CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Overview

This captures the background, the perceived problems, the diagnosis (evidence and causes)

the statement of the problem, the purpose, the objective, the research questions, the

significance of the study; and the definition of terms.

Background to the study

The place of English in Ghana’s educational system cannot be over emphasized. English is

the medium of instruction at all levels of the educational system. English is also a subject of

study on its own merit.

Indeed, for one to progress in the educational ladder, the ability to read, write and speak

English is a prime requirement. In view of these reasons, acquisition of the need vocabulary

in addition to knowing its structural patterns is an essential aspect of learning the language.

Even though English is an official language and subsequently, the second language of every
Ghanaian its usage is far below expectation. Despite the large amount of resources and time
spent to achieve a high level of proficiency, most Ghanaian school children find it difficult
to express themselves effectively in English language. This is not because they do not have
the idea of what to say but how to say it has brought about the barrier in communication.
This low level of usage is articulated in various reports. The government white paper on
Anamoah on educational reform of 1987 shows that the reform failed to strengthen
Ghanaian youth, in numeracy and literacy skills. The government while paper ascribes this
low level of literacy to

Poor teaching of English

- Shortage of qualified teachers

- Inadequate material for teaching of English.

The white paper concludes that pupils of average ability are unable to acquire sufficient

grounding in basic literacy. The effect is that pupils are unable to move to the SSS level.

Attainment of internationally competitive standards has been exclusive and entry into the

world of work as promised by the 1987 reforms has not been achieved.

Also, the chief examiners report of WAEC at the BECe and SSS examinations had identified

low competence in English as one reason for average students’ inability to get very good

grades. Indeed, over the past decade, a lot of has been written and said about the fallen

standards in the use of English by Ghanaian children. For instance in 1993, the then Director

General of the Ghana Education Service Mr. Solomon Obeng at a speech and prize giving

day of Mando Secondary School suggested the introduction of extra classes in English

language for pupils in the JSS. This suggestion was the result of survey concluded by heads

of schools which identified communication in English as a major set back for the

educational reform programme.”

Since English holds pride of place in our educational system, the unfortunate downwards

trend, unfavourable reports and the inability of DATANO R/C Basic 6 pupils to

communicate confidently in English motivated this research.

Teachers are faced with the challenge of limited reading materials as well as teaching and

learning materials. Some teach English using direct translation of local language. Again,
some use phonic and the sight vocabulary or whole word approach. These methods have not

proved very effective in helping pupil’s gain confidence in the use of English for the

effective communication.

The phonic method lays emphasis on the individual letters making up the word. They learn

the names of the letters and sounds they make and blend the letters to make simple words.

The teachers also use the whole word or sight vocabulary approach which pupil’s are taught

to pronounce or read whole words without having to break them up into smaller incomplete

units. Since these methods being used have not helped pupils to communicate very well, the

researcher has settled on the proper use of storytelling poems, riddles and phonic methods.

These have been proved to be very effective tools in improving the individual’s vocabulary

acquisition and oral expression to achieve high level of English usage among pupils.

Perceived Problems

The perceived problem at Datano R/C Primary 6 is the difficulty of the learners in

developing their vocabulary and communication skills of learners. Storytelling helps

learners understand and remember new words in context, while phonic methods focus on

developing their pronunciation skills. By combining these two approaches, learners can

enhance their vocabulary, comprehension and speaking abilities.

Statement of the Problem

Pupils of primary six are duly expected to have a certain leverage of communication skills in

English language. At least it behoves on every average Ghanaian pupil in primary six to be

able to express themselves especially with regard to basic everyday activity like “going to

school, my father lives at, I am so and so years old” etc. however BS6 pupils of DATANO
R/C ding it extremely difficult to do this. This problem indeed calls for an investigation and

intervention to remedy it.

 DIAGNOSIS

Evidence

The following show the evidence that the problem exists

i. Pupils are reluctant to speak the English language

ii. Pupils are unable to communicate effectively in English

iii. Pupils find difficult to spell four letter words in English.

iv. Pupils’ exercise books show poor spelling skills in English.

v. Pupils prefer responding to teachers questions in the local language.

vi. Pupils do direct translation of the local language in English.

