
POSSUM STRATEGY AS AN INTERVENTION IN ENHANCING READING COMPREHENSION AMONG GRADE 5 LEARNERS.
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE. Reading comprehension is an essential skill that enables learners to understand, interpret, and use information effectively in all subject areas. For Grade 5 learners, the development of strong reading skills is critical, as they are expected to engage with more complex texts and apply critical thinking to respond to questions, summarize ideas, and make connections. At Daniw Elementary School, it has been observed that several Grade 5 learners, while able to read aloud, often struggle to grasp the meaning of the text. Some read slowly, mispronounce words, or have difficulty understanding sentence structure and vocabulary. These challenges affect their overall academic performance and confidence in participating in classroom activities. Teachers have noticed that learners need structured strategies that focus not only on reading fluency but also on understanding, vocabulary, and word analysis to strengthen comprehension..
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE. Based on the PHILIRI results, the class consists of 15 learners: 4 learners (26.67%) were assessed at the Frustration level, 8 learners (53.33%) at the Instructional level, and 3 learners (20%) at the Independent level. This shows that a significant portion of learners required targeted support to improve their comprehension and reading confidence. In response to these challenges, the POSSUM strategy—covering Phonology (sounds), Orthography (spelling), Syntax (grammar), Semantics (meaning), Understanding (context), and Morphology (word parts)—offers a systematic approach to improving reading comprehension. By guiding learners through each component, the strategy fosters accurate decoding, proper word recognition, understanding of grammatical structures, and meaningful interpretation of texts. It encourages learners to actively interact with the text, promotes self-monitoring, and develops critical reading skills that are essential for academic success..
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE. The implementation of this research aligns with the Department of Education’s policies on literacy development. The Enhanced Basic Education Reading Program (ECARP) emphasizes the importance of structured reading interventions to improve reading proficiency and comprehension, particularly in the early grades. Similarly, the Philippine Literacy and Reading Initiative (PHILIRI) advocates evidence-based strategies to enhance learners’ literacy outcomes and strengthen reading skills across the curriculum. Integrating the POSSUM strategy with these initiatives ensures that the reading intervention is research-based, policy-aligned, and responsive to the real needs of learners. This action research seeks to investigate how the POSSUM strategy can enhance the reading comprehension skills of Grade 5 learners, providing teachers with an effective instructional tool and contributing to the learners’ academic growth and confidence in reading. By addressing both fluency and comprehension, this study aims to support learners in becoming more independent, reflective, and capable readers..
Research Questions. 1. What is the current level of reading comprehension of Grade 5 learners at Daniw Elementary School before the implementation of the POSSUM strategy?.
Implementation in the Classroom. Step 1: Pre-Test Assessment.
Action Research Methods. Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information.
Highlight of the Impementation.
Highlight of the Impementation.
Highlight of the Impementation.
Highlight of the Impementation.
Highlight of the Impementation.
Highlight of the Impementation.
Highlights of the Impementation. The video highlights the real struggles that inspired your research. It shows why a structured approach like POSSUM is so important. The learners are trying, but without a clear framework, their understanding remains limited. After implementing POSSUM, your data showed clear improvement from only 20% reading independently to 60% after the intervention. Watching students in the video work through texts makes these results even more meaningful. It becomes clear that the jumps in scores represent real growth in real children..
uogeasruå. Discussion of Results. Table 1 Reading Comprehension of Grade 5 Learners Before the Conduct of POSSUM Strategy.
Implementing Zero Trust policies. Based on the PHILIRI results, the class shows a mix of reading abilities, each telling a meaningful story about the learners’ needs and strengths. Around 26.67% of the learners (4 pupils) are still at the Frustration Level. These are the children who struggle the most with reading. When they try to read independently, they may feel overwhelmed or discouraged because the words and ideas are still too challenging for them. This tells us that they need more guided support, gentler texts, and confidence-building activities so they won’t feel left behind..
Implementing Zero Trust policies. Meanwhile, the majority of the class 53.33% (8 pupils)—are at the Instructional Level. These learners can read, but they do their best when someone is guiding them. With the teacher’s prompts, questions, or strategies, they can understand the text and participate confidently. This group shows great potential because a little more practice, exposure, and encouragement can help them move up to independent reading. They are in the “almost there” stage..
Frustration. Discussion of Results. Table 2 Reading Comprehension of Grade 5 Learners After the Conduct of POSSUM Strategy.
Implementing Zero Trust policies. After implementing the POSSUM Strategy, the reading levels of the learners showed a noticeable and encouraging improvement. The numbers reveal more than just percentages they tell the story of learners becoming more confident and capable readers..
Implementing Zero Trust policies. Meanwhile, 26.67% of the learners (4 pupils) are now at the Instructional Level. This group benefits the most when guided by the teacher. They understand better, respond better, and participate more actively. Before the intervention, this group was the largest, but now it has become smaller—showing that many learners have moved up in their reading ability. In summary, the post-intervention results show that the POSSUM Strategy did more than improve scores it empowered learners. It helped struggling readers move forward, guided readers gain confidence, and capable readers shine even brighter. The shift in reading levels reflects not just academic improvement, but the growth of students’ self-belief and love for reading..
Discussion of Results. Table 3 Difference on the Reading Comprehension of the Grade 5 Learners Before and After the Conduct of Possum Strategy.
Implementing Zero Trust policies. The findings of this study clearly show that the POSSUM strategy had a positive impact on the reading comprehension of Grade 5 learners. Before the intervention, the learners had a mean reading comprehension score of 1.93, reflecting difficulties in understanding texts independently. After the strategy was applied, the mean increased to 2.32, and the t-test result (t = -3.69, p = 0.000) indicates that this improvement is statistically significant, meaning it was not due to chance. This quantitative improvement aligns with the PHILIRI results, which showed a noticeable shift from Frustration and Instructional levels to Independent reading levels after the intervention. Practically, learners became more confident and engaged, able to decode words, analyze sentence structures, and make sense of the meaning in texts..
Implementing Zero Trust policies. The findings of this study clearly show that the POSSUM strategy had a positive impact on the reading comprehension of Grade 5 learners. Before the intervention, the learners had a mean reading comprehension score of 1.93, reflecting difficulties in understanding texts independently. After the strategy was applied, the mean increased to 2.32, and the t-test result (t = -3.69, p = 0.000) indicates that this improvement is statistically significant, meaning it was not due to chance. This quantitative improvement aligns with the PHILIRI results, which showed a noticeable shift from Frustration and Instructional levels to Independent reading levels after the intervention. Practically, learners became more confident and engaged, able to decode words, analyze sentence structures, and make sense of the meaning in texts..
Conclusion. This action research showed that when learners are given the right kind of support, their confidence and ability to understand what they read can grow in remarkable ways. The POSSUM Strategy, with its step-by-step and student-friendly approach, helped the Grade 5 learners see reading not as something overwhelming, but as something they can analyze, understand, and enjoy. From initially struggling at the Frustration and Instructional levels, many of them developed the ability to read independently, showing not just higher scores but a real change in how they approach texts..