READING COMPREHENSION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

IN ENGLISH OF GRADE 7 STUDENTS OF LUNA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL,

LUYAO, LUNA, ISABELA

A Research

Presented to

The Faculty of the Graduate School

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Echague, Isabela

In Partial Fulfilment
Of the Requirements for the Degree

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION

Major in English

By

CLARISSA A. SABLAY

OCTOBER 2019
 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Reading has always been a staple skill in learning. It is essential to master because activities

associated with the utilization of this skill is indeed inevitable in the teaching-learning process.

This is the same with regards to other macro skills in language learning such as listening, speaking

and writing. Throughout the years, researchers and scholars alike have studied countless issues

and concepts linked to the process of reading. Mountains upon mountains of studies have already

been published however, frankly, we will never really run out of questions to ask.

It has been established that the world itself is changing, therefore, it is dynamic. Who’s to say

that people aren’t as well? When we really try to look at world we are living in as of this moment,

we can see the evident changes that occurred and is continuously occurring in our environment

even in the span of a few years. We humans are molded by two main factors, heredity and our

environment, thus the concept of nature and nurture is born. Some attributes that we possess traces

back to our biological structure, while the rest is purely obtained and extracted from imitation and

personal experiences. By sheer observation, we can easily tell that youth nowadays spend lesser

time reading than those who were born significantly earlier. Although we cannot immediately

claim that this is universally true, kids on our neighborhood clearly exhibit signs of gadget

addiction. The environment, or rather the world they were directly exposed to, is a world in the

peak of its technological advancement. They were not used to traditional ways of entertainment

such as reading storybooks or magazines because they have their smartphones, laptops and the

internet to kill time. Furthermore, when students hear the word “reading” they immediately

associate this to school work which is often seen as a burden in their young lives. Thus, the notion
of reading for pleasure, most of the time, is seen as absurd, boring, extremely unusual or an act of

showing off your impeccable intelligence, which is oddly considered as a bad thing.

However, research has shown time and time again that it is an essential skill for a reason.

According to Gardiner (2005), reading is a skill that a student must learn to enjoy, otherwise, it

can hinder learning in general. It is said that frequent engagement to this activity, can predict

reading and academic success from early school age into adulthood (Strickland & Riley-Ayers,

2006). Through his research, Krashen (2006) found out that free reading develops vocabulary,

spelling, literacy competencies and comprehension. He states that children become better readers

if they allow themselves to be engaged, of course willingly.

The more frequent a child reads, the more he becomes motivated, thus developing his

comprehension skills even further (Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala, & Cox, 1999). This development

will aid him on similar activities in school. Intrinsically motivated and engaged students tend to

not only read the material for the completion of a specific task like most students do, but also to

fully understand the content, thus, processing the information deeper, just because they enjoy

doing so (Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala, & Cox, 1999, Kelley and Clausen-Grace, 2009). It does not

come off as some sort of chore that needs to be accomplished daily, instead, it becomes an activity

that actually exudes fun for them.

Unfortunately, nowadays, independent reading or reading for the mere purpose of

entertainment, has only become a secondary priority in schools. This is because there are

predetermined activities that were constructed beforehand, which are aligned in the curriculum for

every grade level (Williams et al. 2008). Thus, for the most part, it is deemed unnecessary for

teachers to exert effort, or even encourage students to engage themselves to something they, as

mere facilitators, have no control over (Daniels & Steres, 2011), especially if it might risk carving
out a few precious hours of formal instruction. Hence, individuals who independently read with

no need for any type of encouragement, genuinely enjoys it, but, in this generation, those kinds of

readers are almost non-existent. It is possible that other people may get around into doing it as

well at some point in the future, but in reality, as children reaches the point of adulthood, the

strength of their interest and motivation to engage themselves to independent reading gradually

deteriorates (Guthrie, Alao, and Rinehart, 1997), and its evident advantages or impacts on the

overall academic achievement that the learner could’ve benefited from deteriorates along with it.

Conceptual Framework

Earlier studies revealed a direct correlation between reading comprehension, same as through

with academic achievement in English and the profile of the students.

