Enhancing Early Literacy: Strategies For Improving Oral Reading Skills in Grade One Pupils

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between language skills specifically receptive and expressive language and the oral reading ability of Grade 1 learners. Using a quantitative correlational research design, the study aimed to determine how language proficiency influences learners’ oral reading performance in Sinugbuanong Binisaya, the mother tongue used for instruction. Data were gathered from 30 Grade 1 pupils, along with input from their teachers and parents, using a Language Skills Assessment Questionnaire and an oral reading test. Statistical analysis revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between receptive language and oral reading ability and between expressive language and oral reading ability. The findings indicate that learners with higher receptive and expressive language skills demonstrate greater fluency and comprehension in oral reading. These results align with previous research underscoring the critical role of oral language development in reading acquisition. The study highlights the importance of integrating listening, speaking, and reading activities into early literacy instruction and proposes the development of a Reading Skills Enhancement Plan that incorporates mother tongue-based, culturally relevant strategies to improve early literacy outcomes.