CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Spelling is either the verbal or written process of forming words from a string

of letters of a specific language according to an accepted usage. This ability is

known to serve as a bridge that connects sounds and letters together through

speaking and writing correctly from a person’s memory to translate into

comprehensible words. Consequently, by understanding words, having the ability

to spell correctly assists in reading as it helps in cementing the connection that is

shared between sounds and letters.

Thus, a person can surmise that the building block of effective learning is

effective spelling for this ability aids in a person’s proficiency on writing and

reading, and ultimately, on a learner’s comprehension as proven in a study made

by Vendora and Stromer (2007), wherein they observed that, “Spelling is a vital

part of the educational process, because learning to read, write, spell, and express

one’s thoughts accurately in writing is essential for a literate society.” As such,

spelling words correctly will help students, teachers, writers, and other people to

convey their ideas and thoughts precisely.

Spelling and reading have one common factor and that is the proficiency

with a selected language. Nowadays, it is claimed that English is the most

commonly used language in the world, even having a significant influence in the

Philippines’ educational system where most of the school subjects are taught using

the said language.

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 The English language has a wide vocabulary, which is comprised of difficult

and confusing words that are often misused and misspelled, because it applies

different rules for writing and reading that are not evident in other languages. Some

English words are pronounced easily, but are written differently, or vice versa,

which then offers a certain degree of perplexity for learners to spell that ultimately

creates spelling lapses.

As mentioned above, spelling is a complex activity that involves a lot of

skills. Spellers have to quickly and accurately think about how the words sound,

and then translate those sounds into print. There are numerous rules in spelling

that can be memorized and used, but exceptions to these rules are abundant in

the English language. Every letter in the English alphabet has different phonetic

sounds which makes double letters necessary to emphasize certain sounds within

words, and to ensure the word is pronounced correctly and properly.

However, it is shown that it is very common for students to commit spelling

lapses when they encounter words with two (2) or more consecutive letters

regardless if they are vowels, consonants, or both. Confusion and lapses usually

arise to whoever is not familiar with the rules in doubling a letter in a word, or who

is not accustomed with the exceptions to the rules. Even kids who are fast-thinkers

can be slow-spellers when faced with these type of words.

Many of the most frequently misspelled words in English are misspelled by

leaving out a letter, while others are misspelled because people think a letter

should be doubled, so they put an extra one, like the words: preferable, being

2
mistakenly spelled as, “prefferable;" and the word coliseum, being also spelled as,

“colliseum.”

Lapses can be be lessened if everyone familiarizes themselves with double-

lettered words. One of the most useful strategies to improve spelling is through

reading. Reading books may help a person with spelling problems for the secret

to good spelling is decoding as you read. Understanding what you are reading

helps you to retain and to remember the words easily. For instance, children with

Optilexia who have difficulty in spelling, are known for sight reading only the words

that almost always leads to miscomprehension.

A person cannot place his/her entire future on the line by not being able to

spell. Not only is the ability to spell necessary in most occupations, but a person

also needs to be able to spell well in order to be able to communicate and take

notes and directions. He/she could be trying to write someone a note that could

potentially save someone’s life, but if that person only sees a note filled with

misspelled words, then that person may not be able to comprehend what others

are saying. It is a stretch, but the message is clear. Spelling is very important.

Bad spelling is not necessarily a sign of low intelligence, nor having a high

intelligence quotient level means that you are good at spelling. But in this day and

age, not knowing how to spell gives others a bad impression about a person. No

matter what a person writes, if the spelling is poor, the readers may lose their

interest in reading. As such, flawless spelling can give a learner a ‘heads up’ in life.

Statement of the Problem

3
 The researchers will investigate the difficulties in spelling words with two or

more consecutive letters of the 10-(B) Job of Magalang Christian Ecumenical

School Inc. S.Y. 2017-2018. Specifically, they will seek answers to the following

questions:

1. Is there a significant difference in the socio-demographical profile of the

respondents in terms of:

a. Age, and

b. Gender;

2. Is there any significant difference between the academic performance of

readers and non-readers;

3. Is there any significant difference between the honor students and non-

honor students in terms of their test results and spelling capabilities; and

4. Is there any significant difference in the test results after the intervention?

Conceptual Framework

In this research, a three-part questionnaire is used, the difficulties in spelling

words that contain two or more consecutive letters topic amongst the 10-(B) Job

of the Junior High School for the school year 2017-2018. After the administration

of the first test (or the pre-test), a researchers’ intervention followed discussing the

rules on spelling words with double letters or with 2 or more consecutive letters.

