Chapter 1

Problem and Its Background

1.1 Introduction

Children’s literature has become an object of academic interest that cuts

across disciplines—from literature to history, child studies, education, and

sociology to name a few (Hunt, 1994). It is undeniable and inevitable to

recognize the fact that children’s literature is beneficial to the growth of

children. In fact, authors of children’s literature have always stressed the

importance of literature in children’s lives. Children’s literature is also a

powerful teaching tool. In fact, it supports the literacy development of

children. It also positively reflects children’s identity, home language, and

culture as well as foster children’s vocabulary learning and comprehension

skills (Lin, 2001).

The school is one of the institutions that could maximize the use of

children’s literature in order to benefit its young students. In fact, as Lehman

(1994) states, children’s literature should be the primary component of the

elementary reading/language arts programs. She also believes that children

should be taught how to think critically about books. On the other hand,

Antilla (2012) claims that the classroom has the greatest capacity, second

1
only to the home and family of a child, to provide quality educational

experiences and interactions to support and strengthen literacy

development. A teacher’s knowledge and use of current children’s literature

and allowing for self-directed reading in the classroom have an impact on

literacy gains in the classroom. The teacher’s choice of books and literature

taught in the classroom, as well as recommendations to individual students

also have a profound effect on literacy development and enjoyment.

Teachers, however, do not place so much focus on it, as a result of which

children are deprived of learning and enjoying this very important branch of

art (Otero, 1975).

In the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila, locally-published

children’s literature written by Filipino authors has always been widely

available and accessible in the local market. Both major and minor

bookstores as well as publishing houses around the metro offer a wide

range of children’s books for parents, teachers and schools. These

children’s books include children’s literature—short stories and poems for

children, activities/games, as well as worksheets and modules for children.

Nevertheless, despite of the abundance of locally published children’s

literature in the metro, there surfaces a question on whether these serve as

effective or not in supporting the school and the teacher’s instruction.

Especially nowadays, as the K-12 Curriculum is being implemented in the

2
country, the teaching materials and resources must be able to support

students in reaching the curricular objectives, standards, learning

competencies and producing the desired outcomes as demanded by the

curriculum. These are all to be done without allowing students to lose their

national identity in the process of being globally competent. Therefore, the

materials and resources to be used in teaching must be localized and

maintain the Filipino identity while it addresses the objectives and standards

of the curriculum.

Thus having said, locally-published children’s literature written by local

authors could be a good option for schools and teachers to use as a

supporting material in teaching English to Grade School students. These

are stories that are filled with Filipino culture, history, traditions and values

that would cultivate the Filipino identity in the student. However, when it

comes to addressing the curriculum standards and learning competencies

for reading comprehension, there has not yet been a study conducted that

determines how valid and how congruent are these stories, to be chosen as

a supporting material in teaching. This question paved the way for coming

up with the purpose of this study. This study endeavoured to survey

selected locally-published award-winning children’s literature short stories

written by local authors for grades 2-3 that are available in chosen

bookstores in Manila and determine how it can be used as a supporting

3
material for teaching Grades 2-3 English by identifying how the selected

short stories address and support the reading competencies in the K-12

English curriculum of Grades 2-3. This study planned to achieve the aim

aforementioned by first surveying the available children’s literature in

selected bookstores and publishing houses in Manila. From there, the

researchers chose several locally published award-winning children’s

literature (short stories) written by local authors from the year 2005-2015.

Guided by principles in John Biggs’ curriculum alignment theory (2003), the

chosen children’s literature stories were then proven to be valid as a

supporting material in teaching Grades 2-3 English by determining their

congruence to the reading comprehension learning competencies of the K-

12 English Curriculum of Grades 2-3. The ultimate outcome of this study is

the recommendation of the appropriate children’s literature stories that

support and address the Grades 2-3 learning competencies under the

reading comprehension learning domain that are fit to be used as

supporting materials for English teachers of Grades 2-3.

1.2 Statement of the Purpose

This study sought to:

4
 1. survey award-winning children’s literature available and

accessible within the Metro Manila,

2. determine how the selected short stories address and support the

reading competencies in the K-12 English curriculum of Grades

2-3, and

3. suggest appropriate children’s literature stories valid and

congruent with the Grades 2-3 Grade level, content and

performance standards to be used as supporting materials for

English teachers of Grades 2-3.

1.3 Scope and Delimitation

The study is delimited to locally-published, award-winning, Children’s

Literature short stories written by local authors that are available within the

Metro Manila market through major and minor bookstores and publishing

houses published within the year 2005-2015 that support and address the

grade level standards, performance and content standards of 2 nd and 3rd

grade reading comprehension learning domain of K to 12 Curriculum. These

are also texts that fit the ages 6-9, which comprises the range of Grades 2-

3 students. This range also fit the cognitive development of Grade 2-3

students, especially in terms of their current comprehension level.

5
1.4 Significance of the Study

The study’s main aim is to survey selected locally-published award-

winning children’s literature short stories for grades 2-3available in chosen

bookstores in Manila and determine how it can be used as a supporting

material for teaching Grades 2-3 English. Schools, teachers, students and

even parents would benefit from this study as they are given a list of

recommended appropriate children’s literature stories that are valid and

congruent with the Grades 2-3 learning competencies. Schools and

teachers could use these as supporting materials in teaching English to their

Grades 2-3 students. Students will then be more familiarized and

knowledgeable with the literary terms being discussed in the class with the

help of these stories. Ultimately, having these stories as supporting

materials will help the Grades 2-3 students to have a smooth transition to

fourth grade as well as to build their character and increase their literacy,

vocabulary and comprehension skills through such exposures.

1.5 Conceptual Framework

The study is divided into three major phases. First, the researchers

surveyed the resources of available children’s literature within the different

major and minor bookstores as well as publishing houses within Metro

Manila. Within the bookstores and publishing houses, the researchers

6
looked for locally published award-winning children’s literature, short stories

to be specific, that are written by local authors and that have been published

within the year 2005-2015.

