Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills of Grade 4 Learners through Story Mapping in Calomotan Elementary School, Philippines
Ma. Angel P. Abobo
University of Eastern Philippines, Laoang Campus, Philippines.
Marideth B. Cerbito *
University of Eastern Philippines, Laoang Campus, Philippines.
Ronalyn N. Muncada
University of Eastern Philippines, Laoang Campus, Philippines.
Rheabel B. Orsal
University of Eastern Philippines, Laoang Campus, Philippines.
Lea L. Casane
University of Eastern Philippines, Laoang Campus, Philippines.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Reading comprehension is a fundamental skill that influences academic performance, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. This action research aimed to enhance the reading comprehension skills of Grade 4 pupils at Calomotan Elementary School through the implementation of an interactive story mapping strategy, designed to visualize narrative structures and promote active engagement in learning. Recognizing the difficulties faced by pupils in comprehending texts—especially the frustration-level proficiency observed in the Phil-IRI assessment—this study sought to determine whether story mapping could serve as an effective intervention to improve literacy.
The research involved 15 Grade 4 pupils, beginning with a pre-test to assess their baseline reading comprehension skills. The intervention consisted of three instructional sessions incorporating visual learning materials, such as tarpapel charts, felt-tip pens, a speaker, and PowerPoint presentations featuring the story featuring the story "The Lion and the Mouse." During the sessions, pupils worked in groups to create story maps, fostering collaborative learning, oral discussion, and analytical thinking. Through guided instructions, they identified key elements of the story, including the 5W’s (who, where, what, when, and why) to reinforce their understanding. A post-test was then administered to measure the impact of the intervention.
Analysis of the results revealed a significant improvement in reading comprehension scores. The pre-test mean score of 9.867 (SD = 3.642) indicated that most pupils were struggling with comprehension, while the post-test mean score increased to 19.600 (SD = 0.632), reflecting a marked advancement in their ability to process and retain narrative details. A paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test results (t = -11.050, p = 0.000), validating the effectiveness of interactive story mapping in enhancing comprehension and engagement.
These findings highlight the importance of story mapping as a visual, interactive, and collaborative teaching strategy, enabling pupils to conceptualize narrative structures, improve recall, and strengthen comprehension retention. The group-based nature of the intervention likely contributed to higher pupil participation, critical thinking, and confidence in reading comprehension. Given the positive reading comprehension. Given the positive results, this study supports story mapping as an essential instructional tool, particularly for pupils struggling with narrative texts, and recommends its integration into literacy programs to promote meaningful learning experiences in elementary education.
Keywords: Reading comprehension, story mapping, interactive learning, Grade 4 pupils, Phil-IRI assessment, collaborative learning, narrative structures, literacy programs