"for improving reading work in schools and need

The gap

Evidence profile

Stated in the recommendations and future work sections of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 1942 and 2026, spanning 7 journals.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• THE PERCEIVED READING PERFORMANCE, THE CHALLENGES, AND THE ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT OF GRADE SIX PUPILS IN PILAR DISTRICT (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · doi

  Based on the findings of study, the following are proposed: 1. Teachers may include domains such as word recognition, phonological awareness, comprehension, and fluency can be improved by a formalized policy-oriented intervention program that is tailored to the improvement of identified at-risk readers along those domains. 2. School heads may initiate dialogues with their teachers to pinpoint critical areas for improvement. This way, the learners will be informed of the areas for improvement and be able to cope further to improve their academic standing in the English class. 3. District supervisors may initiate mitigation measures to address the challenges experienced by teachers by organizing Parent and Teacher consultation to solicit participation from the latter in monitoring and tracking the student's reading habits and progress especially during the release of pupils’ cards. 4. School heads may implement comprehensive and more inclusive reading programs and advocacies in the school setting to integrate the culture of reading and encourage students to bring about positive attitude in reading, since the students' level of reading performance was proven to correlate significantly with their achievement in an English class. 5. Future researchers may conduct similar studies in other school districts and other at- risk readers in other grade levels to come up with wider and more generalizable findings.

  generalstated in recommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading school teachers improvement domains risk readers heads initiate areas english class students based following
• The ESTRELLA Way: An Appreciative Inquiry-Based Reading Intervention for Early Grade Struggling Readers (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · doi

  Based on the findings of the study, schools are encouraged to institutionalize early literacy screening using the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) to identify learners who are classified as Low Emerging Readers. This allows for timely, targeted, and data-driven intervention focusing on foundational literacy skills such as letter sounds, rhyming words, sentence reading, reading fluency, and comprehension. In addition, since both interventions showed weaker gains in reading fluency and comprehension, teachers are encouraged to strengthen sustained instructional practices such as guided reading, repeated oral reading, vocabulary enrichment, and meaning-making activities, as these competencies require longer and more consistent exposure to develop. Given the significant improvements observed in both groups and the consistently higher gains of learners exposed to the ESTRELLA Way, schools may consider adopting it as a complementary literacy enhancement approach within existing reading programs. Its learner-centered and Appreciative Inquiry–based structure, which emphasizes empowerment, positive engagement, and motivation, may further strengthen reading development. Finally, future researchers are encouraged to conduct longitudinal and comparative studies to examine the long-term effects of the ESTRELLA Way, particularly on reading fluency and comprehension, and to explore its applicability in diverse educational contexts.

  generalstated in recommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading literacy encouraged fluency comprehension based schools learners gains strengthen estrella institutionalize early screening using
• Interactive reading techniques and students’ reading engagement (2026) · International Journal of Education, Learning, and Pedagogical Sciences (INJELPS) · doi

  Teachers may integrate a wider range of interactive reading strategies, such as collaborative reading, roleplaying, and multimedia-supported instruction, to enhance students' engagement and comprehension. 2. School leaders may support the implementation of interactive reading techniques by providing access to instructional materials, learning technologies, and professional development opportunities for teachers. 3. Curriculum developers may incorporate structured interactive reading activities into reading programs to promote active learning and improve literacy outcomes. 4. Education policymakers may design and implement training programs that strengthen teachers' competencies in using interactive and student-centered instructional approaches. 5. Teacher education institutions may include interactive reading strategies as part of pre-service and in-service training to prepare educators for diverse classroom contexts. 6. Future researchers may explore the application of interactive reading techniques in other subject areas and educational levels to expand their pedagogical relevance. REFERENCES Acuña-Torres, L., Pezo, R., Garcia, B. I., & Campano, M. R. (2024). Impact of technological tools for reading comprehension in post-pandemic schoolchildren. International Journal of Religion, 5(9), 411- 424. https://doi.org/10.61707/0ebepr62 Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications. Ceyhan, S., & Yildiz, M. (2021). The effect of interactive read-aloud on student reading comprehension and reading motivation. Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 13(4), 423– 435. https://iejee.com/index.php/IEJEE/article/view/1258 Department of Education. (2023). National reading program report: Addressing learning gaps in basic education. Department of Education, Philippines. Hen, M., Deri, N., & Dolev, N. (2025). Face-to-face versus digital dialogic reading: A reading study on language skills in preschool children. Early Child Development and Care, 195(3), 163-178. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2025.2465636 Guldenoglu, B. N. D. (2025). Enhancing vocabulary and listening comprehension skills in children with limited language proficiency: The impact of dialogic reading interventions. SAGE Open, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251367895 Lestari, G. P., Syihabuddin., Kosasih, A., & Somad, M. A. (2023). The effectiveness of interactive reading models in improving students' language skills. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(9), 200–215. https://www.ijlter.net/index.php/ijlter/article/view/1742 394 International Journal of Education, Learning, and Pedagogical Sciences (INJELPS) Pagute, J., & Apas, R. (2025). Interactive Activities: A Strategy in Improving Reading Comprehension among Grade 4 Learners. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 44 (4), 502-515.