After having gathered several children’s literature short stories, the

validity of these stories are determined, as guided by John Biggs’ Model of

Constructive Alignment in Curriculum Design (2003). The short stories were

first studied in terms of its summary. Afterwards, the validity of these stories

were determinedto the reading competencies of Grades 2-3 by knowing

whether the content of the short story is congruent with the learning

competencies under the learning area of reading comprehension. The

researchers identified how the stories address and support the reading

competencies of Grades 2-3.

Finally, the researchers produced a list of Children’s literature stories

that are valid, congruent and do support the reading competencies of the

curriculum and could help both the teacher and the student in reaching the

desired outcomes of the Grades 2-3 curriculum. These stories are

recommended to schools and English teachers of Grades 2-3 to use as

supporting materials in their instruction.

The following figure will show the conceptual pattern of the study.

7
8
1.6 Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined in this paper.

Children’s literature. This term refers to materials written to suit the needs

of a child audience.

Constructive alignment theory. This is a theory of learning by John Biggs

that begins with the premise that the learner constructs his or her own

learning through relevant learning activities. The key to achieving this goal

is that all components in the teaching system are aligned to each other to

facilitate the achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Thus, the

curriculum, the intended aims, learning outcomes, teaching methods and

resources and the assessment tasks and criteria for evaluating it, are all

aligned.

Grade level standards. These are the learning standards and academic

expectations for a particular grade or grade span in schools.

Content standards. These are the broad statements that describe specific

content areas that groups of students should learn at each grade level.

These define the knowledge within each discipline.

Performance standards. These are expectations for instruction,

assessment, and student work. These incorporate Content Standards and

9
define the level of work that demonstrates achievement of the standards.

These provide all constituents with the evidences that students have met

the content standards, helping teachers define what level of work is

satisfactory.

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 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents a review of related studies and literature which

were used to establish the background and relevance of the present study.

The Effects of Early Literacy Development on Academic Success

According to Antilla (2013), the teaching of reading and writing is key

for the formation of literacy as young children attend school, through

adolescence, and finally as they emerge as competent and educated adults.

The student that struggles to read will struggle in all subject areas, affecting

and perhaps perpetuating a negative attitude towards reading and school

in general.

Antilla (2013) also added that educational leaders and teachers must

be prepared to face the challenges of ensuring that every student,

regardless of academic ability and literacy development prior to school,

must meet grade level achievement standards. The implementation of

literacy interventions must be fully supported by educational leaders with

essential training for teachers on best practice and implementation into the

11
curriculum, supported by a nurturing and supportive relationship between

the school and the home, to best provide for the literacy needs of all

students. For educators, being aware of all of the factors that are involved

in successful literacy education programs and knowing students’ attitudes

towards reading will greatly benefit the students’ individual literacy gains.

She believed that a child’s communication skills and ability to understand

language has both a direct and indirect effect on that child’s transition to

literacy. It is also imperative for her to provide optimal classroom conditions

for the development of oral expression ultimately affecting literacy

development. Her research suggests that implementing literacy

interventions, above and beyond literacy curriculum already used in the

classroom, will significantly increase student achievement and help to

eliminate achievement gaps.

Moreover, Aram (2006) states that reading books to young children

constitutes a very common adult-child early literacy activity. This interactive

context is considered productive in promoting literacy because it is viewed

as contextualized, meaningful, and motivating for young children. Also,

Manning (1998) states that students gain much when listening to good

literature; enjoyment of literature is experienced, an appreciation for good

literature is promoted, vocabulary growth occurs as they hear unfamiliar

words in context, information is learned, a positive attitude towards reading

12
is fostered, listening skills are improved, and understanding of story

structure is developed, comprehension of text is developed and knowledge

of syntax is expanded.

Early Literacy Instruction

Lin (2001) states that children need materials to support their literacy

development. She believes that the early childhood curriculum should be

intellectually engaging and challenging in a way that expands children’s

knowledge of the world and vocabulary. For her, high quality children’s

books could positively reflect children’s identity, home language and

culture. Children also need to experience and engage in stories and

informational texts daily. These activities foster children’s vocabulary

learning and comprehension skills.

Lin (2001) ends her research believing that to ensure that every child

becomes a competent reader and writer is a responsibility shared by

teachers, families and communities. Each child comes to the classroom with

different literacy experiences and abilities, and teachers need to consider

each other’s needs and to provide balanced programs with explicit

instruction and meaningful reading and writing tasks.

13
The Value of Children’s Literature

Norton (2010) states that children’s literature is important because it

provides students with opportunities to respond to literature; it gives

students appreciation about their own cultural heritage as well as those of

others; it helps student develop emotional intelligence and creativity; it

nurtures growth and development of the student’s personality and social

skills; and it transmits important literature and themes from one generation

to the next.

Moreover, Crippen (2012) believes that children’s literature is

extremely valuable in both the school setting and at home. Teachers and

parents should both be able to differentiate between quality and mediocre

literature, in order to give students access to the best books to encourage

these important values of literature and considering developmental domain.

For her, she believed that exposing children to quality literature can

contribute to the creation of responsible, successful and caring individuals.

The Role of Children’s Literature in the 21’st Century Classroom

Kersten et. Al (2007) states that a language program combining

whole-language instruction, skills-based instruction, and quality children’s

literature is best for academic literary development. Furthermore, Gangi

(2004) claims that arts-based approaches to education are multicultural and

14
should be used to further the goals of critical literacy, culturally responsive

teaching, and social justice. She also mentioned that arts-based education

is aligned with measures of effective teacher education.

On the other hand, Krashen (2004) identifies what has been lost in

many language arts programs: a love for reading first, which leads to

increased reading followed by more highly developed literacy skills. He also

addresses how the pleasure of reading benefits students who are learning

English or another language. According to him, reading is the only way

people become good readers, develop a good writing style, an adequate

vocabulary, advanced grammatical competence and the only way people

become good spellers. Engaging children in pleasurable reading as a part

of comprehensive language arts program promises literacy development

and other positive outcomes. He also believes that students deserve more

than limited direct instruction and that bringing pleasure back to the

classroom may not be as difficult as we think if we are willing to reintroduce

engaging literature and time to read in language arts programs.

