Building Brighter Future: Promoting Reading Fluency Among Ati Children

This study developed and evaluated a culturally responsive reading fluency program for Ati learners in one of the Ati communities in Iloilo, Philippines. Guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the research emphasized culturally meaningful instruction that connects reading development to learners' identities, language, and community contexts. The researchers employed a mixed-methods pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design and purposively selected 25 Ati learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6 as respondents. The researchers used the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) as the primary tool for measuring reading fluency in both pre-test and post-test assessments. To capture experiential insights, the study also gathered qualitative data through semi-structured interviews and guided reflections with learners, parents, and facilitators to explore challenges, progress, and program impact. Results revealed that 64% of the respondents were at the Frustration level before the intervention, while no learner remained at this level after the program. Post-test results showed that 64% improved to the Instructional level, while 36% reached the Independent level, indicating significant development in reading fluency. Statistical analysis further confirmed a significant difference in pre-test and post-test scores (p < 0.001). Thematic analysis identified six major themes: learner engagement and interest, reading barriers, increased confidence and fluency, effective instructional strategies, implementation challenges, and recommendations for improvement. Findings highlight that culturally relevant reading materials, storytelling, repeated reading, and interactive literacy tasks strengthened learner motivation, fluency, and classroom participation. Despite progress, some respondents still experienced difficulties with long sentences, unfamiliar vocabulary, and sustained concentration, emphasizing the need for individualized support. The study concludes that culturally responsive reading instruction significantly enhances reading fluency among Ati learners. Recommendations include strengthening school–community literacy partnerships, expanding culturally inclusive reading programs, and exploring long-term literacy outcomes among Indigenous learners.