CHAPTER ONE

This chapter explains what problems the researcher identified and why it was necessary to study

it. The chapter is made up of the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of

the study and research questions. In addition, the significance of the study, delimitations of the

study as well as limitation of the study are found in this chapter.

1.2 Background to the Study

The most common language in the world is English. It is spoken by around 1.5 billion people

globally, both as a first and second language. English is widely used in international business,

science, technology, and diplomacy.

The success of every child in educational endeavor depends upon how well the child is able to

read and understand educational materials which are covered under the curriculum. There are

four basic language skills one has to acquire to operate effectively in life. These skills are

listening, speaking, reading and writing skills (Bradley 2019). Students cannot under any

circumstances develop one at the expense of another. The ability to read is important to

functioning effectively in our literate society according to (James 2021).

In language learning activity, especially reading there are two approaches, phonic approach and

whole language approach. Look and say technique which included in the whole language

approach is an approach that emphasizes learning the language in a meaningful context and

nature. Look and say technique is based on whole-word method, a method that teaches the word

as a whole. This technique requires the reading skills by reading words and phrases in the

English language as well as introducing the meaning associated with the word. Scott and

Ytreberg (1993) mentions that look and say technique based on words and phrases, as well as the

use of flashcard- words written on the card, exemplified as follows: By this technique, students
can see and mention what teachers say and the students get to know how the words being

spoken. The pronunciation of words is done several times. The use of flash cards is also a

supporter in the process of delivering meaning. This technique gives children an opportunity to

see and hear the words spoken by the teacher. A study that describes the situation of pre-reading

experience constructed by Doman (1991). The use of cards (flash cards), which contains writings

or words is shown to the children and then they are asked to say or read three times a day and

this is done for five days. Every day the card is replaced with new words and the cards are shown

in a different order. When children have already known a few words, then they are introduced to

the source of the book where the words came from.

In Ghana, English language is widely recognized and spoken. It is used in schools, hospitals,

offices and for transacting government business. It is the dominant language for formal

education.

However, many students at the Basic 7 level struggle with reading fluency and comprehension,

which significantly affects their academic performance. The Look and Say method, a widely

used approach in early literacy instruction, focuses on whole-word recognition rather than

phonetic decoding (Ehri, 2014). This method allows learners to recognize words by sight,

thereby improving reading fluency and comprehension.

Research has shown that students who struggle with reading often develop negative attitudes

toward learning, leading to poor academic outcomes (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). In Ghana,

particularly in ASWAQ ‘C’ Basic School, many Basic 7 learners face reading difficulties,

affecting their ability to grasp content across different subjects. Addressing these challenges

through effective instructional strategies like the Look and Say method is crucial for improving

literacy outcomes.
Since the learners of ASWAQ C Basic 7 Learners find it difficult in pronunciation of words, so

the researcher employs or adopt phonic techniques to assist the learners of ASWAQ C Basic 7

Learners to overcome their difficulties in reading comprehension. The phonic method serves the

purpose of learner’s recognition of words for pronunciation practice and also as preparatory

stage for reading comprehension.

As a matter of fact, there are a whole lot of problems at stake as far as comprehension at

ASWAQ C Basic seven is concerned. Paramount among them is inadequate textbooks. The

teachers had to write the whole passage on the chalkboard before the learners could read. This is

time consuming and gives more tasks to the teacher. It does not allow a topic to be completed

before the day ends.

1.3 Description of the study area

The study was conducted at ASWAQ C Basic School located in Wenchi, the

Municipality of the Bono Region of Ghana.

Wenchi ASWAQ 'C 'Basic School has a population of two hundred and fifteen(215)learners,

fifteen (15) trained teachers and two (2) non-teaching staffs. There are fifty-six (56) learners

in the Basic Seven where I was assigned to do my practice.

The learners are mainly farmers which they do their trading activities at Wenchi market.

Though few of the inhabitants of the people have acquired some sort of formal education,

they cannot change the minds of the people. This explains why parents engage in their

business activities to the neglect of their ward’s education.

1.1 Perceived Problem

Observations in ASWAQ ‘C’ Basic School indicate that many Basic 7 learners struggle with

reading fluency and word recognition. These reading difficulties hinder their ability to
understand written texts and participate actively in lessons. The issue is further compounded by

limited instructional resources and teaching strategies that do not cater to diverse learning needs.