Kersten et. Al (2007) at the end affirms that educators are

encouraged to envision children’s literature as an engaging and useful

resource for teaching academic literacy, for developing artistic skills, for

enhancing critical perspectives of the world, and for renewing students’

15
passion for reading. Children’s literature can be used to teach within a

multicultural and critical literacy approach by including texts that address

real-world issues and dilemmas written from various cultural perspectives.

John Biggs’ Curriculum Alignment Theory

According to John Biggs (2003), constructive alignment has two

aspects. The ‘constructive’ aspect refers to the idea that students construct

meaning through relevant learning activities. That is, meaning is not

something imparted or transmitted from teacher to learner, but is something

learners have to create for themselves. Teaching is simply a catalyst for

learning.

The ‘alignment’ aspect, on the other hand, refers to what the teacher does,

which is to set up a learning environment that supports the learning activities

appropriate to achieving the desired learning outcomes. The key is that the

components in the teaching system, especially the teaching methods used

and the assessment tasks, are aligned to the learning activities assumed in

the intended outcome.

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 Chapter 3

Research Methodology

This chapter presents how the study was conducted by the

researchers. As an attempt to survey locally published K-12 English

curriculum of Grades 2-3 that are currently availability to today’s children’s

literature in the country, this study made use of children’s literature for

Grades 2 and 3 available in the local bookstores with an ultimate goal of

recommending appropriate children’s literature stories that are valid and

congruent with the Grades 2-3 reading comprehension learning

competencies to be used as supporting materials for English teachers of

Grades 2-3. It is hoped that through this study, schools, teachers,

educational publishing houses and parents would be able to use the

recommended children’s literature stories as supporting materials for

teaching Grades 2-3 English.

Research Design

This study is a descriptive analysis which involved a survey of

several children’s literature short stories available in Manila to the learning

17
competencies and standards of reading comprehension of the K-12 English

curriculum of Grades 2-3, guided by John Biggs’ Curriculum Alignment

theory (2003).

Research Sample

The study intended to determine how locally published children’s

literature stories written by local authors found within selected bookstores

and publishing houses in Metro Manila address and support the to the

learning competencies and standards of reading comprehension of the K-

12 English curriculum of Grades 2-3. The following bookstores and

publishing houses are: National Bookstore (SM Manila), Precious Pages

Bookstore (a bookstore selling children’s books from Lampara Publishing)

and Adarna House Publishing. The selected children’s literature stories are

award-winning short stories that are appropriate for ages 6-9, which

comprises the range of Grades 2-3 students. This range also fit the

cognitive development of Grade 2-3 students, especially in terms of their

current comprehension level.

18
Research Procedure

The study followed the following procedure.

Phase I entailed the researchers’ survey of the published children’s

literature short stories in different major and minor bookstores as well as

publishing houses within Metro Manila. Namely, these are National

Bookstore (SM Manila), Precious Pages Bookstore and Adarna House

Publishing. Within the bookstores and publishing houses, the researchers

selected locally published award-winning children’s literature written by

local authors, short stories to be specific, that have been published within

the year 2005-2015 that are appropriate to ages 6-9.

Phase II focused on determining how valid and how congruent the

selected children’s literature is to the K-12 English Curriculum of Grades 2-

3. How the selected award-winning children’s literature address and support

the reading competencies of the K-12 English Curriculum of Grades 2-3

were studied and determined, being guided by Biggs’ Model of Constructive

Alignment in Curriculum Design (2003). The short stories were firstly

summarized, then the validity and congruence of these stories were

determined to know if wherever these materials meet the reading

competencies of Grades 2-3. The researchers identified how the stories

address and support the reading competencies of Grades 2-3.

19
 Having said, Phase III entailed the recommendation of the children’s

literature short stories that are valid and congruent to the Reading

Comprehension competencies as well as the grade level, content and

performance standards of the English K-12 curriculum of Grades 2 and 3.

The researchers produced a list of Children’s literature stories available in

bookstores and publishing houses that are congruent to the English K-12

curriculum of Grades 2 and 3 and would help both the teacher and the

student in reaching the desired outcomes for Grades 2-3. These stories are

recommended to schools and English teachers of Grades 2-3 to use as

supporting materials in their instruction.

20
 Chapter 4

Presentation and Analysis of Data

In this chapter, the results of the data analysis are shown. The data were

collected and then processed in response to the statement of purpose

stated in Chapter 1.The findings presented in this chapter demonstrate the

potential for fulfilling the goals of this study which is to survey selected

published award-winning children’s literature short stories for grades 2-

3available in chosen bookstores in Manila and determine how it can be used

as a supporting material for teaching Grades 2-3 English by identifying how

the selected short stories support the reading competencies in the K-12

English curriculum of Grades 2-3.

The final output of this study which is the list of recommended children’s

literature short stories that support and address the learning competencies

and standards on reading comprehension of the English K-12 curriculum of

Grades 2 and 3 are presented. The list is comprised of 12 award-winning,

children’s literature short stories that were acquired from the following

bookstores and publishing houses around Manila: National Bookstore (SM

Manila), Precious Pages Bookstore and Adarna House Publishing. These

21
stories are award-winning children’s literature, short stories to be specific,

that have been published within the year 2005-2015 that are appropriate to

ages 6-9. The said age group comprises the range of Grades 2-3 students.

This range also fit the cognitive development of Grade 2-3 students,

especially in terms of their current comprehension level.

In this chapter, the summary of each story is given first, then ways

on how the stories support and address the learning competencies and

standards on reading comprehension of the Grades 2-3 curriculum are

presented.

1. Cinemagica

Author: Lauren V. Macaraeg

Year Published: 2013

Publishing House: Lampara Publishing House

"Lights! Camera! Action!" is the shout of two children, Popoy and DJ,

every Wednesday as they travel home. Popoy always attends DJ's movies

because DJ's films can be understood even by the blind like Popoy and DJ’s

audience can participate in the movie. That day Popoy played the role of

the prince from the kingdom of flowers. He sought to regain the fragrance

of flowers that the monster steals from them. A candy that acted as a

magical charm, pots and pans that sound like thunder, a hair dryer that feels

22
like a monster's breath of fire, a watering can that feels like rain, perfume

that smells the scents of flowers. Successfully slaying the monster and

bringing peace to his kingdom, Popoy's adventure ends and he comes

home to the kingdom of flowers a hero. As they were ending the people

who are able to see the movie making cheered and clapped their hands for

an outstanding performance, they even asked if they could watch the movie

next Wednesday.