After the discussion, the respondents were required to take the same tests again

(post-test) in order to determine the effectiveness of the researchers’ discussion

and the students’ knowledge about the proper spelling of double-lettered words.

4
The test results of the respondents were compared to determine which students

are confused with double-lettered words.

Conceptual Paradigm

Reading Academic
Socio-
Interest Performance
Demographic
Profile

Difficulties in spelling
words with two or
more consecutive
letters

Hypotheses

The researchers come up with the following hypotheses:

1. There is no significant difference in the demographical profile of the

respondents in terms of:

a. Age, and

b. Gender

2. There is no significant difference between the academic performance of

readers and non-readers.

3. There is no significant difference between the honor and non-honor students

of Magalang Christian Ecumenical School Inc. in terms of their test results and

spelling capabilities.

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4. There is a significant difference in the test results of the respondents after the

intervention.

Scope and Delimitation

This study was confined only to twenty (20) students from the Grade 10-(B)

Job students of Magalang Christian Ecumenical School Inc. (S.Y. 2017-2018). The

study was limited to the words that the research participants misspelled using the

researchers’ questionnaire. Aside from these, this study will not cover other trivial

matters beyond the selected topic.

The results of this study will be based according to their performance on the

pre-test and post-test of this research.

Significance of the Study

The significance of the study may be viewed from the following:

1. Teachers - with this study, they will know the ability of the students in

determining and spelling words with two or more consecutive letters.

2. Students - through this study, they can improve their ability to spell and

comprehend words that have been recently discussed and will be motivated to

listen to the teacher’s discussion, so that they can spell words with two or more

consecutive letters easily and accurately.

3. Future researchers - this study can be served as the reference in making new

researches related to spelling.

6
Definition of Terms

To understand the study further, words and phrases are hereby defined
operationally and conceptually:

1. Spelling - it is the process or activity of writing or naming the letters of a word.

It is the manner in which words are spelled, a group of letters representing a
word, and the act of a speller. It is also an attempt to spell a word in the correct
way.

2. Consecutive - it means following one another in uninterrupted succession or

order. In the context of this study, it means a succession of two or more similar
or dissimilar alphabets in a word.

3. Misspell - it means to chose a word incorrectly from the pool of answers in the
research questionnaire.

4. Comprehension - it is the action or ability of understanding a word in its

contextual and lexical meaning.

CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

7
 According to Savant, an American who is known for having the highest

recorded IQ according to the Guinness Book of Records, “When our spelling is

perfect, it's invisible. But when it's flawed, it prompts strong negative associations.”

According to Mencken (Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com, p.57), “Correct

spelling, indeed, is one of the arts that are far more esteemed by school ma’am’s

than by practical men.”

According to Oxford Royale, it is often said that English is one of the most

difficult languages to learn. One of the hardest things about English is that although

there are rules, there are a lot of exceptions to those rules - just about when you

think that you have got the fundamentals of the rules, something comes along to

break the rules you thought you already knew by contradicting it. A good example

is the rule for remembering whether a word is spelled with or without double letters.

Double-letter words are words which contain at least one set of letters used twice

consecutively to make a certain sound or tone, usually used in the emphasis

syllable in the word which contains them.

In Vos Savant’s book (The Art of Spelling: The Madness and the Method,

2000), after conducting a 1998 survey in her Parade Magazine column, she asked,

“What does your spelling really say about you? Is spelling ability a measure of your

education, intelligence, desire, or none of the above?”

According to Brock, “A person may have strong memorization and/or

language skills without possessing comprehensive intelligence across all subjects.

No matter how bad the spelling or how terrible the grammar errors, none of that is

8
representative of how smart he/she is; nor does it diminish the importance of the

information he/she wants to share with his/her audience.”

Ehri (2000) describes such connections in her work. She used the term

amalgam to explain how the spelling of a word is remembered: When readers see

and pronounce words, their knowledge of the alphabetic system is activated and

computes connections between graphemes in the spellings and phonemes

detected in the pronunciation of the words. Repetition of this process a few times

bonds the spelling of the word to its pronunciation and meaning in memory, forming

an amalgam. (p. 22) Ehri makes two important points: (a) reading and spelling are

closely related processes and probably should be integrated for instruction, and

(b) strengthening connections between the pronunciation and spelling of some

irregularly spelled words by exaggerating the pronunciation to match the spelling

(e.g., pronounce the t in listen) will better fix the visual form in memory.