To obtain the needed data and to determine if this information is still true today in the peak of

technological advancements, the reading comprehension of the students will be assessed through

a standardized test and the results will be compared with their academic achievement in English

and their profile to see whether there is a significant connection or relationship between these

variables.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

 Profile of the Students 1. Academic Performance

 Level of Reading Comprehension

Figure 1: Research Paradigm

 A diagram showing the Profile of the students, their reading comprehension levels and their

academic performance.

Statement of the Problem

This study ascertains the Reading Comprehension level and Academic Achievement of

the Grade 7 students of Luna National High School. Specifically, it aims to

1. Determine the profile of the students in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 parents’ educational attainment; and,

1.4 monthly family income

2. Determine the Reading Comprehension level of the respondents.

3. Describe the academic performance in English subject of the students.

4. Analyze the relationship between the profile of the students and their reading

comprehension level.

5. Analyze the relationship between the students’ academic performance and reading

comprehension level.

Hypothesis

The study tested that:

1. There is a significant relationship between the profile of the students and their reading

comprehension level.

2. There is a significant relationship between the students’ academic performance and

reading comprehension level.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is confined on the assessment of the reading comprehension levels of Grade 7

students of Luna National High School with the use of varied questions based on the Philippine

Informal Reading Inventory (2018) reading comprehension levels namely, frustration,

instructional and independent and its relationship to their academic achievement in English.

Significance of the Study

Through the years, there have already been countless studies about reading and reading

comprehension to the point that most of the conclusions or concepts extracted from these

researches, seem almost identical. However, the reading levels of each individual varies for each

learner and for a specific period of time.

Reading is not an activity that is well-loved by the majority to begin with. Most people will

just claim that either they are too busy with their lives to squeeze in some reading time in-between

schedules, or that it is straight up boring and unappealing. We are taught in school in the very

beginning that reading is important and should be practiced not only for academic purposes but

for the benefits that come along with it including better concentration and a sharper memory.

However, the amount of existing readers seems to be dropping at a very fast pace especially on

children. Due to the advancement of technology, we have reason to believe that more and more

learners are becoming less and less interested in reading. There’s just too much distraction around

them and frankly, because of this existing notion that reading is mainly done in school, most

students categorize this activity as “work”. People can be easily influenced by their environment

and as the society progress even more, other fun activities will be competing against it.
 As technology advances further year after year, the possibility to produce a new generation of

independent readers gradually disintegrates. What’s more alarming is the fact that the crucial

childhood years for reading development and engagement is being targeted by these distracting

technologies. Soon, children’s academic growth will be stunted by these time - eaters and reading,

no matter essential, gets buried deep underground along with comprehension and achievement.

This research aims to stress the importance of reading because it is associated, not only to

reading comprehension, but in general, to the academic performance of a child as well. It will

always be a part of life and it is inevitable. Hopefully, the results accumulated in this study will

fuel both teachers and students to once again emphasize the significance of reading by encouraging

others to engage themselves and to support programs for its development to produce lifelong

readers in the future.

Definition of Terms

Assessment Tool. An instrument used to describe a learner’s performance in a particular skill

Comprehension. Understanding what one reads or listens to

Levels of Comprehension. Questions that require varying cognitive skills; types of questions

include:

a) Literal questions. In which the answers are explicitly stated in the text

b) Inferential. Questions in which the answers are not explicitly stated in the text. These

questions require the reader to establish relationships between what he/she knows and

what is stated in the text. Questions regarding vocabulary words used in the text may also
 be considered inferential when they require the reader to use context clues in order to

figure out word meanings

c) Critical questions. Which require the learner to analyze, synthesize, and make

judgments on the author’s ideas Comprehension Score the percentage of items correctly

answered over the total number of items in a passage-specific comprehension test

Graded Passage. A text that is grade level-appropriate in terms of content and readability

Informal Reading Inventory. Informal reading tests which consist of a set of graded passages

administered to individual learners; in contrast to formal reading tests that are standardized

and often conducted for the purpose of comparing a student’s performance with that of others