Reasons

The reasons below were deduced for the problem

i. Poor teaching methodology by previous teachers

ii. Inadequate teaching and learning materials

iii. No complementary efforts by the home.

iv. Lack of the school library

v. Lack of motivation on the pupil’s part.

Purpose of the Study

The research aims at helping pupils improve their stock of vocabulary and level of

communication skills. It is also to help pupil’s develop the habit of reading and get teachers

to improve their teaching methodologies in English.

Objectives

i. Storytelling to improve on pupils’ vocabulary in English.

ii. Phonic method to improve to improve on pupils English vocabulary.

iii. Using phonic method and storytelling to attain English proficiency

Significance of the Problem

The findings of the study will have a lot of benefits for the education enterprise. Firstly, it

will help teachers adopt new methodologies that will help in the teaching of English

language in the primary schools.

The study will also be beneficial to the upliftment of the image of public basic schools,

which have over the years played second best to the private schools when it comes to spoken

English language.

Furthermore, it is hoped that the findings of the study will form the basis of the solid

foundation in spoken and written English language.

Finally, it is envisaged that this study will in no small way contribute to earlier research on

poor vocabulary acquisition present by researchers.

Research Questions

This study would attempt to seek answer to the following questions;

i. How will the use of storytelling improve pupils communication skills in English?
 ii. Why is phonic method helpful to improve pupils’ vocabulary acquisition in

English?

iii. How will storytelling and phonic methods help in building learners proficiency in

English?

Delimitation to the study

This study however, was narrowed down in scope due to time and financial constraints. It

therefore confined itself to only four stakeholders namely; the teachers, headmaster, and

supervisor of the circuit and the learners trying to improve their communication and

vocabulary skills of Datano R/C Primary school. This means that for a more complete

evaluation and improved performance, the views of other stakeholders will have to be

surveyed.

Limitation to the Study

Apparently, in a research of this nature difficulties are bound to be encountered, this is no

exception. A lot of problems were encountered in the course of this research. Among them

were time factor and financial constraints.

I planned to have four sessions of each method (storytelling, phonic methods) but I was able

to do only two each. These sessions encouraged pupils to improve their communication

skills and develop a reading habit. Playback of recorded, stories and on audio cassette where

limited to pictures and competitions due to coast.

Leathering of costumes for role-play to give the stories more colour and drama were also not

easy to come by.

Another problem that militated against the research work way the attitude of the class

teacher and other staff members. In conducting research of this nature, people read so many
meanings into it. Although some saw it as a good thing, others were of the opinion that it

would rather reveal their inefficiencies to the pupils. In view of that the attitudes of some

teachers were at times hostile.

Organization of the study

This chapter of the study as disclose above deals mainly with the introduction of the study. It

covers the background of the study, statement of the study, purpose of the study, research

questions and significance of the study, delimitations and limitations of the study. The

chapter two deals with reviews of related literature from both primary and secondary

sources, the chapter three deals with the methodology, describes the procedure followed in

carrying out the study. The main component discuss in this chapter includes research

designs, populations, instrumentation, data collection and data analysis. The fourth chapter

deals with findings, analysis, and discussion of findings, the two main part of this chapter

are results section and discussion section. The final chapter deals with the conclusion, part

of the study, it has three major sub-headings, namely summary, conclusion and of

recommendation, the final part of the research takes part of the list of tools and materials

which have been referred to in the report study.

 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter reviews the research of some authorities on effective vocabulary acquisition

especially in English.

What is vocabulary?

Vocabulary is the stock of words used by a person, group of people or profession or all the

words of a language. It may also mean the collection of words a person knows and uses in

speaking and writing. The chamber’s twentieth century dictionary defines vocabulary of the

list of words explained in alphabetical order, like dictionary. It further defines it “as the

words of a language and a collection of forms used in an art or by a particular practitioner of

an art.”

Frank and Wagnall define the “word” in the standard dictionary as a sum or aggregate of

words used or understood by a particular person, class or employment in specialized field of

knowledge. These definitions are similar and simple. Vocabulary does not mean the use of

high sounding or flamboyant words as common with schools. Like learning, vocabulary

repertoire is the acquisition, retention and effective application of the right register. It is the

use of the right word in the right situation or context.