The latter point receives some support from a study by Dietrich and Brady

(2001). They found that adult poor spellers more often misspelled words that they

mispronounced. This suggests that poor phonological representations in memory,

resulting from mispronunciations in normal speech, may contribute to poor letter–

sound knowledge, which then results in misspellings. This conclusion is consistent

with that of Kamhi and Hinton (2000), who attributed that spelling relies on memory

of how a word looks to limitations in phonological knowledge.

Kamhi and Hinton (2000) reviewed a host of studies of spelling development

and concluded that poor spellers follow a different developmental path from good

spellers. They rely on visual strategies, remembering how words look rather than

9
how sounds are spelled, and that reliance on visual strategies is a consequence

of limited phonological knowledge. When we consider adults in ABE classes,

limited phonological knowledge might arise from previously limited educational

opportunities. However, such limitations may also be present due to cognitive

processing deficits. That is, speech sounds may be coded imperfectly in memory,

making it difficult to map a letter or letter-string onto a phonemic unit reliably (e.g.,

confusion of f/th sounds in phonological memory can affect the spelling of words

such as “deaf” for “death” or “thin” for “fin”). The review provided by Kamhi and

Hinton (2000) raises two important issues for adult literacy providers concerned

with developing skill in spelling. First, reliance on memorizing the spelling of

specific words can promote reliance on visual cues and word-specific knowledge.

This is a relatively inefficient strategy because memory cannot support retention

of all the words one needs to learn to be effective in written communication.

Second, many adults with language-based learning disabilities have inefficient

phonological processing systems and poor phonological memory. Therefore, it

would seem that effective instructional approaches in ABE classes must seek to

maximize interactions among the visual and auditory systems. For example, words

identified for spelling study might be used in a sentence, meanings and possible

synonyms discussed, and phrases in which the words commonly appear might be

elicited and written on the board and in notebooks with the target word underlined

or highlighted. The target word might then be spelled aloud as each letter is written

on the board and in the notebook. Students might then write a phrase or sentence

that helps to fix the use of the word in memory.

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 Burt and Fury (2000) assessed and compared spelling, vocabulary, reading

comprehension, reading experience (inferred from a student’s recognition of the

author of popular books), and reading accuracy for a sample of 100 university

students. They found that reading experience and word reading accuracy

(evidence of direct recognition of a word stored without resorting to decoding)

contributed to the prediction of spelling performance, above and beyond the

contribution of reading comprehension and vocabulary. This finding was consistent

with earlier work (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1990) that examined these skills

among middle-school students. Cunningham and Stanovich concluded that

spelling is rooted in word-specific knowledge and that their study suggests the

preeminence of a single route for spelling, rather than a dual route, because

greater experience with whole words through reading appeared to give rise to

better spelling performance. Taken together, the findings of the studies reported

here suggest that efficient spelling draws on competencies in both the phonological

and orthographic systems and that poor spelling may result from limitations in

either or both systems.

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes the methods of research, respondents of the

research, and research instrument.

Methods of Research

11
 The researchers used the descriptive method to attain the objective of the

research. Descriptive research is concerned with the nature of a situation as it

exists at the time of the study. Through this method, the researchers identified the

level of spelling words that contain 2 or more consecutive letters of the Grade 10-

(B) Job students from Magalang Christian Ecumenical School Inc.

Respondents of the Research

The respondents of this study were twenty (20) Grade 10-(B) Job students

of Magalang Christian Ecumenical School Inc., S.Y. 2017-2018. The respondents

were chosen through random sampling method.

Research Instrument

The researchers used a questionnaire to determine the level of spelling

words that contain 2 or more consecutive letters amongst Grade 10-(B) Job

students.

They divided their instrument into three parts. The first part focused on the

socio-demographic profile of the Grade 10-(B) Job students which includes age

and gender. This first part was the source of identifying relationship of the level of

spelling words by the grade 10-B students and their age and gender.

The second part of their questionnaire consists of fifteen questions that

pertains to an actual word with different spelling forms. This part tests the spelling

12
of words that contain two (2) or more consecutive letters amongst Grade 10-B

students of Magalang Christian Ecumenical School Inc.

The third part of their questionnaire is the Personal Information part,

wherein they will read and answer the three (3) questions honestly.

This same questionnaire is administered twice to the participants which is

for the pre-test and the post-test results.

Statistical Treatment of Data

To analyze and describe the results of the study, the researchers used the

frequency counts, and percentage to determine the spelling results of the

respondents. In determining the spelling performance of the participants, paired T-

test was used to see if there is a significant difference between the pre-test and

the post-test results of the students, thereby suggesting a level of effectiveness in

the teachers’ discussion.

