there exists a relationship. With this relationship, readers keep impressive talent toward usual words. Acquiring capability to read and comprehend is the primary knowledge that affects readers learning background and achievement in the institution. Learners who act and determined during the time of readers about reading judgment are more likely to be talented in other subject areas. Kong (2012) described learner who do not develop lesson reading accomplishments at the time of elementary education are at risk of bounded academic development and of narrow budgetary and good fortunes in life. Lyon (2017) added that persistent reading failure leads to frustration, as it was seen that juvenile offenders have reading problems, since they were unable to read and write. The findings implied that there is a close relationship between illiteracy and crime. Thus, strong reading skills have been linked to many personal, social and economic benefits.
In school, reading is the important subject area to learned by the pupils for this is the utmost and vital thing in education. As well as it is the major upon which educational instruction procedure and well attractively formed. The reading capacity frolicking a greatest purpose of work in the knowledge towards the smash at entire instruction platform level. With the deepest in every adversity in this knowledge will effect in the diversity development of entire subject of study, hence reading contain a diversity of standalone -skillfulness. In the classroom setting, most of the pupils who are good oral communication are mostly performing well in their academics. But, it should be noted that communication is just a part of the total abilities to be developed in the learners.
Considering that comprehension in reading is the monarchical ways to the acquisition of ideas, and significant victory of entirely learning areas, reading teachers in the Philippine schools are now placed in a seemingly unpleasant situation because of the complaint coming from the external stakeholders. This perplexed the researcher, who is also a reading teacher and coordinator in one of the schools in Eulogio Rodriguez Sr, Elementary School Quezon City to conduct an inquiry on the developmental aspect of reading program to help improved skills in reading and comprehension among non-readers and slow readers, to make them productive learners and showcase excellence in the future.
Hence, this study determined factors affecting the reading proficiency level of the learners both in silent and oral reading. Most importantly, this research wanted to determine which of the four factors affect the reading comprehension of the students. These four factors are the parent factor, home factor, pupil factor, and teacher factor. Consequently, by identifying which of these four factors are relevant to the improvement learners' reading skills and reading comprehension. Furthermore, the results would provide the teachers with thorough knowledge on what intervention plans can be developed to address the deficiencies.  Table 1 presents the number respondent in the group of the research were the grade six learners enrolled in the school year 20182019 in the 3 selected elementary school in the District of Tanza, Cavite. With the total population of 264 grade six learners. The sample size of Punta Elementary School is (93 or 35.2%) followed by Sanja Mayor Elementary School with sample size of (89 or 33.7%) while Florentino Foja Elementary School is (82 or 31.1%) sample sized as distributed equally using the statistical tool formula by Slovin's.

Participants of the Study
Slovin's formula was employed in computing the number of research participants/respondents, a sample size of 264 for 3 schools was determined. Three school were selected due to their accessibility to the researcher and they have big populations among other schools. In addendum, this study involved randomly selected Grade VI pupils and Grade Six teachers in selected Elementary Schools in the District of Tanza, Cavite School year 2018-2019 which was the inclusive period of the study.
This study collected data among 264 respondents from the total population of 776 of Punta Elementary School, Sanja Mayor Elementary School, Florentino Joya Elementary School who were officially enrolled in Grade (VI) Six for the school year 2018-2019, determined through Slovin's formula with respect to 5% margin or error. These participants were selected through stratified random sampling so that each member of the population had an equal chance of becoming a research participant.

Research Instruments
The instruments used in this study were a teacher-made passage and the Phil-IRI test consisting of 7-item multiple choice type of test to determine reading comprehension score of the respondents.
The teacher made passage test was used to measure the comprehension stages of learners, while a Phil IRI test instrument measured the reading comprehension level of the respondents which determines the reading levels classified as Independent level, Instructional level, Frustration level. The researcher-made questionnaire was validated among an English Coordinator, School Principal and a District Supervisor. The Reading Comprehension tool contribute quantity amount data around the learners' reading capability. Measurable data reflects the reading stages particularly: frustration level, instructional level and in independent level. Additionally, it uses ordain prepared of standard in determining written symbols stages of the learners between the printed text velocity and percent towards the right feedback in the understanding of the following questions. It has becoming the bands or united of printed symbols rate, words per minute as suggested by Morris and Gunning. In this study, the stages of reading comprehension was interpreted based on the result of the computation.
The survey questionnaire had two parts, part one contains score in reading comprehension test based on the Elementary School English grade six Phil-IRI Test results described as either Dependent, Instructional, or Frustration level of reading comprehension. The second part was on the determination of assessment level of learners in the (parent-home-learner -teacher factor.) This consists of an assessment of pupils of the parent-home-learner-teacher factors. In interpreting the result, the following arbitrary scale on Table 2 and adjectival Interpretation were used. Table 2. Arbitrary Scale and Interpretation