Importance of Reading

Reading is a fundamental skill that plays a crucial role in cognitive development and

academic achievement. Numerous studies highlight the positive impact of early reading on

language acquisition, vocabulary expansion, and comprehension skills. As children engage

with diverse texts, they not only enhance their linguistic abilities but also cultivate critical

thinking and analytical skills.

Beyond the educational realm, reading has been linked to improved empathy and emotional

intelligence. Literature, in particular, allows readers to explore different perspectives and

understand the complexities of human emotions. It serves as a bridge to various cultures and

experiences, fostering a sense of empathy and cultural awareness.

Furthermore, reading has therapeutic benefits, with bibliotherapy gaining recognition as an

effective tool for mental health. Engaging with literature can provide solace, reduce stress,

and offer a means of escape. Research suggests that regular reading can contribute to

cognitive resilience, potentially lowering the risk of cognitive decline in later life.

In the digital age, where information is abundant but attention spans are challenged, the

ability to navigate and critically assess written material is more crucial than ever. Reading

promotes lifelong learning and equips individuals with the skills needed to decipher,

evaluate, and apply information from various sources.

Causes of poor vocabulary acquisition

The English language in the Ghanaian educational system has its roots in the basic level. If

(vocabulary) language is part of a wife social interaction and behaviour, then teachers are

compelled to consider the communicative value of language. Since language is part of the

process of interaction in the classroom there is the need for acquisition of a wide range of
vocabulary to achieve this objective. Research over the past decade has greatly increased

understanding of the role vocabulary plays especially in reading and comprehension.

Amalia Ramdhani (2019) stated that there is sufficient evidence that in Ghanaian schools,

there are problems that affect vocabulary instruction and learning. These problems result in

low level of vocabulary acquisition among pupils. Some causes of low vocabulary

proficiency among primary pupils include; lack of sufficient reading material for pupils,

poor teaching methodologies and social background factors which account for over a third

of the variance.

It has been found that children from homes where parents are well educated, where social-

economic levels are high, where many literacy materials are in the home and where parents

take interest in their children’s school activity, such children read English with greater

comprehension.

OC Obiageli (2014), list some factors which cause low vocabulary proficiency. They are

poor ability to read, ill health, malnutrition, fatigue, overwork, lack of concentration,

deprived home background, tension, emotional disturbances and mother-tongue

interferences.

Effy Mulyasari (2016) contributing to the causes of poor vocabulary proficiency and

therefore reading in Ghanaian schools, wrote under the heading “Reading Disability and

States” if Ghanaian children are expected to read, then it is important to improve on their

oral skills:. She further argues that a child who has problems in the first language may be at

risk in the target language. Lack of qualified teaching personnel is another problem plying

our schools. These have affected the teaching of English and hence vocabulary and reading

skills.
Suggested methods of improving vocabulary

Various methods and strategies designed to achieve vocabulary development are discussed,

in this chapter.

For Schmitt (2010) “there is a sense in which learning a foreign language is basically a

matter of learning the vocabulary of that language. It is possible to have a good knowledge

of how the system of that language works and yet not be able to communicate in it, whereas

if we have the vocabulary we need, it is usually possible to communicate.

Rod Ellis (2017) in a dissertation headed “self-selected reading and interactive vocabulary

instruction: knowledge and perceptions of word-learning among “L2 learners: recorded in

the Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol. 56 No. 9 of March, 1996 has been able to

establish that, “reading is necessary but not sufficient for learning of sub-technical

vocabulary. It is argued that the most effective way of addressing the vocabulary needs of

L2 academic students is through a combination of reading and interactive vocabulary

instruction.

John Hedgcock (2013) has a strong liking for vocabulary games such as stories, riddles

conversation drills, poems and picture description. He echoes the view that teachers need to

design appropriate vocabulary games to teach learners how to use words from context.