Statistical tools used were as follows:

Percentage

P= FxN
————
100

13
Where:

P = Percentage

F = Frequency

N = Number of respondents

Paired T-test

Where:

d= difference per paired value

n= number of samples

Scale of the Level of Performance

Table 1. This scale shows the Level of Spelling performance of the
respondents in terms of their pre-test & post test results.

Score Level of performance

14-15 Excellent
11-13 Very satisfactory
5-10 Satisfactory
4-8 Poor

14
 0-3 Very Poor

CHAPTER IV
Results and Discussions

Results

I. Socio-demographic Profile of the Respondents

1.1. Age of the Respondents

As shown in Table 1.1, the ages of the respondents are ranged from 15

– 16 years old. Most of the respondents are 16 years old (15 or 75% of

the total number of respondents), and the remaining respondents are 15

years old (5 or 25% of the total number of respondents).

Table 1.1. Age of the Respondents

AGE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

15 5 25%

16 15 75%

TOTAL: 20 100%

1.2. Gender of the Respondents

15
 As depicted in Table 1.2, there were 10 (50%) male students and 10

(50%) female students. The respondents have equal percentage in

terms of their gender classification.

Table 1.2. Gender of the Respondents

Gender FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

MALE 10 50%

FEMALE 10 50%

TOTAL: 20 100%

II. Academic Performance of the Respondents

2.1. Academic Status of the Respondents

Table 2.1 shows that participants are composed of 10 (50%) honor

students and 10 (50%) non-honor students. Equal percentage is shown

in terms of their academic status.

Table 2.1. Academic Status of the Respondents

ACADEMIC STATUS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE(%)

HONOR 10 50%

NON-HONOR 10 50%

TOTAL: 20 100%

16
 2.2 Academic Status of the Respondents with their corresponding
Gender
Table 2.2 shows that there were 5 (25%) male honor students, 5 (25%)

male non-honor students, 5 (25%) female honor students, and 5 (25%)

female non-honor students.

Table 2.2. Academic Status of the Respondents with their corresponding

Gender

ACADEMIC STATUS Gender FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

HONOR MALE 5 25%

HONOR FEMALE 5 25%
NON-HONOR MALE 5 25%
NON-HONOR FEMALE 5 25%

TOTAL: --- 20 100%

2.3. Academic Status of the Respondents with their Reading

Interest
Table 2.3 shows the academic status of the respondents with their

reading interest. There were 1 (5%) male reader, 9 (45%) male non-

readers, 5 (25%) female readers, and 5 (25%) female non-readers.

Table 2.3. Academic Status of the Respondents with their Reading Interest

ACADEMIC STATUS READING

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)
INTEREST

HONOR READER 3 15%

17
 HONOR NON-READER 7 35%

NON-HONOR READER 3 15%

NON-HONOR NON-READER 7 35%

TOTAL: --- 20 100%

2.4. Reading Interest of the Respondents

Table 2.4 shows the reading interest of the respondents. There are 6

(30%) readers and 14 (70%) non-readers.

Table 2.4. Reading Interest of the Respondents

READING INTEREST FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

READER 6 30%

NON-READER 14 70%

TOTAL: 20 100%

2.5 Reading Interest of the Respondents with their corresponding

Gender
Table 2.4 shows the reading interest of the respondents with their

corresponding gender. There were 1 (5%) male reader, 9 (45%) male

non-readers, 5 (25%) female readers, and 5 (25%) female non-readers.

READING
INTEREST Gender FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

18
 READER MALE 1 5%

READER FEMALE 5 25%

NON-READER MALE 9 45%

NON-READER FEMALE 5 25%

TOTAL: --- 20 100%

Table 2.5. Reading Interest of the Respondents with their corresponding
Gender

III. Perception of the Respondents

Table 3 shows the perception of the respondents regarding their ability

to spell words with 2 or more consecutive letters. 18 (90%) of the

respondents are having difficulties in spelling words containing 2 or more

consecutive letters while there are 2 (10%) respondents who are good

in spelling.

Table 3 Perception of the Respondents Regarding their Ability to Spell Words

with 2 or More Consecutive Letters

IS IT DIFFICULT? FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

YES 18 90%
NO 2 10%

TOTAL: 20 100%

IV. Spelling Results of the Respondents

19
4.1 Scores of the Respondents
Table 4.1.1 shows the pre-test scores of the Grade 10 – B (Job) students

of Magalang Christian Ecumenical School, Inc. The test contained a total

number of 15 items. The respondents mostly got 13 (20%) and 14 (25%)

out of 15 items.