(Weaver, 2014), informal reading tests are designed to provide greater insight into an

individual learner’s reading level vis-à-vis a specific passage in order to allow teachers to

customize instruction to the needs of their students (Rutledge, 1998)

Reading Level. The level at which a learner can read and comprehend a leveled text or graded

passage; given a particular leveled text, a learner may fall under any of the following reading

levels:

a. Independent Reading Level. The level at which readers function on their own with almost

perfect oral reading and excellent comprehension (Flippo, 2014)

b. Instructional Reading Level. The level at which readers profit the most from teacher

directed instruction in reading (Flippo, 2014)

c. Frustration Reading Level. The level at which readers find reading materials so difficult

that they cannot successfully respond to them (Flippo, 2014)

Reading Comprehension Levels. This refers to the level of the reading comprehension of

the students (beginning, developing, approaching proficiency, proficient, advanced).

 QUESTIONNARE ON THE PROFILE OF THE GRADE 7 STUDENTS
OF LUNA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Luyao, Luna, Isabela

DIRECTION: Please put a check accordingly in the following circles which correspond to your
answer.

SEX:
O Male
O Female

HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT:

Father
O Elementary
O High School
O College level and graduate
O MA level and graduate
O PhD level and graduate

Mother
O Elementary
O High School
O College level and graduate
O MA level and graduate
O PhD level and graduate

PARENTS’ MONTHLY INCOME

O P4,000 and below
O P4,000 to P6,999
O P7,000 to P9,999
O P10,000 to P14,999
O P15,000 and above

READING FACTOR
1. What are the available reading materials at home?
 READING ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION
FOR GRADE 7 STUDENTS

Name: ___________________________________________________ Score: _______________

I. Read each selection silently. Then read the questions that follow and write the letter of the correct
answer in the answer sheet:

Telling Time
Humans have used different objects to tell time. In the beginning, they used an hourglass. This is a
cylindrical glass with a narrow center which allows sand to flow from its upper to its lower portion.
Once all the sand has trickled to the lower portion, one knows that an hour has passed. Using the same
idea, water clocks were constructed to measure time by having water flow through a narrow passage
from one container to another. On the other hand, sundials allowed people to estimate an hour by
looking at the position of the shadow cast by the sun on a plate. At night, people measured time by
checking the alignment of the stars in the sky. None of these were accurate, though. The clock was
the first accurate instrument for telling time.
134 words

1. Which of the following ways of telling time made use of sand? (Literal)
A. water clocks B. hourglass C. sundials D. clock
2. None of the clocks used long ago were accurate. Accurate in the sentence means (Inferential)
A. free from error B. comparable C. very useful D. efficient
3. When men of long ago told time at night, they looked at the __________________ to tell the
time. (Literal)
A. cloud formation B. moon C. stars D. sun
4. The sundials may not be useful in telling time ______________________. (Inferential)
A. at noontime B. in the morning C. during a rainy day D. when the sun shines
brightly
5. How are the hourglass and the water clock similar? (Inferential)
A. Both tell time by the hour. C. Both are used only in the daytime.
B. Both use water to tell time. D. Both have a narrow center through which
something flows.
6. The best title of the selection is ______________________ (Critical)
A. The Uses of Clocks C. Ways of Telling Time: Then and Now
B. Why People Need to Tell Time D. Comparing the Different Types of Clocks
7. Which of these sentences is a topic sentence? (Critical)
A. The invention of the clock 600 years ago was the first accurate measurement of time.
B. Hourglass contained sand that fell through one container to another.
C. Long ago people used simple tools such as the hour glass.
D. Humans have used different objects to tell the time.