It is a fictional story which is drawn beautifully and is written in a

wonderful way. The text talks about a person with visual impairment and

how in the story for this blind boy to be able to interact perfectly with the

way the movie went along, they used things such as a blow dryer, a candy,

and such to help him use his other senses as the movie is progressing. The

concept of using things at home that helps Popoy feel such things as a

breath of fire, hear thunder, smell flowers, or even feel rain is both thought-

provoking for readers.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events,

EN2RC-IVc-3.1.3/EN3RC-I0-2.10: Give the sequence of

23
 three events in stories read, EN3RCIIi-j-2.10: Sequence a

series of events in a literary selection

The story uses sequence signals to indicate the order

of events. An example of such is that the author uses the

words “every Wednesday” to point out that the major events

in the story take place on a Wednesday.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about understanding the characters, the

events and the settings could be made. This could prepare

the students before reading the text as well as verify their

comprehension of the story during and after reading.

 EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The story is rich with descriptions that pertain to the

characters, to the setting and to the plot.

2. How Far is it to School?

Author: Genaro Gojo Cruz

24
 Year Published: 2015

Publishing House: Lampara Publishing House

How Far is it to School? is a story about a kid who is finally

attending school. He has a lot of questions for his older brother how far the

school is. Unknown to the kid, they would pass through a lot of adventures

before they could reach the school.

The story is written in the perspective of a young boy who is about to

start school. Although his brother tells him that they would cross through a

lot of places before going to school, the young boy’s enthusiasm has not

wavered. The story uses light words that are very comprehensible for young

readers.

Today, children are not acquainted with destitutions of some children

(especially in rural areas) going to school as they find it easy travelling from

home to school. This story opens the eyes of the readers, particularly the

ones who are in the urban areas, what journeys the other children of their

same age experiences. Moreover, this story teaches the importance for a

child to know about perseverance not only in studying but in facing the

challenges connected to it. Lastly, this book can also be used to make

children understand that knowledge can be achieved not only inside the

classroom but also from their environment.

25
 The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4:Identify the basic sequence of events and

make relevant predictions about stories

The story revolves around a young boy with his older

brother telling him what kind of adventure they are about to

experience the next day before going to school. Reading this

story would make readers think about these adventures and

what possible outcomes the two brothers be experiencing.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions that would make readers relate to the two

brothers could be made for readers to have deeper

understanding of the story. This also would help readers to

empathize to those children who experience this kind of

adversity in real life.

 EN2RC-IVd-2.8: Infer/ predict outcomes, EN2RC-IVe-2.16:

Use clues to make and justify predictions before, during and

after reading (titles, pictures,)

26
 The title suggests deeper meaning that would make

readers asking about the story behind it.

 EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot

The story is rich in characterization and setting. The

main character’s personality is well-established and the

setting of the many adventures on their way to school is well-

described.

3. Just Add Dirt

Author: Becky Bravo

Year Published: 2009

Publishing House: Adarna House

The story Just Add Dirt is about a child named Miguel who had

difficulty in taking a bath. Each morning, he wakes up to find little mung

bean seedlings growing out of his ears. His mother tells him that it is what

he gets for not taking a bath. Miguel then promises to take a bath, but he

keeps putting it off so that he can play with his friends. Meanwhile, more

and more vegetables start growing all over his body every day. Miguel starts

27
to panic, but his mother remains cool and calm. At the end of the story,

Miguel finally decides to listen to his mother and take a bath. His mother

takes all of the vegetables that have grown in his body and cooks sinigang

using the vegetables.

The story emphasizes the importance of staying clean, healthy and

maintaining proper hygiene by means of regularly taking the bath and

washing hands. The story also shows the role of mothers in the family. It

depicts a mothers’ care and concern to her child’s health, as well as her

guidance in rearing the child to practice obedience, respect and proper

behavior when it comes to taking care of oneself. The story also stresses

the need for a child to overcome indolence, so as to avoid the

consequences that follow it.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events,

EN2RC-IVc-3.1.3/EN3RC-I0-2.10: Give the sequence of

three events in stories read, EN3RCIIi-j-2.10: Sequence a

series of events in a literary selection

The story uses sequence signals to indicate the order

of events. An example of such is that the author uses the

28
 phrases “when morning, lunchtime, dinnertime, bedtime

came”, “next morning”, “after…”, “in the meantime”, “then

finally”, “this time” to point out when the major events in the

story took place.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about understanding the characters, and the

events of the story could be made. This could serve as a guide

to the students before reading the text as well as verify their

comprehension of the story during and after reading.

 EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The story is rich with descriptions that pertain to the

characters, to the settings and to the plot.

 EN2RCIVd-2.8: Infer/predict outcome, EN2RCIVe-2.16: Use

clues to make and justify predictions before, during and after

reading, EN3RCIIa-b-2.8: Make simple predictions, EN3RC-

IIIa 2.11: Make inferences and draw conclusions

29
 The plot of the story as mentioned above comprises of

predictable events, one after another. This can help the

students develop their inferencing skills by predicting the next

event and drawing simple conclusions based from the

previous scenes in the story.

 EN3RC-IIIa 2.7.1: Identify several effects based on a given

cause, EN3RCIIIa-b-2.13: Identify cause and effect

The story highlights the importance of cleanliness by

giving the child an exaggerated picture of the possible

consequences one may have by delaying the need to take a

bath and wash hands. Having said, the story can aid students

in identifying the effects and consequences of tardiness when

it comes to staying clean. Causes of why a child also gets

diseases triggered by improper hygiene may also be

discussed.