Diagnosis

a) Evidence

Classroom assessments and teacher observations have revealed that many Basic 7 learners

mispronounce words, skip words while reading, and have difficulty comprehending texts. A

diagnostic reading test conducted among these learners showed that over 60% of them were

reading below their grade level.

b) Causes

Several factors contribute to the reading difficulties among these learners, including: limited

exposure to print materials, lack of phonemic awareness as learners struggle with recognizing

letter-sound relationships, which affects word recognition.

Some teachers rely solely on traditional rote-learning methods without incorporating engaging

reading strategies and parents’ lack of engagement in their children’s reading development

negatively impacts literacy skills.

1.4 Statement of the problem

It was realized at the first term of the program that, Learners of ASWAQ C Basic Seven could

not read properly and effectively. In addition, it was revealed that learners lack pre-requisite

skills to help them pronounce new words. It is the desire of the researcher therefore to use the

look and say method of teaching reading to improve the reading skills of Learners in ASWAQ C

Basic Seven School since reading difficulties among Basic 7 learners in ASWAQ ‘C’ pose a

significant barrier to their academic success. Without intervention, these challenges may persist,
leading to poor literacy outcomes. This study seeks to explore the effectiveness of the Look and

Say method in improving reading fluency and comprehension among these learners.

1.5 Research Objectives

The specific objectives of the study are to:

1. Identify the causes of poor reading difficulties faced by Basic 7 learners at ASWAQ ‘C’.

2. Implement the Look and Say method in the teaching of reading.

3. Evaluate the impact of the intervention on learners’ reading fluency and comprehension.

1.6 Research questions

The study would be guided by the following research questions;

1. What are the major reading difficulties faced by Basic 7 learners at ASWAQ ‘C’?

2. How can the Look and Say method be used to improve reading fluency and

comprehension?

3. What impact does the Look and Say method have on learners’ reading performance?

1.7 Significance of the study

This study will benefit various stakeholders, including providing teachers an effective

instructional approach to enhance reading skills. Also improving learner’s reading fluency and

comprehension, which will positively impact their academic performance. The research can also

equip parents with strategies to support their children’s literacy development at home and as well

offer educational policymakers insights into evidence-based reading interventions for curriculum

planning.
1.8 Delimitations of the study

This study focuses on Basic 7 learners at ASWAQ ‘C’ Basic School. The intervention was

limited to the Look and Say method and will not include other reading strategies such as

phonics-based instruction. The research was conducted over a period of four weeks.

1.9 Limitations of the study

Respondents did not open up to give relevant information which would encourage the research

was one of the key problems that the researcher encountered.

Also, the learners in the class which the research was based were reluctant to give out the

necessary information for the research.

Again, Inadequate resources and research materials in the school library also hampered and

delayed in the research. In conducting a research work, one must have a good library where one

can have different kinds of books and research materials to enable the learners to carry out

meaningful research.

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study consists of five chapters. Chapter one which dealt with the introduction to the study is

made up of the background to the study, the statement of the problem, the purpose of the study,

research questions, significance of the study, delimitations of the study as well as the

organization of the study.

Chapter Two reviews related literature on reading difficulties and the Look and Say method.

Chapter three, it consists of research design, the population, sample and sampling procedures,

research instruments intervention process (pre-intervention, intervention, post intervention and

data analysis procedure).

Chapter Four presents the data analysis, findings, and discussion. Chapter Five summarizes key

findings, provides conclusions, and offers recommendations for future practice.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Overview

This chapter discusses review of related literature based on the study. The following

sub-headings would be reviewed.

1. The concept of Reading.

2. Purpose of Reading.

3. Causes of poor reading.

4. Effect of Poor Reading on Teaching and Learning.

5. Improving Reading Skills.

2.2 Conceptual Review

2.2.1 The Concepts of Reading

Reading plays a vital role in the life of every individual. Gathering adequate information around

us can be achieved through reading. It is obvious that, students who are very good in academics

are much versatile in reading. According to Addison (2013), Noted that, learning is tantamount

to a mason; laying bricks on one another to form a whole house, hence, if school attendance of

learners is regular, such learners would acquire solid foundation on which to build in the future.
Goswan (2019) says reading has become a matter of concern because; it is a thorn in the flesh of

both teachers and learners in Ghana.

Reading is defined by Jeans and Stalin (2017) as an activity characterized by translation of

symbols in letter into words and sentences that have meaning to the individual.

The ultimate goal of reading is to evaluate and use it for one’s needs. The word ‘read’ as

explained in Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture is to look at and understand

some printed or written materials.