Counting the Hours

When men decided to divide the day into twenty-four hours, they used numbers one through twelve two
times. As a result, there was one o’clock during the day and another one o’clock after midnight. This
 created confusion. If one was told to submit a project at six o’clock, did this mean six o’clock in the
morning or at night?
The Romans provided a solution to this problem. They thought that noon time, the time when the sun is
at its apex, is an important time. They called noon Meridies and measured time by this. They called the
morning ante meridiem, which means “before noon” while “after noon” was called post meridiem. Ante
meridiem was shortened to A.M. while post meridiem was shortened to P.M.
124 words

8. When the day was divided into twenty-four hours, what numbers were used to express time? (Literal)
A. one to six B. one to twelve C. one to thirty-six D. one to
twenty-four
9. Having one number to express time twice caused confusion. In this selection confusion may mean
_______________________. (Inferential)
A. Differences B. discussions C. problems D. mistakes
10. The Romans thought of a solution. This means that they provided _____________________.
(Inferential)
A. an answer to the problem C. a new set of numbers
B. a better interpretation D. another clock
11. Meridies means _______________. (Literal)
A. Apex B. noon C. before D. daylight
12. The early Romans used the position of the sun to tell the time. When the sun was at its apex, it was
noon. What does apex mean?
A. highest point B. lowest point C. farthest point D. nearest point
13. Another good title for this selection is _____________________________. (Critical)
A. Why There Are Twenty-Four Hours in a Day C. How the Romans Told Time
B. Why Noontime is Important to Romans D. The Meaning of A.M. and P.M.

Nosebleeds
Having a nosebleed is a common occurrence. Children experience epistaxis when blood flows out from
either or both nostrils, often for a short period of time. It may be caused by one’s behavior like frequent
nose picking or blowing too hard when one has a cold. It may also be caused by certain physical factors
such as an allergy or abnormal growths in the nasal cavity. Or it may be due to environmental conditions
such as exposure to toxic fumes or dryness of the air. While it is often thought that holding one’s head
back can treat a nosebleed, this can actually cause one to choke or vomit. The best thing to do is to lean
forward, pinch the top of the nose and apply a cold compress. And if that doesn’t work, it’s best to get
professional help.

14. When children experience epistaxis, we can observe that there is ____________. (Literal)
A. a steady flow of nasal discharge C. build-up of mucus in our nasal cavity
B. blood flow from the nasal passage D. blood stoppage in the nostrils
15. When an experience is described as a common occurrence it is _____________ .(Inferential)
A. an incident that is disappointing C. an event that is no longer surprising
 B. an episode that is quite alarming D. an occasion that is overwhelming
16. Which of these options help treat a nosebleed? (Literal)
A. applying a cold compress on the nose C. holding the head back to keep the blood from
flowing
B. pinching the nostrils shut D. applying a warm compress on the nose
17. Which of these causes of a nosebleed are within our control? (Inferential)
A. allergies C. dryness in the air
B. picking one’s nose D. abnormal growth in the nasal cavity
18. Which of these factors that causes nosebleeds are directly within our control? (Inferential)
A. physical factors C. behavioral factors
B. environmental factors D. social factors
19. This selection is mainly providing (Critical)
A. a description of a nosebleed. C. an explanation of what to do when one has a
nosebleed.
B. the causes and effects of a nosebleed. D. a listing of the myths regarding treatment of a
nosebleed.
20. Another good title for this selection is ______________________. (Critical)
A. Nosebleeds: A Cause for Concern C. Nosebleeds: A Common Childhood
Experience
B. Nosebleeds: An Unavoidable Experience D. Nosebleeds: Common Myths and
Misconceptions

DARK CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate finds its way into the best ice creams, biscuits and cakes. Although eating chocolate
usually comes with a warning that it is fattening, it is also believed by some to have magical and
medicinal effects. In fact, cacao trees are sometimes called Theobroma cacao which means “food of the
gods.” Dark chocolate has been found out to be helpful in small quantities. One of its benefits is that it
has some of the most important minerals and vitamins that people need. It has antioxidants that help
protect the heart. Another important benefit is that the fat content of chocolate does not raise the level of
cholesterol in the blood stream. A third benefit is that it helps address respiratory problems. Also, it has
been found out to help ease coughs and respiratory concerns. Finally, chocolate increases serotonin levels
in the brain. This is what gives us a feeling of well-being.

