This study aims to motivate students on aiding reading comprehension struggles and addressing literacy problems. In order to gauge its effectiveness, the quantitative study used pre-test and post-test assessments with 50 Grade 7 students in the first intervention and 70 students in the second one. According to initial findings of both times that the pre-tests were done, students’ reading comprehension scores fell below 58%, placing them at a “Frustration” level. Significant progress was seen following the first intervention, as students advanced to the “Instructional” level. In the second intervention, the mean increase was from 8.82 to 19.14 (83.14%). as students advanced to “Independent” level. The gamified approach significantly increases reading motivation, comprehension, and engagement, according to key findings. Along with addressing issues like low baseline skills and lack of motivation, the strategy creates engaging and interactive learning environment. The intervention was rated as "Recommended" and "Highly Recommended" across evaluation criteria, and it received positive feedback on the appearance of its materials, the relevance of its content, and the learning experience. The study concludes that it is effective on improving reading comprehension. Future research could look into outside variables that influence understanding and improve the approach to get better results. This study adds to the expanding database of research that advocates for creative, student-centered strategies to address literacy issues, especially in educational contexts that are in underperformance. Furthermore, more research into the long-term effects and adaptability for different grade levels, as well as wider implementation in comparable contexts, is always suggested.