  generalstated in recommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading interactive education https comprehension learning journal teachers international language skills strategies students techniques instructional
• Reading comprehension in Sepedi foundation phase by Khelovedu learners (2026) · Reading & Writing · doi

  Reading comprehension in the Foundation Phase is widely recognised as a key outcome of early literacy instruction. Research in the science of reading, together with the Simple View of Reading, highlights that understanding meaning from text depends on both accurate decoding and strong language comprehension. In addition, factors such as background knowledge and reading fluency also contribute to reading comprehension. Studies from countries such as the United States, England, and Australia, where systematic phonics instruction is commonly implemented, demonstrate significant improvements in learners’ word recognition. These gains support better reading comprehension, particularly among learners from disadvantaged backgrounds (Castles, Rastle & Nation 2018; National Reading Panel 2000; Rose 2006). In these contexts, learners who develop automatic decoding skills are better able to focus on understanding the meaning of texts. Research from Canada and China further indicates that interactive approaches such as reciprocal teaching improve vocabulary development, oral reading fluency, and higher- order comprehension skills. Reciprocal teaching involves learners taking turns to lead discussions using strategies such as questioning, summarising, clarifying, and predicting. These approaches enable learners actively to construct meaning from texts rather than merely decode words (Palincsar & Brown 1984; Rosenshine & Meister 1994). Overall, these findings suggest that effective early reading instruction promotes learners’ ability to read for meaning when decoding and comprehension strategies are integrated. In contrast, evidence from South Africa reveals consistently low levels of reading comprehension in the early grades. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2021 found that 81% of Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning in any language, indicating that most learners leave the Foundation Phase without functional comprehension skills (Oxford University Press 2023; Spaull 2023). These findings are supported by the 2030 Reading Panel (2025), which reported that approximately 80% of Grade 3 learners are unable to read for meaning, suggesting that comprehension difficulties begin early and remain largely unresolved. low Research conducted within African language contexts further underscores the severity of this challenge. Studies involving Sesotho-speaking levels of learners reveal very oral reading fluency and limited letter–sound knowledge, both of which are strongly associated with poor reading comprehension (Vaz 2024). Similarly, research on early grade reading benchmarks indicates that learners who fail to acquire foundational reading skills, including phonological awareness, letter–sound knowledge, and fluency are at high risk of struggling to comprehend texts as they progress (Qvist 2023). Given the limited large-scale data available on Sepedi, this study seeks to explore the extent to which Foundation Phase learners taught in Sepedi can move beyond surface-level decoding and engage meaningfully with written texts.

  generalstated in future workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading learners comprehension meaning early decoding fluency skills texts foundation phase instruction language knowledge read
• Development of Contextualized Short-Story Based Reading Intervention Materials (2026) · Studies in Interdisciplinary Horizons · doi