21. Why was chocolate called Theobroma cacao? It is considered to be _____.

A. fattening food B. magical tree C. medicinal candy D. food of the gods
22. Which statement is true?
A. All chocolates have medicinal properties. C. Dark chocolate has minerals and vitamins.
B. In small doses, dark chocolate is fattening.D. Chocolate raises the level of cholesterol.
23. What is found in dark chocolate that will help encourage its consumption?
A. Antioxidants B. sugar C. fats D. milk
24. After we eat chocolate, which of these is responsible for making us feel good?
A. Cacao B. theobroma C. serotonin D. antioxidants
25. If a person coughs and is asked to have some chocolate, why would this be good advice?
 A. Dark chocolate helps respiratory problems.
B. Dark chocolate helps circulation.
C. Dark chocolate does not raise the level of cholesterol.
D. Dark chocolate has vitamins and minerals.
26. Which of the following body systems does not directly benefit from the consumption of dark
chocolate?
A. Circulatory system B. Respiratory system C. Excretory system D. Nervous system
27. Which important fact shows that dark chocolate may be safe for the heart?
A. It may ease coughs.
B. It helps address respiratory problems.
C. It does not raise the level of cholesterol.
D. In small quantities, dark chocolate has been said to be medicinal.

THE BRAIN
The brain is the center of the nervous system. It interprets stimuli and tells the body how to react. The
brain has three major parts. The part that controls balance, coordination and muscle movement is called
the cerebellum. It makes sure that the muscles work well together. For example, a gymnast is able to
balance on a beam because of the cerebellum. The medulla is a long stem that connects the brain to the
spinal cord. It tells one’s body to do things without thinking about them. Digesting food or breathing
even while asleep are examples of these involuntary actions. On the other hand, there are actions that
one decides to do. It is the largest part of the brain—the cerebrum—that is responsible for these
voluntary movements. Without it, one will not be able to kick a ball or dance at all. The brain might
seem small but it is so powerful as it controls one’s entire body.

28. Which is the best description of the brain?

A. It makes people intelligent. C. It helps everyone think well.
B. It keeps one’s body healthy. D. It dictates how the body will react to stimuli.
29. In the sentence, “The brain interprets stimuli,” the meaning of interpret is __________.
A. assign roles B. recall facts C. discuss ideas D. make sense of
30. What will the brain likely tell you if you happen to hold on to something hot?
A. “I wonder how hot it is.” B. “Don’t drop it!” C. “Hold tight!” D. “Let go!”
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research method, research locale, research instruments, data

gathering procedure, scoring data, the respondents and the statistical treatment in analyzing the

data.

Research Method

The researcher used a descriptive - correlational method in the study. The descriptive aspect

was to find out the reading comprehension level of the respondents while the correlation was used

to determine whether there was a connection between reading comprehension and the respondents’

overall academic performance in English 7.

Research Locale

The respondents were the Grade 7 students of Luna National High School, Luyao, Luna,

Isabela.

Research Instruments

Three 7th grade passages have been selected for the comprehension test. The passages were

taken from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (2018).

 The researcher had adopted reading comprehension questions in the Philippine Informal

Reading Inventory (2018). Thirty questions were utilized for the reading passages: 10 literal

questions, 10 inferential questions and 10 critical questions. The questions are standardized and

are appropriate for the participants’ level.

Data Gathering Procedure

One of the researchers is a seventh grade English teacher at the Luna National High School.

The researcher conducted the reading comprehension exam two weeks before the fourth quarter

examination of the students in Reading and in English. Since one of the researchers is a teacher of

the respondents, she managed to secure a copy of the respondents’ final grade in English.

The purpose of the reading comprehension examination was explained to the respondents prior

to the test administration. The graded passages were presented to all the respondents.

Scoring Data

The scores obtained were divided into ranges to represent the Grade-7 students’ Reading

Comprehension Level.

Score Description

1-6 Beginning

7-12 Developing

13-18 Approaching Proficiency

19-24 Proficient

25-30 Advanced
The Respondents

The respondents of the study were the grade 7 students of Luna National High School for the

school year 2018-2019. Thirty (30) diverse students from different sections were randomly chosen

to be the respondents of the study.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following statistical treatments were employed in the analysis of data gathered:

1. Frequency counts and arithmetic mean to describe the reading comprehension levels of the

respondents for each level of comprehension.