Tsadiday (2019) also defined ‘reading’ as the ability to hold a conversation in a form of written

materials or to get a message that has been set out in the form of words, letters or numbers

instead of ordinary writing.

Rosenblatt (2018) also believes that every reading act is an event or transaction

involving a particular reader and that occurring at a particular time in a particular context. The

meaning does not reside ready-made in the text or in the reader but happens or comes into being

during the transaction between the reader and the text.

2.2.2 Importance of Reading

For learners’ performance to improve in all spheres of academic pursuits, they should be

efficient and enthusiastic readers.

Santrock (2019) Opines that, reading supplies the need of learners. He emphasizes the

role that reading plays in learners live. For him, the ability to read serves as aid in meeting every

need. Reading is a tool of vocation, pursuit for leisure time and a tool for citizenship. When

learners are able to read, it leads to success in school, helps in coping with everyday situation

outside school, bestow success and provides recreation. After a learner has developed interest in
reading, it becomes a means through which other things are learnt. He or she reads to learn about

Mathematics, Science, English and other subjects respectively.

Karlin (2020) holds a similar view on the importance of reading when he opines that all

must learn to read. The ability to read is so important that any child who does not achieve

reasonable success in it is severely handicapped in ways that impinge on personality

development.

Besides, reading assists learners to pass their examination. This is because one’s ability to

read questions with meaning and understanding does almost half of the work of examination.

Learners are able to learn new words, when they read different materials Karlin (2020).

Another significant thing about the use of English is that a learner is expected to have a

pass in it in order to proceed for further studies or have a good job. Karlin (2020) continues to

say that when learners learn to read, they can use it as a medium of communication.

Pocter et all (2018) in the Long-man Dictionary of contemporary English say “it is the

ability to look at or understand something printed or written”. The Pan English Dictionary

defines the term as “to look at, understand or say aloud written words”.

Curriculum Research and Development Division (CRDD) (2019) says, “Success in any

form of education and training and in work generally depends upon the ability to understand and

use English effectively.

Montessori (2018) also lays emphasis on the need for the child to work through a range

of learning resources. This range of resources, particularly encourage dexterity and as they work

with them, the child is guided from the simple to the more complex tasks. She encouraged formal

learning of reading and writing by assisting children to form letters through sand and finger play.
 Macmillan (2019) encourages parents to learn alongside their children. He therefore

promotes the importance of the training of adults to enable them work with their children in an

informal manner.

Simpson (2017) noted that, ‘if a country wishes to train men and women to be able to

cope with the modern needs of a developing country like Ghana, then conditions such as training

young ones to gain the basic fundamental skills in reading to the higher level should emphasized

and strengthened”

In Rhetorical Readers, Joseph Addison commented that “reading challenges our beliefs

and depends on our imagination. Why then more people delight in reading? Most children feel

great pleasure and grow older, though the initial, the magical world of books is more and more

and more associated with homework, tests and grades. In addition, test marks make particular

demands, on the reader who has to decode it using four main reading skills or strategies-syntactic

semantic visual and phonic.”

A syntactic strategy depends on the reader’s knowledge of language or structures and

grammar. Familiarity with language pattern helps the reader cue words which are most likely to

appear next to the page.

Semantic strategies involve the reader trying to make sense of a text using his desire to

understand the powers of prediction, to guess what unfamiliar looking words may be. If a reader

guesses wrongly, the sense of the sentences may be lost so he will use semantic strategies to try

out other possible words.

Visual strategies are used by the reader when visually perceived information for

illustration, diagrams, particular typefaces or the use of color to suggest or support meaning is

used.
 Chris (2016) Noted his intensions that “a new dimension to child reading as portrayed by

other authors.” He intones that; “teachers should make more use of child Literature in schools

than what is being done now.

According to Chris (2016) “much would be achieved if libraries are put to good use.” He

said “some perceptive parents have begun to come to terms with the fact that their wards were

not self-sufficient in books apart from their readings. It is therefore, of utmost importance that

reading problems should be investigated.”

Reading has the ability to educate and it require all sorts of information. Stauffer (2017)

outlined that, the ability to read is so vital to functioning effectively in a literature society such as

ours. Reading according to Tailor (2019) outlined that, the teaching and learning of reading plays

a significant role in the modern world. Learners at Junior High School need to be taught well

using appropriate teaching and learning resources to enable them read effectively.

However, children who do not understand the importance of reading will be motivated to read.

