Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills of ALS Learners Through Reading Short Stories

This study examined the effectiveness of using short stories as an instructional strategy to enhance the reading comprehension skills of Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners at Adtuyon Community Learning Center, Pangantucan, Bukidnon during School Year 2021–2022. Anchored on the premise that meaningful and contextualized texts support literacy development in alternative education settings, the study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design. A teacher-developed reading comprehension assessment tool was used to determine learners' proficiency levels before and after the intervention. Participants consisted of 20 ALS learners purposively selected from the community learning center. The intervention involved structured reading sessions using a variety of short stories designed to engage learners and develop comprehension skills across different levels. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and tests of difference to determine changes in reading performance. Results indicate a statistically significant improvement in learners' reading comprehension scores from pretest to posttest, demonstrating the positive impact of short story-based instruction on literacy development. Learners showed improved ability to understand, interpret, and respond to texts, suggesting that exposure to varied and relatable reading materials enhances engagement and comprehension. The study concludes that integrating short stories into ALS instruction is an effective and low-cost strategy for strengthening reading comprehension. It recommends the regular use of diverse short texts, the development of supplemental reading materials, and the integration of structured reading activities across ALS learning strands to support learner readiness for the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) assessment.