2. T- Test to determine the significant relationship between students’ reading comprehension

level and academic achievement in English.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

It has been constituted that the time spent in reading has a firm correlation to reading

achievement (Allington, 2014; Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998; Krashen, 2006; Reutzel & Juth,
2014). Gurthrie citing Stanovich's (1986) defines this a "Matthew Effect". This refers to the link

between engagement and achievement, two interconnected concepts, working hand-in-hand

towards reading development. The effects of reading frequently extends to a quality lifestyle,

where Independent Reading and reading comprehension are associated with greater academic,

professional, financial and civic advantages and benefits (National Endowment for the Arts, 2007).

Independent Reading (IR) has been widely recognized since the mid- 20th century, and is known

in a variety of names including the widely used term, Sustained Silent Reading (SSR).

Traditionally, SSR is a period of time where the teacher models silent reading for about 10 - 30

minutes in front of the class while the students are expected to do the same (Garan & DeVoogd,

2009; Trudel, 2007).

According to Allington (2014), voluminous reading is crucial to reading comprehension. It

has shown numerous positive effects on academic achievement (Allington, 2014; Cunningham &

Stanovich, 1998) and to other quality life indicators in the future that goes beyond an individual’s

schooling (National Endowment for the Arts, 2007). Therefore, engagement to such activity can

definitely result to sharper comprehension skills. Engagement is so powerful that it can even

overcome environmental factors to achievement such as family background (Guthrie, 2008).

Studies have shown that students with high engagement but low parental education and income,

have higher achievement compared to students with relatively lower engagement but with a similar

socioeconomic background.

Readers need to play an active role in the reading process which requires an interaction

between the text and himself (Anderson, 1999). Highly motivated and good readers have been

reported to automatically engage themselves to this process without difficulty, (Grabe, 1991; Ur,

1996) thus, it’s safe to say that intrinsic motivation is key. Morrow and Gambrell (1998) describes
highly motivated individuals as those with a high frequency rate of reading for pleasure, for

extended periods of time. These individuals have higher involvement with reading-related

activities in school and prefer more challenging materials compared to other students (Guthrie et

al. 2006)

Hundreds of correlation studies suggest that the more children read, the more their fluency,

vocabulary, and comprehension develops (National Reading Panel, 2000). This is because good

readers tend to read more while poor readers, instead of improving, tends to avoid it at all costs.

With successful IR, reading skills and strategies sharpen. In contrast, proficiency and

comprehension lags in the absence of practice (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 2003). Without the

required skills of comprehension and the motivation for reading, the academic performance and

development of a child becomes limited (Alvermann & Earle, 2003).

Unfortunately, the acquisition of reading comprehension skills and reading strategies requires

a large amount of time, effort, and motivation (Stipek, 2002). Thus engagement while still early in

life should be the one of the primary goals of both teachers and parents. When reading engagement

is scarce, reading achievement is stunted, creating a development gap as a student progresses

(Kelley and Clausen-Grace 2009).

Reading Comprehension

In general, psycholinguists, educational psychologists, reading researchers, and theorists

viewed that comprehension is multifaceted and complex process which is directly related to

readers‟ cognition. According to Bormuth (1969) cited in Harris and Sipay (1980) “…
comprehension ability is thought to be a set of generalized knowledge-acquisition skills which

permit people to acquire and exhibit information gained as a consequence of reading printed

language” (p.50).Whereas, Dechant argue that (1982) reading comprehension is a complex process

and no one has yet been able to identify the components of reading comprehension. However, in

comprehending a text a reader first needs to associate correctly meanings with words, organization

and retention of meanings, and ability to grasp the entire meaning of the text. Ahuja and Ahuja

(2007) in this nexus cite Hafner and Jolly‟s (1972) opinion about comprehension skills. They state

that comprehension is happened when reader can: Identify the topic sentences, main ideas, and

thesis statements in exposition. Likewise, Munby (1978), Burns, Roe and Ross (1999) also assert

that in order to read effectively main idea inference skill play a vital role. In the same vein Dechant

(1982) also enunciates that good comprehenders possess this skill so as to interact effectively with

the text. On the other hand, Harris and Sipay (1980) define “main idea‟ in a following manner:

[Main idea] One of the most valuable comprehension skills is the ability to find the main idea or

central thought in what one reads. To be able to select the most important thought from a mass of

words calls for an ability to distinguish between essentials and nonessentials, between the most

important idea and subordinate details or illustrations. (p. 486) Consequently, in view of Harris

and Sipay; Hafner and Jolly; Munby; Dechant and Burns et. al., main idea inference skill enables

learners to read proficiently, competently and with understanding while interacting with a text.