Learning to read takes effort and children who see the value of reading in their personal activities

will be more likely to work hard than those who fail to see the benefits.

Finally, Gray Williams (2016) agree with the World Book Encyclopedia that, reading

serves a lot of purpose and this can be seen from the following reasons;

• A tool of citizen.

• A pursuit for leisure time.

• A tool of vocation.

• An aid in meeting everyday needs.

From the above, one would agree that reading is a very important educational instruments

on teaching and learning process. Reading is a skill that helps learners to develop physically,
intellectually, emotionally and morally. With these, reading needs to be encouraged in the life of

every growing child to enable him or her to acquire knowledge and informal education and this

would depend on the type of books the child reads.

2.theoretical Review

2.3.1 Causes of poor reading

Dyslexia in the broad sense refers to overwhelming difficulty in learning to read and write

by normal intelligent children exposed to suitable educational opportunities in school and at

home (Bryant & Bradley, 2021).

Anderson and Urghuhart (2019) intimate that poor reading in foreign language is due to

poor reading ability in the first language and vice versa. Poor reading in a foreign language is

due to inadequate knowledge of the target language. This has phonological and semantic

significance because most phonetics of English and Ghanaian language are almost the same.

Phonetics symbols, which are combined to form words, have great similarities in both

languages. A child who already knows how to read in the first language (L1) can transfer this

ability to reading foreign language (L2). Good first language readers will read well in the foreign

language once they have passed a threshold of foreign language ability.

McNamara (2018) opines that they cannot adequately read in the native language in the

first place. The argument therefore is that if only they learn to read properly in their native

language in the first place, the problem of reading in English as well as other languages world be

greatly reduced.

According to Illingworth (2016), reading disability is one’s inability to read properly. It

was explained that, when reading, learners turn to omit or substitute words and also read in
halting manner. They also said that, reading disability is more a problem in the child of school

age than pre-school child.

Reading difficulties are the principal causes of failure in school. (Solomon, 2015). According to

Dandzie (2018), between 10 percent and 15 per cent of school-going learners have reading

difficulties. Teachers should be in a position to identify learner's problem including those related

to reading from holistic point of view in order to help such a learner manage academically in

school. According to Tabi (2014), the learners who scored poorly in the wordlist and reading

passage were equally poor performers academically in primary schools. This was in line with her

conceptual framework which indicated that both internal and external factors cause reading

difficulties, hence poor academic performance.

Moat (2016) also noted that, many people think that reading comes naturally to some and

not to others. Actually, good readers are not born, they are taught. Nearly ninety percent (90%)

of English words can be spelt if one knows the basic patterns and principles in most spelling. If a

child can spell the word, he or she can read because good spellers end up as better readers and

writers.

2.3.2 Effects of Poor Reading on Teaching and Learning

According to Texas Agency (2018), students at all levels are expected to be able to read

and understand the content they read. This will help them to climb the academic ladder to its

peak and excel in life to become responsible persons to help in building the nation.

Teaching reading without resources would hinder the interest of learners in the learning

process (Tailor, 2019). This therefore, retards learner's ability.

 Finally, Krashen (2015) also believe that learning reading or beginning reading, poor

readers read and become poorer readers and learn fewer words. These poor readers or students

lack the grammatical knowledge and vocabulary.

2.4 Empirical Review

2.4.1 Ways of Improving Learners Reading Skills

Bloom (2014) agrees on the motion that, there is the need to improve the reading skills of

learners. Therefore, every child in Junior High School 1, 2 or 3 must be encouraged to read

books other than those they have at home and make use of local public library if they have it in

their towns.

Fry (2018) also agreed with the motion that, there is the need to improve upon reading

skills of learners. Thus, learners must be able to realize the importance of reading as far as

learning is concerned. As they go further in education ladder, they would do much reading both

for pleasure and business in the future. Texas (2012) also added some ways of improving reading

skills.

After you model how to read the text, you must have the student re-read it. By doing this, the

students are engaging in repeated reading. Usually, having of linguistic notation on easier task.

2.5 Summary of Literature

This review has been a great importance to the researcher as well as others since; it has

helped the researcher to delve into causes of students' poor reading.

It has also enabled the researcher to identify the relevant teaching strategies, techniques,

skill, methods and attitudes to be employed to help improve students' ability to

comprehend what they read using look and say method. It is therefore incumbent on
teachers to adopt a variety of reading skills using look and say method to whip the interest

and attention of the learners in the teaching and learning process.