Influence of methods in teaching reading on pupil acquisition in lower primary classes of Trans-Nzoia west subcounty

Abstract

The study concentrated on Influence of Methods in Teaching Reading on Pupil Acquisition in Lower Primary Classes of Trans-Nzoia West Sub-county. As reading literacy is a skill, which is ground of almost all processes of learning and is necessary learners not only to acquire languages but also to learn other subjects. The study was guided by the following objectives; to analyze phonic methods used in teaching reading, to explore forms of sight methods used in teaching reading, to determine differences if any, based on choice of methods of teaching reading, to determine the most effective method of teaching reading. The numerous challenges in reading may help to give future solutions. The study employed the survey method which combined the procedures such as questionnaires, interviews and observation. The target population was drawn from standards two, drawn from primary schools in the Sub-County. The class two teachers were selected using simple random sampling where every teacher had an equal chance of being selected. The children were selected using systematic sampling method. In every class 20 children represented the rest, For the schools cluster sampling was used where it selected one school from each of the three divisions which are:1 from Saboti,1from Kiminini and the last one from Central division, out of 125 schools 3 were selected. Eight teachers represented the total 130 grade two teachers. 60 pupils represented the 5000 pupils in the sub- County. This is just a sample of the whole sub-county. The tools included teacher questionnaires which assessed their competencies and pupil observation checklists which assessed the scores to assist in determining which among these methods was the best to use in teaching reading. There were methods of teaching reading such as the phonic method, look and say method and eclectic approach. The independent variables were the teaching methods in the teaching of reading using phonic and sight methods and their effect on achievement, while the dependent variable was the teaching of reading. It employed the schema theory by Jean Piaget which states that all knowledge is organized into units of knowledge or schemata, that meaning does not lie solely in the print itself, but interacts with the cognitive structure present in the reader’s mind. On word attack 33% of the learners showed the confidence to attack words that are not familiar. This means that most of them are lacking sounds alphabetically, because it is expected that using sounds, they should be able to vocalize new words. A majority (83%) were able to pick out words that start with particular letters. This also means that they had developed the aspect of retention that is necessary in reading. It was clear that as much as phonic methods were relevant, the superior approach was the sight methods and this was based on developmental psychology as espoused by Jean Piaget. The outcomes showed that sight method were more attuned to the expectations of teaching reading though there were aspects of phonic methods that were also observed. Because of the benefits realized in both, a careful blending(Eclectic) that had more of sight and less of phonic could go a long way in enhancing reading acquisition. Many teachers were themselves found to have challenges in phonic methods tests and generally had problems with pronunciation and diction of words. When these teaching methods are tackled effectively teachers in the training colleges will benefit from the study and learners in the early years. In line with the study findings, this study recommends that children need to be given enough practice and training materials so that they can have enough exposure to improve their English reading skills. However, the study could not establish how teacher qualifications and also availability of student training materials influencing the reading abilities of lower primary pupils. The researcher therefore recommends that further studies should be done assessing the role of teacher qualifications and availability of learning materials on English reading.