Pupils must be help to make a list of words and play with them to improve their local oral

expression. They can also be assisted to use words from context. Pupil’s must be helped to

use new words that have come up in written and oral tests in class and use them in games,

competition and exercises. The researcher has settled on storytelling, and phonic methods

to achieve vocabulary improvement. Therefore literature on storytelling, and phonic

methods are giving prominence. Storytelling is a social experience with oral narrative,
incorporated linguistic features that display a sophistication that goes beyond the level of

conversation. Claudio Rezende (2016) for this reason, storytelling acts as an effective

building block and eases the translation from oracy to literacy. To the world Book old

Encyclopedia (1987), it is an act that means recreating literature. Learners learn not only to

expand their language skills appreciably but also express their ideas thoughts and views.

Irena Maureen (2018) states that storytelling in classroom promotes language development.

He categorically explains that speech and writing are vital areas that are promoted during

storytelling sessions. He is also of the view that it develops reading and listening ability

among pupils.

Ton de Jong (2020) states that “storytelling offers natural opportunities for pupils to grow as

language users”. Storytelling helps children to form concepts as viewed by (Craft and D.

Hess 1990). They also mention the valuable role storytelling plays in developing children’s

listening skills as well as contributing to their vocabulary stock.

Matthew Grenby (2014), shares the same view in saying that, another pleasurable way of

introducing key words is through stories and read to the children. It enables children to

practice newly acquired words. The school curriculum seeks to develop the intellectual,

emotional and communication aspect of the pupils. The study of storytelling embraces all

these. In a storytelling lesson, the pupils exercise their thinking or intellectual abilities as

they analyse and identify connecting in order to arrive at a conclusion.

Crushing I (2019) puts it this way: “the literature scholar has accumulation of knowledge

and ability to analyse, synthesize and centralize.

Finally, the phonic method is also advocated as another method to achieve vocabulary

advancement. Phonemes or sound is the most basic unit of any language. The sounds

combine into phrase and phrases combine into sentences, this recognition has led some

linguistic experts to advance that teaching beginners should follow a similar pattern. That is

beginning with the smallest unit to the largest unit.

Ikram Louz (2020) is also says that phonic technique emphasizes the individual letters,

forming the word. It could be called reading by spelling. The child pronounces the letters

forming the word in turns before saying it; e.g. c-a-t- =cat, d-o-g=dog. While this technique

helps the child in their efforts to spell and pronounce words, it has its limitations when child

meet words completely new to them. This is so, as it pre-supposes that pupils know the

sounds represented by the various letters and some other peculiarities of English. The

English language does not conform to rules so easily and this method of reading may result

in mistakes.

Despite these shortcomings the phonic method is probably the best known and widely used

method used to teach reading and writing in the English language.

Summary of Review of Related Literature

These various research findings demonstrate the effectiveness of , storytelling and phonic

method as an efficient way to teach language. These methods play a significant role in the

oral language development of the child. This is because they enable pupils to practice oral
language. The result is that pupils are able to achieve a high level of competence in oral and

written language.
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter deals with methods used in obtaining information for the research work.

It involves a description of procedure, and instruments used for the collection of data. The

chapter also describes the population for the study as well as research design.

Research Design

The study was an action research. Ramlee Mustapha (2011), describe action research

as a form of collective self-reflective enquiry. It is undertaken by participants in social

situations in order to improve rationality and justice of their own social and educational

practices. It is also to promote understanding of practices and the situation in which these

practices were carried out”.

Anderson L, (2001) extended this vision by describing action research as a

participatory, democratic process concerned with developing practical knowing. The pursuit

of worthwhile human purposes is grounded and emerging at this historical moment. It seeks

to bring together action and reflection, theory and practice, in participation with others. It

allows people to express their concerns to people and more generally the flourishing of

individual persons and their communities”.

Ali Mohammed (2015) says, when classroom practitioners stand from the class and

obtain factual information related to teaching practices, learning strategies, assessment and

so on; they may use a variety of small experiments or surveys, engage in classroom

observations or apply reflective analysis to issues of interest. When they engage others in the
process of inquiry, with the intent of solving a problem related to their educational work

together, they are doing action research.

For Anderson L (2010) action research requires skills and methods that enable

researchers to foster an inquiry approach to their own practices. It enables them to engage

face-to-face work. This helps others to address, issues of mutual concern. It makes it

possible to create a wider community of inquiry involving whole organization. In this

regard, this action research approach is to assist the Datano R/C primary school to improve

the communication and oral skills of pupils in English.