Table 4.1.1. Pre-test Scores of the Respondents

SCORE FREQUENCY PRECENTAGE (%)

1 0 0%
2 0 0%
3 0 0%
4 0 0%
5 0 0%
6 0 0%
7 1 5%
8 2 10%
9 1 5%
10 1 5%
11 3 15%
12 3 15%
13 4 20%
14 5 25%
15 0 0%

TOTAL: 20 100%

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Table 4.1.2 shows the post-test scores of the Grade 10 – B (Job)

students of Magalang Christian Ecumenical School, Inc. The

respondents mostly got 14 (60%) and 14 (20%) out of 15 items.

Table 4.1.2. Post-test Scores of the Respondents

SCORE FREQUENCY PRECENTAGE (%)

1 0 0%
2 0 0%
3 0 0%
4 0 0%
5 0 0%
6 0 0%
7 1 5%
8 0 0%
9 2 10%
10 1 5%
11 1 5%
12 1 5%
13 4 20%
14 9 45%
15 1 5%
TOTAL: 20 100%

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 4.2. Scores of the Respondents According to their Gender
Table 4.2.1 shows the pre-test scores of the respondents with their

corresponding gender. Male respondents scored a total of 125 (42%)

and the female respondents scored a total of 108 (36%).

Table 4.2.1. Pre-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Gender

Gender SCORE PERCENTAGE (%)

MALE 125 42%

FEMALE 108 36%

233
TOTAL: 78%
(OUT OF 300)

Table 4.2.2 shows the post-test scores of the respondents with their

corresponding gender. Male respondents scored a total of 118 (39%)

and the female respondents scored a total of 133 (44%).

Table 4.2.2 Post-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Gender

Gender SCORE PERCENTAGE (%)

MALE 118 39%

FEMALE 133 44%

22
 251
TOTAL: 83%
(OUT OF 300)

4.3 Scores of the Respondents According to their Age

Table 4.3.1 shows the pre-test scores of the respondents with their

corresponding age. 16-year-old respondents scored 184 in total (61%).

15-year-old respondents scored 49 in total (16%).

Table 4.3.1. Pre-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Age

AGE SCORE PERCENTAGE (%)

15 49 16%

16 184 61%

TOTAL: 233 77%

Table 4.3.2 shows the post-test scores of the respondents with their

corresponding age. 16-year-old respondents scored 191 in total (64%).

15-year-old respondents scored 60 in total (20%).

Table 4.3.2 Post-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Age

AGE SCORE PERCENTAGE (%)

15 60 20%

16 191 64%

23
 251
TOTAL: 84%
(OUT OF 300)

1.4. Words Misspelled by the Respondents

Table 4.4.1 shows the most mistaken spelling of the respondents on

their pre-test. “Aggression” is the most misspelled word (55% of the

respondents). Second is the word “appellee” (50% of the

respondents).

4.4.1. Words Misspelled by the Respondents (pre-test)

WORD PERCENTAGE
FREQUENCY RANK
(%)

RECOMMENDATION 0 0% 9
OCCASION 2 10% 7
COMMISSIONER 2 10% 7
AFFILIATE 6 30% 4
MILLENNIUM 9 45% 3
COMMITTEE 1 5% 8
ACCOMMODATE 9 45% 3
POSSESSION 6 30% 4
ASSOCIATION 0 0% 9
NECESSARY 3 15% 6
MISSPELL 4 20% 5
AFFIRMATION 0 0% 9
AGGRESSION 11 55% 1
APPELLEE 10 50% 2
ACCESSIBLE 3 15% 8

24
Table 4.4.2 shows the most mistaken spelling of the respondents on their

post-test. “Millennium” is the most misspelled word (40% of the

respondents). Second is the word “recommendation” (30% of the

respondents).

4.4.2 Words Misspelled by the Respondents (Post-test)

WORD PERCENTAGE
FREQUENCY RANK
(%)

RECOMMENDATION 6 30% 2
OCCASION 4 20% 4
COMMISSIONER 1 5% 7
AFFILIATE 5 25% 3
MILLENNIUM 8 40% 1
COMMITTEE 2 10% 6
ACCOMMODATE 3 15% 5
POSSESSION 1 5% 7
ASSOCIATION 3 15% 5
NECESSARY 4 20% 4
MISSPELL 3 15% 5
AFFIRMATION 3 15% 5
AGGRESSION 2 10% 6
APPELLEE 4 20% 4
ACCESSIBLE 0 0% 8

25
Discussion

I. Socio-demographic Profile of the Respondents

1.1. Age of the Respondents

Out of the twenty students, fifteen or 75% of them were 16 years old, while five

or 25% were 15 years old.

