Internal and External Sources of Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing of Grade III Pupils at Sumilihon Central Elementary School

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the internal and external sources of learning difficulties in reading and writing of Grade III pupils at Sumilihon Central Elementary School. The research was conducted at Sumilihon Central Elementary School, Butuan City with 115 respondents from three sections. A validated questionnaire with a reliability index of 0.704 was used in the study. The statistical treatments used to answer the problems were frequency, percentage and Spearman Rho Coefficient of Correlation. The findings of the study disclosed that Grade III pupils self-esteem towards reading and writing have a moderately high attitude towards reading and a high level of manifestation towards writing. Most of the pupils also showed a high level of manifestation of self-esteem. Majority of the respondents perceived a moderately high level of classroom climate, and a high level of manifestation of parents’ and teachers’ guidance. Most of the respondents had low level of difficulty in reading in the skill areas of comprehension, decoding and retention but a high level in writing in terms of punctuation, capitalization and spelling. Attitude has a significant relationship with the pupils’ learning difficulty in reading. On the external sources of learning difficulties, parents’ guidance and teachers’ guidance have significant relationship with the difficulties in reading and writing of the pupils. It was concluded that the attitude towards reading and writing are good indicators that the teachers may utilize in the development of reading and writing skills. Keywords - Reading, learning difficulties, writing skills, descriptive design, Philippines.