Population

The target population for the study was all BS6 pupils in the Datano R/C primary

school. The accessible population however, was all pupils in Basic six of Datano primary A

and B schools of Datano R/C primary.

Sample

The population used for the study was made up of only BS6 pupils in Datano R/C

primary school. The class is made up of 76 pupils, 44 girls and 32 boys. The accessible

population would be unwieldy and difficult to use considering the resources (time and

finances) at the researchers disposal. In view of this 24, of them in the class were sampled

for the study. This was made up of 14 girls and 10 boys. The sampling procedure used was

the purposive sampling since all pupils in the class where the researcher taught were needed

to make input into data.

Research Instrument
 The instrument used in the data collection were interviews observation with follow

up activities. Structured interviews were conducted by the research to draw information

from pupils about whether and how storytelling, and phonic methods were used in the

school. The pupils were required to give first hand information from their own experiences

on what went on in the classroom before the coming of the research during such sessions.

Another source of getting information was by observation. The researcher picked

pupils randomly to tell stories, and poems read or told them. A pronunciation drill was also

conducted. All these were done to assess pupils fluency and mastery of the English

language. Details of the interview schedule are given in the appendix. The structured

interview was made up of four sections based on the four intervention strategies. To ensure

content validity, the questions were shown to the supervisor for the study to read through

and offer suggestions since content validity is based on expert judgment. Gopher D (2015).

The researcher was advised to delete three items and modify two of them. The tentative set

of questions was then pilot tested among pupils of the Datano primary six pupils.

After the pilot study it was realized that some of the responses were ambiguous.

Further modifications were therefore made to some of the items to elicit good enough

responses. The corrected questions were made up of four sections. All the items were close-

ended questions crafted with the level of respondents taken into consideration. Observations

were conducted to ensure reliability of responses to questionnaire.

Second Pilot Study

A second pilot study was carried out in the same school as the first to ensure that all

ambiguities were removed and to verify that the instrument would register a high enough

content validity to as to confirm it appropriateness for the study. Again, the second pilot
study enabled the researcher to obtain a better technique for administering the interview.

The corrected questions were given out should the respondents had responses which showed

that almost all the respondents understood the items in the way he researcher wanted them

to. Consequently, no changes were made in the instrument which was then used for the main

study.

Administration of Instrument

The instrument was administered by the researcher with the help of colleague interns

and the class teacher of primary 6 of the school of study. This was during observation to

ensure balanced results. The pupils selected for the study were interviewed in turns and

responses recorded.

Reliability

To test for reliability, response of the main data collected was found suing

Gronbach’s alpha internal reliability correlation. A correlation co-efficient of 0.87 was

obtained. This indicates quite a high level of correlation and therefore a high reliability

index.

CHAPTER FOUR

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Introduction

This chapter discusses the analysis of both the pre-intervention and post-intervention data

that were gathered for the study. The main area was lack of needed vocabulary by pupils for

effective communication in English.

Data were collected in two stages through the use of interview questions. The respondents

were all pupils in Primary 6 of the school. The interview questions were divided in two

sections ‘A’ and ‘B’. Section ‘A’ was for the Bio-data of the pupils, while section B was

made up of items designed to ascertain the level of vocabulary stock and oral skills in

English.

The results of the data analyzed are presented and discussed in the section. Simple

percentage was used to analyze the data. In order to facilitate the analysis of the data

collected, tables based on the different variable in the information gathered were

constructed. The variables used were:

Section A

1. Gender

2. Age

Section B

Analysis of the interview items and research questions formulated for the study.

Interview items on storytelling

1. Do you have story books?

2. Do you read the story books?

3. Can you tell a story in English?

4. Does your teacher tell you stories in English?

Phonic Method

1. Do you know the names of the English alphabet?

2. Do you know the sound name of the English alphabet?

3. How many of you, can write 5, 3 letter words?

 4. How many can write 5, 4 letter words?

Research Questions

1. How will the use of storytelling improve pupils’ communication skills in English?

2. How will phonic method help improve pupils’ vocabulary stocks in English?

3. How will storytelling and phonic methods help in building learner’s proficiency in

English?

Pre-Intervention

The interview questions were administered at the pre-intervention stage to find out the level

of vocabulary stock and their oral expression ability. This was to enable researcher

determine the appropriate intervention to deal with the situation.