Moreover, in view of Yigiter, Saricoban and Gurses (2005) “language teachers should enhance

students‟ ability to read with comprehension. Without comprehension, reading would be empty

and meaningless” (p.124). In addition, Invernizzi et. al. (2005) state “Comprehension is the

ultimate goal of reading, so it is a skill that teachers want to assess accurately and quickly” (p.612).

Levels of Comprehension
 In assessing how much or how little an individual understood the material, it is highly

suggested to make use of various questions which tests the different levels of comprehension (Day

and Park, 2005). After reflecting on the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (2018), three levels

of reading comprehension are found namely, literal, inferential and critical.

In the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (2018), literal comprehension occurs at the

surface level when a reader/viewer acknowledges what they can see and hear. The details are stated

and clear for anyone to identify. Literal comprehension is often referred to as ‘on the page’ or

‘right there’ comprehension. This is the simplest form of comprehension. Inferential

comprehension requires the reader/viewer to draw on their prior knowledge of a topic and identify

relevant text clues (words, images, sounds) to make an inference. Inferential comprehension is

often referred to as ‘between the lines’ or ‘think and search’ comprehension. This level of

comprehension requires more skill but can be achieved by young children (van den Brock,

Kindeou, Kremer, Lynch, Butler, White and Pugzles Lorch, 2005). Critical comprehension

concerns itself with why the author says what he or she says. This high level of comprehension

requires the reader to use some external criteria from his/her own experience in order to evaluate

the quality, values of the writing, the author’s reasoning, simplifications, and generalizations. The

reader will react emotionally and intellectually with the material.

Related Studies

The direct correlation between reading comprehension and reading success/ academic

achievement has been proven multiple times in the past. In Guthrie, Klauda & Ho’s (2013) studies,
they stated that there is a variety of “correlational, longitudinal, and experimental” investigations

and researches that have linked motivation and IR engagement to achievement. This statement was

supported by Routman’s (2003) concept on an earlier study which states that reading

comprehension outcomes are influenced by engagement the most, among other factors.

After analyzing and going through two-decade worth of researches, 25 years to be exact,

regarding recreational reading, Block and Mangieri (2002) were able to discover that those who

are engaged with IR while still within the premises of the school, both inside and outside the

classroom, reads more frequently outside school hours. Thus, proving that reading engagement

overlaps a reader’s school life and personal life, which leads to almost little difficulty once it is

encountered on both sides. Also, those who read more in larger chunks of time scored higher on

comprehension tests in grades 2, 4, and 8 with higher averages in academics. Reading also creates

a sustained interest and concentration in analyzing and comprehending texts which is necessary

for academic and professional success ( Block & Mangieri, 2002).

Researchers found out that individuals who are exposed or has access to a collection of quality

literature in school reads up to 50 - 60% more than those who don’t (Capatano et al., 2009;

Neuman, 1999), which leads to the improvement or reading skills, strategies and comprehension

(Krashen, 2004; Reutzel et al., 2012; Allington, 2014). According to Cunningham and Stanovich

(1998) in their seminal work, print exposure and voluminous reading has astounding effects. One

of its benefits is its ability to develop the prior knowledge of an individual (Cunningham &

Stanovich, 1998). Moreover, with time, it can develop a wide range of cognitive capabilities

because the consequences of IR to reading success is exponential and reciprocal in nature

(Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998).

Conceptual Framework

Hypothesis of the Study

There is a significant relationship between the students’ reading comprehension and their

overall academic achievement in English.