1.2. Gender of the Respondents

The participants were equally split in this variable, i.e. ten or 50% of them were

males, and ten or 50% of them were females.

II. Academic Performance of the Respondents

2.1. Academic Status of the Respondents

There was an equal distribution in the participants on this variable having 50%

(10 students) honor students, and 50% non-honor students.

2.2. Academic Status of the Respondents with their corresponding Gender

Based on the data, there was an equal four-split distribution in the participants

showing a 25% frequency on each category (5 male honor students, 5 male

26
non-honor students, 5 female honor students, and 5 female non-honor

students).

2.3. Academic Status of the Respondents with their Reading Interest

There is an equal division to the academic status of the students with regards

to their reading interest, that is out of the 6 readers, three (or 15%) were honor

students, and the other half (3 or 15%) were non-honor students. Similarly, out

of the 14 non-reader students, seven (or 35%) were honor students, and the

other half (7 or 35%) were non-honor students.

2.4. Reading Interest of the Respondents

The reading interest found in the participants in this study is low having only 6

(or 30%) out of the 20 students describing themselves as readers, while the

other 14 (or 70%) of them considered themselves as non-readers.

2.5. Reading Interest of the Respondents with their corresponding Gender

There is a 20% difference in the reading interest between males and females

having only one (10%) of the 20 male students describing himself as a reader,

while the rest of them (9 or 40%) described themselves as non-readers;

whereas, the female participants showed an equal distribution (5 or 25% were

readers and 5 or 25% were non-readers.

27
III. Perception of the Respondents

3. Perception of the Respondents Regarding their Ability to Spell Words with 2

or More Consecutive Letters

Eighteen or 90% of the respondents think that they are having difficulties in

spelling words, and two or 10% of the respondents think that they are good in

spelling.

IV. Spelling Results of the Respondents

4.1. Scores of the Respondents

4.1.1. Pre-test Scores of the Respondents

Five or 25% of the 20 respondents have scores that are equal to or lower than

10 points (1 or 5% scored 7, 2 or 10% scored 8, 1 or 5% scored 9, and 1 or 5%

scored 10), and 15 or 75% of the group have scores that are equal to or higher

than 11 points (3 or 15% scored 11, 3 or 15% scored 12, 4 or 20% scored 13,

and 5 or 25% scored 14). None of the respondents got a perfect 15 points on

the test.

4.1.2. Post-test Scores of the Respondents

28
Two or 10% of the 20 respondents have scores that are lower than 10 points

(1 or 5% scored 6, and 1 or 5% scored 9), and 18 or 90% of the group have

scores that are higher than 10 points (1 or 5% scored 12, 4 or 20% scored 13,

12 or 60% scored 14, and 1 or 5% scored 15). One of the respondents got a

perfect 15 points on the test.

4.2. Scores of the Respondents According to their Gender

4.2.1. Pre-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Gender

There is a very low 6% difference in the scores against both genders in favor

of the males, who garnered a total of 125 points or 42%, while the females

scored a total of 108 points or 36%.

4.2.2. Post-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Gender

In the post-test scores, the female participants got a 5% lead, who scored a

total of 133 points or 44%, against the male participants, who scored a total of

118 points or 39%.

4.3. Scores of the Respondents According to their Age

4.3.1. Pre-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Age

The 16-year-old students, who comprised 75% of the respondents, scored 184

in total or 61%, while the 15-year-old students, who represented 25% of the

respondents, scored 49 in total or 16%.

29
4.3.2. Post-test Scores of the Respondents According to their Age

The 16-year-old students, who comprised 75% of the respondents, scored 191

in total or 64%, while the 15-year-old students, who represented 25% of the

respondents, scored 60 in total or 20%. In here, both age groups improved

having a 3% increase for the 16-year old students, and 4% increase for the 15-

year old students.

4.4. Words Misspelled by the Respondents

4.4.1. Words Misspelled by the Respondents (Pre-test)

The frequency of incorrectly spelled words chosen by the participants was high

which is at a total of 66 points. The words “appellee” and “aggression” were

misspelled by half or more than half of the students, 50% (10 students) and

55% (11 students), respectively, followed by the words “accommodate” and

“millennium" which were misspelled by 45% (9 students) of the respondents.

These first four words account for the 39 incorrect answers of all the

respondents which is more than half (59%) of the 66 total points for incorrect

answers. The other 27 points (41%) were taken from the rest of the words in

the questionnaire, aside from the words “affirmation,” “association,” and

“recommendation,” which were all correctly spelled by all 20 students.