Section A: Analysis of Bio-Data

Table – Gender Distribution of Pupils

Gender Respondents Percentage (%)

Male 10 41.7

Female 14 59.3

Total 24 100

Table depicts the gender distribution of pupils – respondents.

As shown, 10 of them representing 41.7% were males while 14 of them representing 59.3%

as females.

Table 2: Age Distribution of Pupils

Age Number Percentage (%)

10 11 45.8
 11 6 25

12 3 12.5

13 2 8.3

14 2 8.3

Total 24 100

The table shows that, 11 of the respondents representing 45.8% were 10 years; 6 of them

representing 25% were 11 years; 3 of them representing 12.5% were 12 years, 2 of them

representing 8.3 were 14 years.

Section B: Analysis of Items on the interview questions and the research of questions

formulated for the study

Pre-intervention results on storytelling

Table 3: Do you have story books?

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 6 25%

No 18 75%

Total 24 100

Pupils were to indicate whether they had story books. Table 3 indicates 6 pupils representing

25% said they had storybooks. This shows that most pupils did not have storybooks.

Table 4: Do you read your storybooks?

Pupils were asked whether they read the storybooks.

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 4 8.3
 No 2 91.7

Total 6 100

The Table 4 indicates that pupils representing 66.7% said they read storybooks. The

remaining 2 pupils representing 33.3% did not read their storybooks.

Table 5: Can you tell a story in English?

Pupils were to indicate if they could tell a story in English?

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 2 8.3

No 22 91.7

Total 24 100

Table 5 indicates 2 pupils representing 8.3% said they could tell a story in English. The

remaining 22 pupils representing 91.7% said they could not tell a story in English.

Table 6: Does your teacher tell you stories in English?

Pupils were to indicate if teacher told stories in English.

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 0 0

No 24 100

Total 24 100

All 24 respondents representing 100% said teacher did not tell stories in English. Results of

observation on vocabulary and story telling skills of pupils randomly picked. Researcher

observed pupils vocabulary and storytelling skills of pupils.

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Can tell a story 2 8.3

Cannot tell a story 22 91.75

Total 24 100

Table 7 indicates 2 respondents representing 8.3% could not tell a story in English. The rest

22 respondents representing 91.7% could not tell a story in English successfully.

Table 8: Can you mention the names of the English alphabet?

Researcher wanted to find out whether respondents can mention the names of the English

alphabets?

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 18 75

No 6 25

Total 24 100

The table 8, indicates that 18 respondents representing 75% could mention the names of the

English alphabet and 6 respondents representing 25% could not.

Table 9: Can you mention all the sound names of the English alphabet

Researcher wanted to find out whether respondents can mention the sound names of the

English alphabet.

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 4 16.6
 No 20 83.4

Total 24 100

Table 9 indicates that 4 respondents representing 16.6 could say all the sound names of the

English alphabet and 20 respondents representing 83.4% could not.

Table 10: How many can write 5, 3 letter words?

Researcher wanted to find out how many respondents could write 5, 3 letter words.

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Can 10 41.6

Cannot 14 59.4

Total 24 100

Table indicates that 10 respondents representing 41.6 could write 5, 3 letter words and 14

representing 59.4% could not.

Answers to Research Questions

Research Question 1: Will the use of storytelling improve pupils’ communication skills in

English?

A series of storytelling lessons were programmed to enable pupils enhance their

communication skills in English. During the programmes pupils were engaged in interactive

and participatory sessions. This afforded them the opportunity to listen to interesting stories,

encounter a variety of words and engage in lively and relaxed oral discussion of stories. The

result was that pupils’ level of oratory and vocabulary acquisition improved.
Research Question 2: Will phonic method help improve pupil’s vocabulary stock in

English?

By the end of he research period pupils were regularly taking part in phonic competitions.

This greatly improved their vocabulary acquisition and oral expression in English.