Data Gathering Procedures
The researcher sought permission from the district supervisor of Tanza District, Cavite followed by the permit from school principal to distribute survey questionnaire to the identified respondents of the three (3) Elementary Schools in the District of Tanza, Cavite and gathered the needed data for the study specifically on learners' reading comprehension level and assessment on the different predetermined factors in selected Elementary Schools of the District of Tanza, Cavite. After administering examination, the researcher retrieved the questionnaire from the students.

DATA ANALYSIS
The data gathered through the questionnaires was treated statistically using the following statistical tools: 1. Comprehension Level. To compute for the comprehension level, the researcher affirmed formula proposed by Johnson, Kress and Pikulski (as cited by Cada, 2016).

Mean was used in getting the extent of association of the identified factors (Parent-Learner
Teacher-Home) to the learners' level of reading comprehension The Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship of the reading proficiency scores of the student with the PHIL-IRI Test in Reading Comprehension, English and the assessment level on the (parent-home-learner-teacher) factors. The Pearson r correlation coefficient, often referred to as the Pearson r test, is a statistical formula that measures the strength between variables and relationships. To determine the extent of relationship between two variables, the researcher employed coefficient values ranging between -1.00 and +1.00. were identified belonging to frustration level of reading comprehension comprising of two (2) respondents or 0.8% who attained a score of 29%, 8 or 3% who got a score of 43%, 29 or 11% scored 57% reading score and 47 or 17.8% received 71% score in reading; 40.50% of the total respondents were identified belonging to the instructional level of reading comprehension comprising of 107 pupils who scored 86% in the reading test, and 26.9% of the total respondents were identified belonging to an independent level of reading comprehension comprising 71 pupils who got perfect reading score. The data shows that majority of the 6 th graders who undergone the Phil-IRI test belong to an independent level of reading comprehension, while a quarter of them are independent readers. Thi s means that reading comprehension level is apparently being affected by learners (Sullivan, 2013). This result support the finding made by Shiriff (2012), that students who perform the lower level task they are expected to focus on the meaning of texts and can commit errors in the reading process, either in silent and oral reading. A similar scenario was seen in the study of Burn (2013) in which less than 50% were learners under frustration level of reading comprehension. Table 4 exhibits the respondents answers to the twelve items of the first reading comprehension factor: The Parent-Factor. As shown on Table 2, half of the items or 6 items were rated "To a great extent", while the remaining half or 6 were rated "To a moderate extent". An overall rating of 3.44 were adjectively interpreted as "To great extent" on the extent of relatedness of parent factors to the level of reading comprehension of the respondents. It can be exemplary noted that the following item were greater than the grand mean value; "My parents involve themselves to improve the reading deficiencies of their children" with mean of 3.60, "My parents gave sufficient educational support and concern from parent" with mean of 3.56, "My parents gave praises for whatever success their children obtain from school" with mean of 3.54, " My parents provide proper nourishment needed for their studies" with mean of 3.52, and "My parents attend to their children's emotional, social, intellectual, and health needs" with mean of 3.49. These elucidates that the parents support systems have helped learners acquired success in reading and attaining reading comprehension. This finding affirms Loste conjecture as cited by Cada (2016) that parent's positive attitude towards school and the child demonstrated in their close monitoring of pupil's progress assistance and supervision of pupils works. Table 5 displays the mean and adjectival interpretation to the five items under the third component of related factors on the reading comprehension level of Grade 6 learners: The Home Factor. All the items were interpreted as "To Moderate Extent". The highest assessment level of pupils on their home environment is on "The home provides the study needs if the children" with mean score of 3.49 mean score belongs to adjectival rating of to a moderately extent (ME) and the least is that "The home is free from too much noise and disturbance" with a mean score of 3.15 still under to moderate extent of relatedness. This means that the home serves as a good place for the study needs of the children. Table 6 shows the extent of learner-related factors on the reading comprehension level of Grade 6 learners. An overall mean score of 3.43 was reflected on the learners-related factors, interpreted as to a moderate extent of relatedness. The item stating "I (the learner) am interested in studying specially in reading" got the highest assessment with a mean of 3.56 interpreted as to a very great extent, followed by the item stating "I can cope and understand the lessons presented in Reading" with a mean of 3.54 likewise interpreted as to a very great extent. While the lowest assessment states that "I have enough