PANTALAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Definition of terms

The following relevant terms that will be used in the study were

defined conceptually and operationally.

Academic Performance. Refers to the achievement of students in their

educational endeavors. It is influenced by various factors such as cognitive

and non-cognitive attributes, sociocultural context, personality traits, and

approaches to studying (Gregory Liem, et al.,2019). It is important because it

serves as a main indicator of the learning level reached by students and the

effectiveness of the educational institution’s work . It is also crucial for

designing strategies to improve academic performance and reduce academic

risk .

Decoding Skills. Refers to the ability to identify and process written

symbols and convert them into their corresponding sounds. (Longabach, T., &

Peyton, A. (2018). These skills are fundamental to reading comprehension.

Strong decoding skills allow a students to recognize words accurately and

quickly, freeing up cognitive resources to focus on understanding the

message of the text.

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Learner. Refers to an individual who is actively engaged in the process

of acquiring new knowledge, skills, or understanding (Oxford Learner’s

Dictionaries, 2015). Senior High Learners will be the participants to conduct

this study that examines their reading comprehension skills.

Oral fluency. This refers to the ability to speak a language smoothly and

accurately at a native or near-native level. (American Speech-Language-

Hearing Association (ASHA), 2014 ). Oral fluency matters in reading studies

because it helps students talk about what they’ve read more easily. Talking

will help them understand better and remember more of what they’re read.

Reading. It is defined as the cognitive process of decoding symbols to

determine a text’s meaning (Brett Grel, et al., 2023). It can be measured and

observed by instructing participants to read a specific passage of text and

then assessing their comprehension through various methods such as

comprehension questions, summaries, or recall tasks.

Reading Comprehension. Refers to the ability to understand the

meaning of a written text. It involves a range of cognitive skills, including

decoding written symbols, activating prior knowledge, constructing meaning,

and monitoring comprehension (Shanahan, T. P. 2016). Reading

comprehension can be measured by having participants read a passage and

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answer questions about main ideas, and details. Their responses quantify

their level of understanding of the text. This is important because it helps

people understand and use written information.

Reading Comprehension Material. Refers to any text or passage that is

designed to assess a reader’s ability to understand and process information.

This can include anything from fictional stories and expository texts to news

articles and technical manuals. (National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP)(2022). One specific reason why reading comprehension material is

important is because it helps improve critical thinking skills. When students

understand and analyze texts, they can evaluate the information presented

and draw their own conclusions, which is a valuable skill in both academic and

everyday contexts.

Reading Habit. Defined as a well-planned and deliberate pattern of

study which has attained a form of consistency on the part of students toward

understanding academic subjects (Suhana & Haryudin 2015). It measures

and determines the academic performance of a students.

Vocabulary knowledge. It refers to the knowledge of words that does

not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world.”

Steven Stahl (2015). Vocabulary matters because readers can’t fully

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understand texts without knowing the meaning of the words within the text. In

other words, textual meaning is constructed on building blocks of vocabulary.

Overall Language Proficiency. Defined as the ability to use language

accurately and appropriately in its oral and written forms in a variety of

settings (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2020). Without it, there will be failure

in communicating with others. They will need to develop their language skills,

and specifically, their academic English, in order to: understand and make the

most effective use of the study materials