Literacy and Numeracy Readiness Among Grade Two Pupils in Public Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study assessed the literacy and numeracy readiness of Grade Two pupils in public elementary schools in the Morong District, Schools Division Office of Rizal, during the School Year 2025–2026. Specifically, it examined pupils' literacy readiness in terms of phonemic awareness, word recognition, and vocabulary, and numeracy readiness in terms of number identification, counting, and addition and subtraction. It also determined whether teachers’ and parents’ perceptions differed significantly, examined the influence of selected demographic variables, investigated the relationship between readiness and pupils’ academic performance, and served as the basis for a proposed action plan. The study employed a descriptive survey research design complemented by documentary analysis. Respondents included the total population of 36 Grade Two teachers and 240 parents selected through quota and convenience sampling from twelve public elementary schools in Morong District. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire-checklist, while pupils’ academic performance was obtained through documentary analysis of their final grades.The findings revealed that teachers generally perceived Grade Two pupils as much ready in literacy and numeracy, while parents rated them as very much ready. No significant difference was found between teachers’ and parents’ perceptions regarding phonemic awareness; however, significant differences emerged in word recognition, vocabulary, number identification, counting, and addition and subtraction. Teachers’ educational attainment significantly influenced literacy readiness, whereas age, sex, civil status, position, length of service, and in-service training generally did not. Among parents, demographic characteristics showed varying significant differences across selected literacy and numeracy indicators. Pupils demonstrated satisfactory academic performance, and literacy and numeracy readiness exhibited a significant positive relationship with academic achievement.The study concludes that literacy and numeracy readiness are important predictors of academic performance and that collaborative efforts between schools and families are essential in strengthening foundational learning competencies. It recommends implementing professional development programs for teachers, strengthening school-home partnerships, enhancing vocabulary and numeracy instruction through contextualized and hands-on learning activities, implementing the proposed action plan, and conducting further studies using additional variables and broader populations.