4. Marvino’s League of Superheroes

Author: Rae-Rival Cosico

Year Published: 2014

Publishing House: Adarna House

30
 Marvino’s League of Superheroes is about a little boy named Marvino

who lives in the small town of Majayjay. He imagines and draws Philippine

National Heroes as superheroes with actual super powers. Because of his

passion for drawing those superheroes, he decides to join the school’s

poster-making contest. He also wants to get into the newly opened toy

museum in their town, but he can't afford it. However, as he passes by the

museum he meets an elderly man in wheelchair named Emilio. He shares

to Mr. Emilio his sketches and Emilio encourages him to join the school’s

contest. In the end, he gets to enter the museum and sees his sketches of

superheroes as sculptures, which was made by Mr. Emilio, who happens to

be the owner of the museum. At the end, Marvino did not win the school’s

contest but Marvino obtains an unlimited pass to the museum.

The story highlights a young Filipino’s love and appreciation for our own

national heroes. It honors the country’s national heroes and attests that their

legacy will be remembered and will be known by future generations. The

story also pertains to a person’s individual talent and creativity, especially

in the field of the arts and humanities. This is analogous to Horace’s “dulce

et utile” wherein he believes that art should be functional yet pleasant and

enjoyable. Here, both Marvino and Mr. Emilio also believe that their work of

art could be used to instruct, to delight, and to eventually have an influence

on the community that the person lives in.

31
 The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events,

EN2RC-IVc-3.1.3/EN3RC-I0-2.10: Give the sequence of

three events in stories read, EN3RCIIi-j-2.10: Sequence a

series of events in a literary selection

The story uses sequence signals to indicate the order

of events. An example of such is that the author uses the

phrases “the next day”, “after some time” to point out when

the major events in the story occurred.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about understanding the characters, the

events, the historical figures mentioned in the story as well as

the settings and the historical background of the story could

be prepared. This could serve as a guide to the students

before reading the text as well as verify their comprehension

of the story during and after reading.

32
  EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The story is rich with descriptions that pertain to the

characters, to the settings and to the plot.

5. My Father, the Shape Shifter

Author: Maria Cecilia Sevilla

Year Published: 2013

Publishing House: Lampara Publishing House

A little boy has a secret with his father, an OFW. The secret is that

his father is a shape-shifter. The little boy says his father can take on the

form of so many things. He can shape shift into a telephone to speak to his

son, he can become a box that delivers them many wonderful things, he

can become smaller and look the same as his real self while inside the

laptop communicating with the little boy and his wife, even shape shift into

the little boy’s mother just to be with him. The little boy really misses his

father a lot, he unusually thought of shape-shifting himself just so he could

make his father feel the same comfort as he did. But he knows this, his

father will come home soon, and they will play and he will be able to kiss

and hug his father, maybe his father could even teach him how to shape

33
shift. All he knows is that no matter what shape, color, or size his father is,

he will always love him

This text used light words that make it a comprehensible text for a

young reader. The vivid storytelling and giving of examples of how a father

shape shifts make the readers thoughtful of the story. It also makes the

children very optimistic since they are comforted by the idea given by the

text that their parents overseas are with them in different shapes and sizes.

The text emphasizes on the family greatly. The love and adoration that

the little boy has for his father can be perceived in the text, even the idea of

his father shape-shifting just to comfort his wife and child. Here we see the

importance of love in the family the way father and son show love in the

story and the preservation of the family by means of the father shape

shifting to be with them to comfort them and even the son wanting to learn

shape shifting just to comfort his father out at the sea. The following conflict

that are seen in the text are the fact that the protagonist tells other children

that parents that are working abroad can shape shift and even children

themselves can learn to shape shift one day. Inanimate objects come to life

which will never happen. And lastly, not all parents go abroad, what about

children who have parents who are with them most of the time, will their

parents still have the need to shape shift?

34
 The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RCIIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RCIVa-2.2: State details

of text during and after reading) EN2RCIVc-3.1.3: Give the

sequence of three events in stories read

The story is filled with magic concerning the father,

giving the teachers the responsibility to help the students to

find the answer to the unique case. Because the story is very

interesting, questions can be given before, during, and after

that will help the students to better understand the story and

clarify some questionable situations. Asking the students to

cite some parts in the story where important details are found,

like how the father shape-shifts, can be helpful in class

discussion for the validation of their understanding of the

story. With that in mind, this can guide the teacher on

facilitating what the class already knows and what more they

need to know like the fact that the father is an Overseas

Filipino Worker.

 Read simple sentences and levelled stories and EN3RC-I0-

2.2 a: note details regarding character, setting and plot,

35
 EN3RC-Ic-e- 2.1 Describe literary elements of texts including

characters, setting, and plot

The story if filled with literary elements which can help

the students in understanding the situation and the dilemma

of the story.

 EN3RCIIa-b-2.19: Rereads, monitors and self-correct one’s

comprehension

When the discussion has been commenced, the

students may re-read the story so as to better understand the

style and the content of the story which may not be clear the

first time they read it.

 EN3RC-IIIa 2.7.1: Identify several effects based on a given

cause/ EN3RC-IIIa 2.11: Make inferences and draw

conclusions based on texts (pictures, title and content words),

EN3RC-IIIa 2.13: Distinguish fact from opinion EN3RCIIIa-b-

2.13: Identify cause and effect

The students can draw out that Luis thinks this way

because he misses his father since his father is usually

working overseas. They can also infer from the story itself, the

details of what is happening between Luis family and his

father.

36
  EN3RC-IIIa 2.13: Distinguish fact from opinion

This story gives students the chance to distinguish

whether what was stated in the story concerning Luis’ fathera

fact or an opinion. This can also teach them the importance to

watch out for clues all throughout the story.

6. Share Like Brothers and Sisters

Author: Raissa Rivera Falgui

Year Published: 2013

Publishing House: Adarna House

A little-ant girl always hears her mother say to her brother that their

food should be divided between brothers and sisters whenever they would

eat. However, when her brother would divide the food, she notices that her

older brother always received a larger portion than hers. While she was at

school, her classmate Dina, a snail, accidentally left her food at home. She

offered to share her food equally with Dina, and Dina said it is like how food

should be divided between brothers and sisters. The ant-girl thought

otherwise since siblings do not share equally, and she thought how Dina is

very lucky since she doesn’t have to share any food to a sibling since she

doesn’t have a sibling. One day she is invited by Dina to go and play at her

house and when they finally eat, they both learn that the sharing between

37
friends and siblings are one and the same. She comes home to share the

food she received from Dina’s parents and shows her brother that she will

share equally with everyone at home, her brother said sorry and from then

on, they share food equally.