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4.4.2. Words Misspelled by the Respondents (Post-test)

The frequency of incorrectly spelled words chosen by the participants got lower

compared to the pre-test which is at a total of 49 points. The word “millennium”

is the most frequently misspelled word having 40% (8 students) of the

participants spelled it incorrectly. Then, it is followed by the word,

“recommendation,” and “affiliate,” which are misspelled by 30% (6 students)

and 25% (5 students) of the participants, respectively. “Appellee,” “necessary,”

and “occasion” were next in line which were each misspelled by 20% (4

students). These first six words account for the 31 incorrect answers of all the

respondents which is more than half (63%) of the 49 total points for incorrect

answers. The other 18 points (37%) were taken from the rest of the words in

the questionnaire, aside from the word “accessible,” which was correctly

spelled by all 20 students. Interestingly, in here, the number of words correctly

spelled by all students lessened from 3 words to just 1 word even though an

intervention was made. Nonetheless, it is important to note though the

decrease in the frequency of committed mistakes by the participants, which is

at 26% (17 points), and the spread and distribution of the committed mistakes

suggesting an improvement in the spelling skills of the students on words with

double letters or with 2 or more consecutive letters.

31
V. Paired T test of Pre-test and Post-test

Table 5 shows the pre-test and post-test results after the intervention was

made, and a statistical analysis revealed a significant value of 0.120, which

suggests that the teaching strategy that the researchers has done was

effective.

Table 5. Paired T-test Result of the Pre-test and Post-test Results of the

Students

VARIABLES P-value
Interpretation
Sig. (2-tailed)

Pre-test vs. Post-test 0.120 Significant

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 CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, & RECOMMENDATION

Summary

This study aims to seek if there are no significant differences between the

researchers’ participants’ (twenty Grade 10-(B) Job students of Magalang Christian

Ecumenical School Inc., S.Y. 2017-2018) socio-demographic profile in terms of

their age and gender, their academic performances with their reading interests,

and their academic performances with their spelling abilities, and if there is a

significant effect in the use of the researchers’ teaching strategies to their

participants’ spelling skills. The researchers deemed that this research study is

important in order to help students improve both the efficacy and effectiveness of

their writing and reading skills through mastering their spelling skills, particularly

on words with double letters or with two or more consecutive letters.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:

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1. Most of the respondents were aged 15 and 16, which are considered as the

average age groups for Grade 10 students, and they are equally split in numbers

for both genders (male and females).

2. The level of performance of the respondents in terms of their pre-test & post test

results, 35% (14) performed excellent, 42.5% (19) performed very satisfactory, and

the remaining 22.5% (7) performed satisfactory and none of them performed poor

and very poorly.

3. There is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test results after

the intervention at the p-value of 0.120 suggesting that the researchers’ discussion

and teaching strategies have a significant effect on the improvement of the

participants’ spelling skills.

Recommendation

In light of the researchers’ findings and conclusions, they recommend the ff:

1. The students may read English books or English stories and articles to improve

their spelling skills especially words with two or more consecutive letters that will

also help in their writing abilities.

2. Teachers should encourage the students to read more often or create an

efficient library system or program so that they could have an expansion on their

vocabulary or retain the words they have learn from the book they have read, and

34
teachers should encourage activities that involve writing and/or reading to their

students to facilitate spelling accuracy.

3. The future researchers may conduct some studies that will give them a firm

knowledge about it. It could also help them to have a further understanding that

might help them in improving their spelling capabilities and even considering other

factors such as the condition or the environment of the student.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Savant, M.V.(2005). The art of spelling: the madness and the method. New York:
Barnes & Noble
https://www.ef.com

Hendrickson, N.(2014). Unofficial guide to ancestry.com: how to find your family

history on the #1 genealogy website. S.1: Family Tree Books.
https://www.books.google.com.ph

Why is English so Hard to Learn? (2016, March 28). Retrieved December

7,2017, from
https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/learning-english-hard.html

Poor spelling doesn’t equal inferior intelligence, but it does require a Plan B.
(2011, August 13). Retrieved December 7,2017,
https://marciebrockbookmarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/poor-
spelling-doesnt-equal-inferior-intelligence-but-it-does-require-a-plan-b/

Marlow, E.(2002) Improving spelling. Albama, United States of America, Project

Innovation (Alabama)
http://www.helpingeverychildtoread.com/index.php/causes-of-difficulty/1-cause-
of-spelling-difficulty

35
Appendices

Appendix A

Magalang Christian Ecumenical School, Inc.

