Sentence Writing and Spelling Difficulties Among Grade 3 Pupils in San Fernando District Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsair.V2.I2.395Keywords:
Early Literacy Development, Phonetic Spelling Errors, San Fernando District, Sentence Writing Difficulties, Spelling Difficulties, Teacher Observations, Writing ProficiencyAbstract
This study assessed the sentence writing and spelling difficulties of Grade 3 pupils in San Fernando District schools as observed by their teachers. It was anchored on the Multiple-Components Model of Writing, Stage Theories of Spelling Development, and Dual-Route Theory, which explain writing and spelling as interconnected cognitive, linguistic, phonological, and orthographic processes. The study used a descriptive-survey research design involving thirty Grade 3 teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed through frequency count, percentage, weighted mean, and Pearson Product–Moment Correlation Coefficient. Findings showed that most teacher-respondents were female, married, aged 31–40 years old, bachelor’s degree graduates, Teacher III in position, and had 11–15 years of teaching experience. Grade 3 pupils exhibited sentence writing difficulties in sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, and coherence, particularly in word order, sentence completeness, pronoun use, verb tense, capitalization, and logical flow. Spelling difficulties were also observed, especially in phonetic spelling errors, visual and memory-related spelling errors, and irregular word spelling. The correlation result showed a moderate positive and significant relationship between pupils’ sentence writing skills and spelling performance, indicating that stronger sentence writing ability is associated with better spelling accuracy. The study recommends guided writing exercises, sentence correction activities, spelling drills, regular feedback, peer-review tasks, interactive tools, parental support, and small-group or one-on-one support. The study supports SDG 4, SDG 10, and SDG 17 by promoting quality education, reducing literacy gaps, and strengthening school-home-community collaboration. Its sustainability impact lies in supporting educational, institutional, and community-based literacy improvement.
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