  Based on the conclusions of the study, the following recommendations are proposed: 1. Teachers may utilize the Short Story-Based Reading Intervention Material to address learners’ difficulties in word recognition and decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension. 2. The Short Story-Based Reading Intervention Material may be implemented in classroom instruction to provide structured, contextualized, and skills-based reading support for Grade 5 learners. 3. School administrators may adopt the developed material as a supplementary instructional resource due to its established high level of validity across all evaluation criteria. 4. Future researchers may conduct experimental studies using pre-test and post-test design to determine the effectiveness of the material in improving learners’ reading performance. 6.References Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy. Longman. Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. Department of Education. (2016). K to 12 curriculum guide in English. Department of Education. Department of Education. (2017). Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) manual. Department of Education. Department of Education. (2018). Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) manual. Department of Education. Department of Education. (2020). Every Child A Reader Program (ECARP) framework. Department of Education. Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading comprehension instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1), S1–S17. Studies in Interdisciplinary Horizons 100 Contextualized Teaching Practices and Learner Engagement in Multigrade Elementary Education: Experiences of Grade Five Teachers in Mountain Province Ehri, L. C. (2005). Learning to read words: Theory, findings, and issues. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9(2), 167–188. Federe, L., Gomonid, J., Jose, M., & Genelza, G. (2023). Comprehension of Philippine fables among learners: Basis for reading intervention program. International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 20, 45–58. Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy. Corwin Press. Guthrie, J. T., Klauda, S. L., & Ho, A. N. (2017). Modeling relationships among reading instruction, motivation, engagement, and achievement. Reading Research Quarterly, 52(1), 9–26. Jeni, R. (2020). Enhancing reading comprehension through short stories. Journal of English Education Studies, 5(1), 23–30. Lutfia, R., Nanda, D., & Fitria, W. (2023). The effectiveness of short stories in improving students’ reading comprehension. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 14(2), 215–223.

  generalstated in recommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading education department comprehension based short material learners instruction learning intervention teaching journal teachers story
• Demotivational Factors in Omani EFL Reading Texts: A Mixed-Methods Curriculum Evaluation (2026) · European Journal of English Language Studies · doi

  EFL classrooms. It is evident that both curriculum designers, schools, teachers and policymakers need to work collaboratively to enhance • the Omani ELT curriculum. Some recommendations can be suggested as follows: • • • • • • At the curricular level, it is essential to revise reading materials to enhance cultural relevance, authenticity, and cognitive accessibility. Curriculum developers are encouraged to incorporate a balanced range of genres (informational, authentic, and multimodal texts) rather than over-reliance on fictional passages At the institutional level, educational authorities and schools should provide sustained professional development programs focusing on teaching reading comprehension, motivational pedagogy, and differentiated instruction in EFL contexts. Schools can promote a reading culture by establishing reading clubs, digital libraries, and extensive reading programs that encourage voluntary reading beyond the textbook. At the classroom level, teachers should adopt student-centered and motivation-oriented instructional practices to enhance engagement with reading texts. This includes activating prior knowledge, using pre-reading discussions, and connecting texts to students’ real-life experiences to increase relevance and expectancy for success. Differentiated instruction, such as tiered tasks and vocabulary scaffolding, can help address mixed-ability classrooms and reduce cognitive overload. Incorporating interactive strategies can foster deeper engagement and persistence.

  generalstated in recommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading curriculum schools enhance level texts comprehension students classrooms teachers omani relevance cognitive multimodal sustained
• Secondary Students' Responses when Teachers Correct Their Mistakes Throughout Passage Reading (2026) · NTU journal for Administrative and Human Sciences (JAHS) · doi

  Zainab Hatem Gazal/ NTU Journal for Administrative and Human Sciences (2026) 6(2) : 42-55 Research in the field of education has revealed that many students lack the basic skills necessary to learn English, particularly in reading. This finding was based on discussions with English language teachers and examined data on secondary school students, who are likely to continue facing difficulties. The academic experience at the primary stage can be quite complex and profound. The researcher employed both direct and indirect methods to address the reading errors of a specific group of middle school students, drawing on observations of the challenges these students faced, as reflected in their academic records.

  generalstated in future workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: students english reading school academic zainab hatem gazal journal administrative human sciences field education revealed
• Review: Helping Children to Read (1942) · Journal of Exceptional Children · doi

  "for improving reading work in schools and need for eliminating the remedial training." These include the earlier study of difficulties, adjustments intelligent to education of evaluation of children, parents, more or better instructional materials, better and more flexible in struction in and emphasis phonics, upon functional reading. slow learners, more for Teachers that are concerned, as all teachers should be, with helping chil- 1942 125 JOURNAL OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN dren to read with enjoyment as well as with profit, will find much to ponder in this report.

  generalstated in recommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: reading children better teachers improving schools need eliminating remedial training include earlier difficulties adjustments intelligent

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