Summary of Findings of the Pre-Intervention Data

At the pre-intervention data it was found out that:

1. Pupils’ level of oral communication was low.

2. Pupils’ knowledge and ability to tell stories was not encouraging.

3. Pupils’ writing and pronunciation of 3 and 4 letter words was poor.

4. Teachers hardly used stories, and phonic method in their lessons.

Post-Intervention

The researcher selected 10 items from the interview questions and observation results for the

post-intervention data session on the 25 th April, 2023. This he did in order to find out

whether the intervention served the expected purpose of poor vocabulary stock and low level

of oral skills among pupils of Datano R/C Primary 6 pupils.

Post Intervention Results

Interview Question 1

Table 1: Do you have story books?

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 15 62.5

No 19 37.5

Total 24 100
The table shows 15 (62.5%) of pupils had acquired storybooks only 9 (37.5%) did not still

have storybooks. At the pre-test stage, 8 (25%) had story books. This was because pupils’

interest in stories had been developed.

Interview Question 2

Table 2: Do you read the storybooks?

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 15 100

No 0 0

Total 15 100

The table shows 15 (100%) of pupils had acquired storybooks and all of them read them.

At the pre-intervention stage, only 4 (66.7%) of the six pupils read their storybooks. After

the intervention, all fifteen pupils read their storybooks.

Interview Question 3

Table 3: Can you tell stories in English

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 16 75

No 8 25

Total 24 100

The table shows that 16 (75%) of respondents could tell story in English. At the pre-

intervention stage, only 2 (8.3%) could tell a story in English.

Interview Question 4

Table 4: Does your teacher tell your stories in English?

 Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 24 100

No 0 0

Total 24 100

All 24 (100%) respondents said teacher used stories in English. This indicates the

intervention put in to encourage use of stories had been wholly accepted.

Observation 1

Table 5: Observation of pupils’ storytelling skills after intervention

Pupils who can tell or cannot tell story

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Can tell story in English 16 66.7

Cannot tell story in English 8 33.2

Total 24 100

As shown in the table, 16 (75%) of the respondents could tell a story in English as compared

to 2 (8.3%) of the pre-intervention period. This clearly shows the positive impact of the

storytelling intervention.

Interview Question 7

Table 9: Do you know the second name of the English alphabet

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Yes 16 63.7%

No 8 33.35
 Total 24 100

The table shows that 20 (83.4%) of respondents know the sound names of the English

alphabets as compared to 4 (16.6%) before the intervention.

Interview Question 8

Table 10: How many can write 5, 3 letter words?

Responses Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

Can 22 92.7

Cannot 2 8.3

Total 24 100

The table show that 22 (92.7%) of respondents can write 5, 3 letter words as compared to 10

(41.6%) before the intervention.

Summary of Findings during Post-Intervention

The intervention achieved the following results:

1. Pupils improved their oratory skills and abilities in English considerably.

2. Pupils’ interest in stories, poems, rhymes became very heightened. Pupils purchased

their own simple story and poem books. Those who could not afford borrowed their

friend’s to read.

3. Teacher updated their methods in storytelling and other intervention.

4. Teacher made an integral and regular part of the teaching methods.

Evidence
 1. Pupils who could not spell three or four letter words can now do.

2. Pupils who before the intervention were unable to speak fluently and tell stories

successfully could do so after the intervention.

3. After the intervention, pupils became interested in using new words in their daily

conversations

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of the Major findings

The researcher was undertaken to find out how best to help pupils to improve their

communication skills in oral and written English. The main purpose of the research is to

assist teachers adopt and use effectively storytelling and phonic method in the teaching of

English to help improve pupils’ communicative skills. The area of the study was Datano R/C

Primary School in the Wiawso municipality of western north Region. The target pupoluation

was pupils of primary six in the Datano school.

The accessible population however was all pupils in basic six of Datano Primary School.

The sample was 24 pupils all from class (6 ) of the school at both the pre – test and post test

stages. The research instruments used for the study were observation and structured

interview questions. The interview questions were considered to elicit responses from the

pupils. Only closed ended type of questions were used to obtain reliable information for the

study.
The twenty-four pupils were taken through both structured interview and observation at pre

– test and post – test stages. The data gathered at the pre – test stages were analysed to

establish the level of pupils’ communicative ability.

Recommendations

Based on the findings in the research work, the following recommendations when

implemented could be very helpful and could improve effective reading abilities to the

pupils the recommendations are:

 Teachers must use teaching and learning materials in reading lessons.

