Entry 3: Needs Assessment and Pre-Assessment 

After the initial agreement, the next step was to conduct a needs analysis and pre-assessment of the learners. This stage was essential because I wanted my project to be evidence-based and truly responsive to the learners’ actual gaps, not just assumptions.

I began with informal assessments, such as listening to learners read aloud, observing their decoding strategies, and checking their recognition of sight words. I then administered a more structured Reading Diagnostic Test that measured phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. These results are documented in:

• Appendix I: Summary Table of Initial Informal Assessment
  
  

• Appendix II: Reading Diagnostic Test
  
  

• Appendix III: Overall Diagnostic Test Result
  
  

The findings were clear: while some learners had basic phonemic awareness, many struggled with blending sounds, recognizing sight words, and reading short passages fluently. These results confirmed the teachers’ concerns and gave me a concrete foundation for designing the instructional booklets.

Reflecting on this stage, I felt both challenged and inspired. The assessments showed the learners’ struggles, but they also revealed potential—each child demonstrated some level of readiness that I could build on. This reminded me of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): my role was to scaffold their learning so they could progress from their current ability to the next level.

Reflection:

Looking back on this stage, I realized how crucial it is to begin any intervention with an honest and thorough assessment. The data did not only highlight weaknesses but also uncovered areas of strength that I could use as entry points for instruction. While I initially felt daunted by the extent of their reading struggles, I also saw evidence of potential in every learner—whether it was their ability to identify sounds, recall a few sight words, or attempt to read with confidence despite errors. This process reminded me of Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where learning happens most effectively when support is tailored just beyond what the learner can do independently. It affirmed my role not simply as an evaluator, but as a scaffold who would help bridge the gap between their present abilities and what they could achieve with guided instruction. More than a technical step, this stage deepened my sense of responsibility, as the results showed that my project was not just timely but truly necessary for these learners.