The story is written in the perspective of an ant-girl. She tells us of

how her relationship with her brother was. And we see how she has learned

how food should be divided between siblings with the help of Dina. Here it

can be seen how a young child may be able to teach his or her older sibling

lessons on being a proper brother or sister. It is a fine text for it is easily

relatable for those children who have siblings, how sometimes they would

have difficulty with sharing food, or the problem of envy whenever any one

of them would receive a gift. The usage of simple words is necessary for it

helped make the story relatable and understandable for children.

The story touches more on the family and identity. The fact that

children learn so much from their parents, gain values, and respect one’s

siblings because of their parents’ guidance shows us and the children

reading this, the values that can be learned from this story. We can also say

that the text is a fable for the moral learned was not only for the protagonist

but also Dina and the ant-girl’s brother learned as well. The fact that these

organisms are like humans, they have a family, they go school, they even

38
have personalities both helps the children and confuse the children. Helps

because there are relatable features for this characters while confuses

because of the fact that animals aren’t like humans.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RCIIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events and

make relevant predictions about stories, EN2RCIVd-2.8:

Infer/predict outcomes, EN2RCIVe-2.16: Use clues to make

and justify predictions before, during and after reading (titles,

pictures,)

The students can infer from what the protagonist is

experiencing and from what the students themselves may

have experienced the probable outcomes that may happen

during the reading of the text.

 Read simple sentences and levelled stories and EN3RC-I0-

2.2 a. note details regarding character, setting and plot

The story is rich with descriptions that pertain to the

characters, to the setting and to the plot.

 EN3RC-IIIa 2.7.1: Identify several effects based on a given

cause, EN3RC-IIIa 2.11: Make inferences and draw

39
 conclusions based on texts (pictures, title and content words)/

EN3RCIIIa-b-2.13: Identify cause and effect

Subsequently, since the story’s pictures and content

words highlight the dilemma between the siblings, the

students can cite which part of the story is the cause and what

is the effect in the story.

 EN3RC-IIIa 2.13: Distinguish fact from opinion

In the story, even if the brother-sister relationship can

be relatable for the students, they will question if animals can

have such relationships, do animals go to school, and such.

 EN3RC - IVc-d-1.2: Interpret simple maps of unfamiliar

places, signs and symbols

The title itself uses an imagery which shows the symbol

of division, share like brothers and sisters. This was reinforced

when the pie at the end of the story was divided into four. The

integration of mathematics in the story can help students in

their further studies in the future.

7. The Cat Painter

Author: Becky Bravo

Year Published: 2006

40
 Publishing House: Adarna House

The Cat Painter tells about the story of an angel painting cats. The

cat painters who are older than him follow a rule that a cat can be painted

only in one color. Rahal, with his creativity, finds enjoyment in painting cat

with different colors. Upon the return of the Miral, the head angel of cat

painters, he finds the chamber full of cats painted in different colors. Loss

for words, Miral takes Rahal to the God’s chamber. Instead of being

reprimanded for his misdeeds, God acknowledges Rahal’s creativity and

allows the cat painters to use different colors in painting cats.

It is a fictional story written in light words for easy comprehension

thus motivates the children reading creatively. It also written in a way that

readers can find the story interesting because of the supernatural elements

that heightens their interest.

Aside from being nonconformist, the main character of the story also

teaches the readers to feed one’s creativity, even if it means breaking the

tradition. Furthermore, the story tells the need of valuing one’s creativity and

skills. Even keeping the tradition is good, one must not let the tradition

confine oneself.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

41
 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events and

make relevant predictions about stories

The story uses time in a manner of decade and

centuries. It speaks about the time when the earth is still not

old. Readers could immediately think about what it would be

like in the earliest time and would make predictions out of it.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about this story being real or not could be made

for the readers to answer. In doing this, the readers would

come up with details that would help them understand deeper

the story.

 EN2RC-IVd-2.8: Infer/predict outcomes, EN2RC-IVe-2.16:

Use clues to make and justify predictions before, during and

after reading (titles, pictures)

Looking at the title, readers could predict what sort of

activities the main character in the story does. Readers could

also predict what would happen about him breaking the

tradition of cat-painting.

42
  EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot

The story is full of imaginative elements that would

challenge the reader find the underlying meaning of these

concepts.

8. The Little Girl in a Box

Author: Felinda V. Bagas

Year Published: 2013

Publishing House: Adarna House

The Little Girl in a Box is the story of an orphaned girl who lived in a

cardboard box. The story follows the girl in her search for a place where she

can be cared and feel loved. Although she likes every place she goes, she

always finds instances that she feels unhappy or feels limited. The story

ends with the girl finally finding a place where she truly feels loved and

belonged.

Experiences of orphan and adopted children are one of the topics

rarely discussed in Philippine children’s literature. In the course of finding a

new home, the protagonist comes across with challenges that bring

43
hopelessness and limitations of her being a child thus leads her to encage

herself away from the world until she finds another home. As she journeyed

from one place to another, the time passes, hence the girl grows too large

for the box which represents her comfort zone.

This story opens readers, both children and adults, to the reality

orphan and adopted children encounters in a daily basis. Foster parents

may be too strict to them, consequently, suffocating the adopted children

that can lead to isolation of themselves from the environment. Essentially,

this book is for the orphans and adopted children that provide them with a

story that they can relate and serve as their anchor to the difficulties they

are facing. This book also encourages readers to find and establish one’s

identity and step out of their comfort zones.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events and

make relevant predictions about stories

The story does not indicate when the story happened.

Even so, the story does not lack in providing the order of the

destinations upon the girl’s search of home.

44
 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about the story could be made by the

teacher for the readers to understand symbols found therein.

 EN2RC-IVd-2.8: Infer/predict outcomes, EN2RC-IVe-2.16:

Use clues to make and justify predictions before, during and

after reading (titles, pictures,)

With the guidance of the teacher, the readers could

predict what could happen to the girl in the course of her

journey. Readers could also infer what the main character feel

in her journey.

 EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The characterization of the girl is very well depicted in

the story. Readers could easily understand where the girl is

coming from and how she comes to every decision she

makes. The settings are also very symbolical and the plot has

45
 a major conflict that represents the struggle of the human

nature—which is finding sense of belonging.

9. The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots

Author: Nikki-Dy Liacco

Year Published: 2005

Publishing House: Adarna House

The Yellow Paperclip with Bright Purple Spots is the story of a yellow

paperclip with bright purple spots in a teacher’s bowl of silver paperclips,

and how it was brought by time and various circumstances to that bowl.

The story is narrated backwardly, in the perspective of the yellow

paperclip itself. It traces its roots and gives a brief background of its past

experiences. It recounts the people it met, the things it has learned, and the

places it has travelled.

The story is a metaphor of a person’s different adventures and

experiences in life. It shows how these various experiences teach a person

diverse lessons in life, leading to the development of a person’s identity and

individuality.

46
 The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events,

EN2RC-IVc-3.1.3/EN3RC-I0-2.10: Give the sequence of

three events in stories read, EN3RCIIi-j-2.10: Sequence a

series of events in a literary selection

The story, being narrated in a backward order, uses

sequence signals to indicate the order of events that

happened in the past, prior to the very first event that was

given in the story. An example of such is that the yellow

paperclip always asks the question “but where was I

before….?” to point out that the major events in the story

happened in the past.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about understanding the characters, the

events, and the various settings mentioned in the story could

be made. This could serve as a guide to the students before

reading the text as well as verify their comprehension of the

story during and after reading.

47
  EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The story is rich with descriptions that pertain to the

characters, to the settings and to the plot.

10. Very, Very Long

Author: Genaro R. Gojo Cruz

Year Published: 2010

Publishing House: Adarna House

Gatpuno Ping Emilio Juanito Santiago R. Lakanilaw is a boy who has

a very long name. He finds it difficult to write his name and often misses

doing other activities with his classmates as it takes longer time compared

to his classmates with shorter names. When he asks why he has a long

name, his mother told the story behind it. As the story ends, the protagonist

appreciates and becomes proud of his very, very long name.

The story is written in the perspective of a curious young boy as to

how he got his long name. The narrator tells his complaints about having a

long name and wishes his name to be shortened. However, the internal

monologue of the narrator influences the reader to self-reflect or question

48
the origin of their name. It is also uses light words that are very

understandable hence guarantees the engagement of the reader to the

story.

In finding one’s name origin, an individual finds oneself in the process of

recognizing identity. Readers will be having sense of individuality after

finding one’s name origin just like what happens to the narrator. Most

importantly, after finding one’s name origin, the connection between the

child and the family strengthens.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events and

make relevant predictions about stories

The story has a very systematic way of narrating the events

as to how the main character solves the conflict. This can also

help readers predict the reason behind the very long name of

the main character.

49
  EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Question about the major conflict of the story could be made

by the teacher. In doing so, it will help readers to comprehend

and appreciate more the story.

 EN2RC-IVd-2.8: Infer/ predict outcomes, EN2RC-IVe-2.16:

Use clues to make and justify predictions before, during and

after reading (titles, pictures,)

Teachers could help readers predict the reason of the

main character’s conflict.

 EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The readers could describe literary elements such as

characters, setting and plot of the story. The story provides a

pleasing plot which makes readers curious and entertained.

11. Where Do Hills and Mountains Come from? by Liwliwa Malabed

50
 Author: Liwliwa Malabed

Year Published: 2013

Publishing House: Lampara Publishing House

The little boy was greatly fascinated with the mountains and hills.

“Where do mountains and hills come from?” he asked. His grandfather

answered from the great hunters that ruled the world. As they grew old they

lied down to rest and became massive humps on the ground. While his

grandmother said they were fairies and nymphs that sought refuge from

men who destroyed nature, they created their own hiding place high above

the earth. He even asked a dog which said Mountains and Hills are made

from the millions of dogs digging for their treat, the soil they kicked up in the

air became ridges and peaks. On the other hand, his mother said hills and

mountains were made by Mother Nature not just for weary clouds to rest

on, but also for weary hearts. After the answer given by his mother, he has

finally fallen asleep.

This is narrated in the third person perspective. A boy that is greatly

fascinated with mountains and hills and he continually seeks to know of its

origins is seen. The usage of family characters such as grandparents,

parents, siblings and even animals helps children associate with the child

and with the curiosity of the child itself. The mystifying answers in the text

help children not become bored while reading and educates them. Also, the

51
children reading the text will become more curious, not fearing to ask of the

origins of the places and people around them because the protagonist of

the text is not disciplined.

This text gives attention to extraordinary or supernatural origins

which helps make the story very informative to children, helping them be

curious individuals, not fearing to ask questions. Seeing how the protagonist

has supportive family that is willing to explain to him things also shows that

the family is still an important part of the text. However, using different

explanation to tell of different origins can be very confusing, especially if

some are made up stories that will lead the children astray. Another problem

is if the belief of the child or his religion and culture explains the origins of

hills and mountains differently.

The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RCIIIf-h- 2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RCIVa-2.2 State details

of text during and after reading, EN2RCIVc-3.1.3 Give the

sequence of three events in stories read

This gives the teacher good activities before, during

and after reading the story, for the many fictional origins of

52
 mountains and hills. The fact and opinions they have learned

can then be discussed and questioned in class.

 EN3RCIIa-b-2.19 Rereads, monitors and self-correct one’s

comprehension

Much attention was given to the origin of the mountains

and hills. At first, yes the students will be fascinated but the

fact that the story revolved on this will also make students

become curious and reread the storyfor the question posed,

where really do mountains and hills do come from?

 EN3RC-IIIa 2.7.1: Identify several effects based on a given

cause EN3RC-IIIa 2.11: Make inferences and draw

conclusions based on texts (pictures, title and content words)

EN3RC-IIIa 2.13: Distinguish fact from opinion EN3RCIIIa-b-

2.13: Identify cause and effect

Many answers were given for the probable cause of the

effect, the mountains and hills. Except that the children

would’ve probably noticed that the many ways shown in the

story could not all be real.