low level of materials for reading practice" which belongs to moderately extent. Moore et al (1999) emphasized that young learners accessing the mature world in the 21 st century learners will needfulness to read and write more than any other moment, occasion in human being history. Table 7 presents the mean and adjectival interpretation to the six items under the fifth component of related factors on the reading comprehension level of Grade 6 learners: The Teacher Factor, all six items were generally interpreted as "To a moderate extent" of relatedness to the Grade VI learners level of reading comprehension. Furthermore, data reveal that the respondents' highest assessment belongs to the item stating "My teachers have enough trainings in handling pupils with varied reading disabilities" with a mean rating of 3.47. While the item stating that "My teachers have enough materials for me with e-ISSN : 2620 3502 p-ISSN : 2615 3785 Volume 2, Issue V, Oct-Nov 2019 | reading disabilities" got lowest assessment mean score of 3.33 still under the "To Moderate Extent" adjectival interpretation. It can be inferred that teachers must recommend good reading related lessons that will trigger pupils interest in the class aside from the regular lessons related to reading activities. Table 8 presents the summary table showing the Grade VI learners level of reading comprehension; 71 or 26.90% of the respondents comprise the independent readers, while 40.5% or 107 respondents were instructional readers, and 86 or 32.6% were frustrated readers. Adjacent to this are the factors related to the level of reading comprehension, all four (4) related factors for an adjectival rating of "To a moderate extent" of relatedness. This implies that Grade VI students have an average level of reading comprehension. It is in the consonance with the findings made by Clark and Douglas (2011) that personal interest has to be considered to manifest interest for reading Table 9 shows that all the four identified factors, the parent, teacher, learner and teachers factors are significant related to the reading comprehension level of Grade VI learners of selected elementary schools in the District of Tanza, Cavite, since all the computed p-values are lower than .05 level of significance. This further shows that the higher the support from the parent, the higher the reading comprehension of the learners as shown in the Pearson-r at 0.260, although the relationship is weak. This result is consonant with the findings of Shapiro (2004) who suggested that children when given positive relationship with teachers and parents do better in school, acquire better self-image thus, becoming more resilient with life's inevitable challenges. McKinnon and Blair (2019) showed in their study that the relationship between the teacher and the student is very important as any conflicts between them can adversely affect not only the EF but also the students' reading achievement. Travors and Rebore (as mentioned by Merillo, 2018), indicated that successful teachers and those who are considered effective are humans in the fullest sense of the world. These findings imply that there is a need to provide necessary support systems coming from all the stakeholders to ensure that the learners will learn to read better and comprehend text the fastest way possible. Due to this, there is a need to craft an intervention scheme that will relate schools external and internal stakeholders altogether in a move to allow students to learn in a regular pace.  In the light of the findings derived from the study, the following conclusions were drawn. 1. Majority of the Grade VI learners comprised the instructional level of reading comprehension. 2. All of the four factors namely; parent, learner, teacher and home factors were all moderately related to learners reading comprehension 3. There is a significant relationship between learners' reading comprehension and the factors considered such as Parent, Home, Learner, and Teacher factors. However, their extent of association is almost negligible. Based on the conclusions made in this study, the researcher recommends the following. 1. Reading/English teachers and school managers must expose students with variety of reading materials so it can positively affect learners level of reading comprehension. 2. External and stakeholders must be informed on the relevance of reading activities at school and at home to ensure that learners will be molded holistically 3. Due to the limitations of this study, a thorough investigation on the correlation of specific factors concerning school stakeholders should be made using demographic characteristics with a larger population in order to provide and contribute consistent results of the variables under investigation.

CONCLUSIONS
As per this research paper researcher can conclude impact of the academic factors like academic performance, curricular activities and the class maintenance are high on the mind of the students and as academician we have to work on these factors more. On the other side, social factors which we are ignoring that are also important for the increasing the students' performance. Research is conducted of 60 students with the help of the qualitative research design and researcher found the above data during the first time counseling of the students.
In case of the academic factors we need to check first academic performance and background of the students first after that we need to take step according to the result. In case of the second factor that is