Effects of Task-Based Reading Activities for Promoting Grade 5 Students’ Reading Comprehension Ability Using English Fables

Abstract

 This research article investigates for: 1) comparison of the English reading comprehension ability of grade 5 students before and after using Task-based reading activities with English fables, 2) study the students’ satisfaction toward learning by using Task-based reading activities with English fables. It was experimental research employing a one-group pretest-posttest design. The tool consists of: 1) 3 lesson plans based on task-based learning integrated with English fables to enhance English reading comprehensive skills, 2) A pretest and posttest to assess students’ English reading comprehension ability and 3) A satisfaction questionnaire on learning through task-based reading activities integrated with English fables. The data were analyzed using mean, standard division and t-test. The experiment was conducted with a sample group of 25 grade 5 students from Bann Khao Khansong School in the academic year 2025, selected through cluster random sampling technique.

The results were: 1) English reading comprehension ability of grade 5 students before and after using Task-based reading activities with English fables were significantly higher than before at .05. This improvement stemmed from the task‑based learning approaches clearly defined, sequential steps—arranged from simple to complex—that guided learners through each stage in a logical manner, thereby enhancing their comprehension skills. Moreover, integrating English fables into the task‑based activities further supported primary‑level students’ reading‑for‑understanding. The instructional design emphasized the reading process and targeted 6 specific subskills: 1) Identifying the main idea, 2) Locating supporting details, 3) Inferring word meanings from context, 4) Sequencing events, 5) Drawing conclusions and 6) Determining the moral or lesson of the text. 2) the students’ satisfaction toward learning by using Task-based reading activities with English fables was at the highest level. This positive response was attributed to the multifaceted nature of the reading tasks-comprising both tests and exercises, as well as diverse formative assessments conducted during the experimental period-each aligned with the fables’ content and appropriate to primary learners’ comprehension abilities. Furthermore, every phase of the assigned tasks was directly related to the reading material and well matched to the students’ cognitive and linguistic levels, thereby fostering both their engagement and their English reading development.