53
 12. Znork, the Horse Who Loved to Sleep by Mark Anthony Angeles

Author: Mark Anthony Angeles

Year Published: 2013

Publishing House: Lampara Publishing House

Znork, the Horse Who Loved to Sleep is a story about a horse named

Znork whose weakness is his love for too much sleep. As a result, he is

being laughed at by his fellow horses at the stables because he is always

being left behind, sleeping. But because of his dream of becoming a good

racehorse, he tries his best to overcome his weakness. He becomes a hard-

working horse who regularly practices racing. One day Znork is taken away

from the stables to be used in war. Znork at the end gets more than what

he wished for—he becomes the horse of a brave general and a part of the

history of the Philippines.

The story accentuates on the necessary efforts an individual must make

in order to conquer one’s weaknesses and struggles. It also shows the

individual’s ability to dream for oneself and the determination and

persistence that accompany it. The story also highlights the history of the

country and how heroes from the past fought hard in order to gain the

country’s independence from foreign colonizers.

54
 The story addresses and supports the following competencies and

standards on reading comprehension:

 EN2RC-IIId-e-2.4: Identify the basic sequence of events,

EN2RC-IVc-3.1.3/EN3RC-I0-2.10: Give the sequence of

three events in stories read, EN3RCIIi-j-2.10: Sequence a

series of events in a literary selection

The story uses sequence signals to indicate the order

of events. An example of such is that the author uses the

phrases “before long” and “the next day” to point out when the

major events happened in the story.

 EN2RC-IIIf-h-2.17: Answer questions to clarify understanding

before, during and after reading, EN2RC-IVa-2.2: State

details of text during and after reading

Questions about understanding the characters, the

events, the historical figures mentioned in the story as well as

the settings and the historical background of the story could

be prepared. This could serve as a guide to the students

before reading the text as well as verify their comprehension

of the story during and after reading.

55
 EN3RC-I0-2.2: Note details regarding character, setting and

plot, EN3RC-Ic-e-2.1: Describe literary elements of texts

including characters, setting and plot.

The story is rich with descriptions that pertain to the

characters, to the settings and to the plot.

 EN3RC-IIIa 2.7.1: Identify several effects based on a given

cause, EN3RCIIIa-b-2.13: Identify cause and effect

The story stresses the challenges and the rewards of

overcoming one’s weaknesses. Having said, the story can aid

students in determining the effects and the benefits of being

perseverant and diligent when it comes to fighting one’s weak

points.

56
 Chapter 5

Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

This study aimed to determine how the selected locally published

award-winning children’s literature short stories written by local authors for

grades 2-3that are available in chosen bookstores in Manila address and

support the reading competencies in the K-12 English curriculum of Grades

2-3.At the end, the study had the final output of recommending the

appropriate children’s literature to be used as supporting materials for

English teachers of Grades 2-3. It is desired that through this study, schools,

teachers, educational publishing houses and parents would be able to use

the recommended children’s literature stories as supporting materials for

teaching Grades 2-3 English.

This chapter summarizes the results of the analyses on the selected

12 children’s literature short stories that support and address the reading

comprehension competencies of the English K-12 Curriculum of Grades 2-

3.

Summary of Findings:

The study gathered two findings:

57
 1. The 12 selected children’s literature short stories mentioned in this

study are valid and congruent to most of the reading comprehension

learning competencies of the English K-12 Curriculum of Grades 2-

3.

2. Since the stories are congruent to the learning competencies, these

stories do support and address most of the learning competencies

and standards that the Grades 2-3 curriculum demands.

3. The 12 selected children’s literature short stories mentioned in this

study are recommended to be used as supplementary materials to

teachers of Grades 2-3 English.

Conclusions

From the above findings, the following major conclusions were

made:

1. The twelve (12) selected award-winning children’s literature short

stories locally published by local authors within the last decade play

an indispensable role in reinforcing the K-12 Curriculum as these

support and address most of the reading comprehension learning

competencies and standards of the curriculum.

58
 2. These children’s literature short stories can be used as supporting

materials in teaching Grades 2-3 English.

3. These children’s literature short stories are supplementary materials

that would help the learners produce the desired outcomes of the

curriculum while strengthening their Filipino identity and values.

Recommendations

Based on the conclusions, the following recommendations are

suggested.

1. For schools, the twelve (12) children’s literature short stories used in

this study could be used in the Grades 2 and 3 classrooms and

libraries as supplementary resources for the students. The schools

can also open reading programs that would utilize these stories.

2. For teachers, the twelve (12) children’s literature short stories used

in this study could be used as supporting materials in teaching

Grades 2-3 English. These can be used in the pre-reading, during

reading and post-reading parts of the lesson. The teachers can also

make various creative performance-based activities that would utilize

the stories such as journal/log writing and dramatization/role-playing.

The stories can also be used as take-home materials for students to

59
 enjoy reading at home. Teachers are also recommended to make

use of other children’s literature short stories that are not found in

this study. Using these stories would also develop the relationship of

the class among themselves and the class to its teacher due to

creative interaction.

3. For educational publishing houses, the twelve (12) children’s

literature short stories used in this study could be used as a basis for

developing textbooks, modules and worksheets. These stories can

also be included as supplementary readings and activities in the

future textbooks and modules to be developed.

4. For children’s literature publishing houses, they could produce more

short stories written by local authors that would support and address

all the learning competencies of the English K-12 Curriculum of

Grades 2-3, not just the ones under the reading comprehension

domain.

5. For parents, the twelve (12) children’s literature short stories used in

this study could be used as their reading materials at home. These

can also serve as the children’s additional reading material outside

of school. Having these used inside the home would also further

strengthen the relationship of the child with the parents.

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6. For future researchers, a try-out of this study is suggested to further

the validity of this study and to expand the scope and limitations of

the study. Lesson plans, modules, worksheets, different

performance-based tasks could also be made from this study, to be

tested on Grades 2-3 students of both public and private schools

nationwide.

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