 The use of the phonic method in teaching reading should be encouraged.

 Readers should be made readily available to pupils even at homes to the practice

reading constantly.

 Teachers must vary their teaching methods to suit the levels of pupils

 Regular in-service reading courses should be organized by District Education offices

for teachers to improve their teaching of reading lessons.

 Parents should try as much as to provide their children with storybooks to argument

what they read in school.

 Teachers should make judicious use of time allotted for reading so as to improve

pupils’ performance in reading.

The researcher made these recommendations for future researchers who come across similar

problems and like to research into that. Similarly, teachers who have problems of fluent

reading in class can also resort to this material to help remedy the situation. It is the hope of

the researcher that with the intervention designed, anyone who lays hands on this work in
connection with fluent reading in English language, has a chance to be successful in

remedying the problem.

 CONCLUSIONS

The researchers effort to gather vital relevant information from various sources by using

many devices and techniques contributed immensely to the achievement of the project

objectives. The head teacher and a section of the teachers also contributed towards the

development and achievement of the project as it comes to reality.

At the initial stages of the projects, the researcher faced many problems in finding out the c

effects of using storytelling and phonic methods, but getting to the end, the researcher was

able to obtained some possible solutions to the problem. Also, the effects of storytelling and

phonic methods on the academic performance of pupils have been understood by both the

pupils and their parents

The work will help the school teachers to know the best ways to deal with this problem the

pupils deals with in order not to worsen their situation. Parents would also know the best

ways to treat the children in order to inculcate such attitudes in them

Finally, the Ghana Education Service would as well use the result as a guide in drawing up

the school curriculum so that special provision would be made to stop such attitude among

school pupils.
REFERENCES

Anderson, R. C., Wilson, P. T., & Fielding, L. G. (1988). Growth in reading and how

children spend their time outside of school. Reading Research Quarterly, 23(3), 285Krashen,

S. (2004). The power of reading: Insights from the research. Libraries Unlimited.

Mar, R. A., Oatley, K., Hirsh, J., dela Paz, J., & Peterson, J. B. (2006). Bookworms versus

nerds: Exposure to fiction versus non-fiction, divergent associations with social ability, and

the simulation of fictional social worlds. Journal of Research in Personality, 40(5), 694–712.

Luke Liekum (2022) American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation 1 (6),

41-46

Amalia Iqbal Ramdhani (2019) Task-Based Language Teaching In Enhancing Language

Learning Motivation, 3rd Asian Education Symposium (AES 2018), 113-117, 2019.

OC Obiageli (2014) Journal of Literature and Art Studies 4 (12), 1122-1128.

Effy Mulyasari, 3rd International Conference on Early Childhood Education (ICECE 2016),

136-140,2016.

Schmitt, (2010) Direct teaching of Vocabulary after reading, ELT journal 64 (3), 253-260,

Rod Ellis (2017) Task-Based language teaching: The Routledge handbook of instructed

second language acquisition, 108-125.

John Hedgcock (2017) Modern Language journal 97 (4), 1013-1014,

Irena Maureen (2018) Supporting literacy and digital literacy development in early

childhood education using storytelling activities. International Journal of Early Childhood

50, 371-389.

Ton de Jong (2020) International Journal of Early Childhood 52, 55-76.

Matthew Orville Grenby (2014) Children’s literature, Edinburgh University press.

Ikram Louz (2020) Investigating the Role of Reading in Enhancing Learners Speaking

skills. University Ibn Khaldoun- Tiaret.

APPENDIX A

1.For Storytelling;

-What was your favorite part of the story? Why?

- Can you think of a different ending for the story?

- How do you think the main character felt during this part of the story?

- Can you describe the setting of the story in your own words?

2.For Phonics:

- Can you think of any words that have the same ending sound as “dog”?

-Can you mention all the sound names of the English alphabet?

-How many of you can write 5, 3 letter words?

-What word do you hear when you blend the sounds /b/a/t/ together?

APPENDIX B

Sound Names of the Selected Letters Taught

a as in at

b as in bad

d as in dad

f as in fan
m as in man

n as in not, no

h as in hen, house

p as in pin, pad

s as in to, tell

t as in to, tell