MarbeaSubd., Sta. Cruz, Magalang, Pampanga

Survey Questionnaire
DIFFICULTIES IN SPELLING WORDS THAT CONTAIN 2 OR
MORE CONSECUTIVE LETTERS AMONGST GRADE 10-B (job)
STUDENTS OF MAGALANG CHRISTIAN ECUMENICAL SCHOOL,
INCORPORATED

I. Socio-Demographic Profile
Please provide all the needed information and write them on the blank.
Name: ________________________________ Age: _______
Gender: __________

II. MULTIPLE CHOICES:Read the definition in each number and

encircle the letter of the defined word with the correct spelling.
I. A subject that is being discussed or studied; the main purpose or interest
(noun)
a. Fokus b. Foccus c. Focus

1. The act of saying that someone or something is good and deserves to

be chosen (noun)
a. Reccomendationb.Reccommendationc.Recommendation

36
2. A special event or time; celebration (noun)
a. Occasion b.Occassionc.Ocassion
3. An official who is in charge of a government department or part of a
government department (noun)
a. Commisionerb.Commissionerc.Comissioner
4. To closely connect (something or yourself) with or to something as a
member or partner (verb)
a. Affiliate b.Affilliatec.Afilliate
5. A period of 1,000 years (noun)
a. Milleniumb.Millenniumc.Milennium
6. A group of people who are chosen to do a particular job or to make
decisions about something (noun)
a. Committee b.Committeec.Comittee
7. To do something helpful for (someone); to provide what is needed or
wanted for (someone or something) (verb)
a. Accommodate b.Accommodatec.Acommodate
8. The condition of having or owning something (noun)
a. Possesionb.Possessionc.Posession
9. An organized group of people who have the same interest, job, etc.
(noun)
a. Association b.Assocciationc.Asocciation
10. Absolutely needed; required (adjective)
a. Neccesaryb.Neccessaryc.Necessary
11. To spell (a word or name) incorrectly (verb)
a. Misspelb.Misspellc.Mispell
12. A solemn declaration made under the penalties of perjury by a person who
conscientiously declines taking an oath (noun)
a. Affirmation b.Affirmmationc.Afirmmation
13. Angry or violent behavior or feelings; hostile action against another
country, government, etc. (noun)
a. Aggresionb.Aggressionc.Agression

37
 14. One against whom an appeal is taken (noun)
a. Appeleeb.Appelleec.Apellee
15. Able to be reached or approached; able to be used or obtained (adjective)
a.Accesibleb.Accessiblec.Acessible
(source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

III. Personal Information:Read and answer the questions honestly.Put a

check ( ) inside the box under your desired answer.

NO YES
Do you like reading books?

Are you good in spelling,

particularly on words with 2 or more
consecutive letters?
Are you a consistent honor student?

Prepared by: The Researchers

38
Appendix B

39
Appendix C

Name: Ria A. Tabas

Age:16 years old
Birthday:October 20,2001
Address:Arenas, Arayat, Pampanga
Name of Mother:Ludivina A. Tabas
Name of Father:Ricardo C. Tabas
Motto:“In everything, give thanks.”

40
Name: Chloe Alexia C. Guzman
Age:16 years old
Birthday:August 6,2001
Address:San Nicolas I, Magalang, Pampanga
Name of Mother:Ma.Cynthia C. Guzman
Name of Father:Alvin S. Guzman
Motto:“God is good.”

Name: Catherine Learsibeth Q. Pineda

Age:16 years old
Birthday:July 18,2001
Address:Sta. Cruz, Magalang, Pampanga
Name of Mother:Elzhabeth Q. Pineda
Name of Father:Israel B. Pineda
Motto:”If you are born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor, it’s your
mistake.”

Name: Hezro Williams Q, Alviz

Age:15 years old
Birthday:February 8,2002
Address:San Antonio, Arayat, Pampanga
Name of Mother:Evelyn Q. Alviz
Name of Father:Ricardo E. Alviz
Motto:“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Name: Paulo Allan S. David

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Age:15 years old
Birthday:February 17,2002
Address:San Nicolas I, Magalang, Pampanga
Name of Mother:Louren S. David
Name of Father:Pablo Allan S. David
Motto:“Life is a journey.”

Name: Jan Rei M. Lañohan

Age:15 years old
Birthday:May 8,2002
Address:San Francisco, Magalang, Pampanga
Name of Mother:Fe M. Lañohan
Name of Father:Rey Lañohan
Motto:“Time is Gold.”

42