CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Foreign Related literature

According to the Article of Eastern Washington University (2022), Reading

comprehension is essential for language and literature, as well as developing a student’s
critical thinking and memory skills, focus and their ability to solve problems — all necessary
for every kind of student or professional. An advanced education degree in literacy can equip
professionals with the necessary skills to help students of all ages and backgrounds build
reading comprehension and literacy skills that will serve them in every area of life.

(https://online.ewu.edu/degrees/education/med/reading-literacy/reading-comprehension-
onlearning/#:~:text=Reading%20comprehension%20is%20essential%20for,kind%20of
%20student%20or%20professional.)

Comprehension refers to the ability to understand written words. It is different from the
ability to recognize words. Recognizing words on a page but not knowing what they mean
does not fulfill the purpose or goal of reading, which is comprehension. Imagine, for
example, that a teacher gives a child a passage to read. The child can read the entire passage,
but he or she knows nothing when asked to explain what was read. Comprehension adds
meaning to what is read. Reading comprehension occurs when words on a page are not just
mere words but thoughts and ideas. Comprehension makes reading enjoyable, fun, and
informative. It is needed to succeed in school, work, and life in general. (Dorothy
Brandon,2021)

(https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/home-family-urban/the-importance-of-reading-
comprehension/)

Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and understand its
meaning. It relies on two, interconnected abilities: word reading (being able to decode the
symbols on the page) and language comprehension (being able to understand the meaning of
the words and sentences).When we make sense of a text, however, we don’t just remember
the exact words and phrases we read. Rather, we form a mental model of what the text
describes by integrating the sense of the words and sentences into a meaningful whole, like a
film that plays in our head. Good comprehension is vital if reading is to have a purpose, if a
reader is to engage with and learn from a text and, ultimately, if a reader is to enjoy what
they’re reading.(Zimmerman, S. and Hutchins, C. (2003)

(https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/welcome-back/for-school-back/pathways-page/pathwayslist/
teaching-comprehension/background-questions-tc/wales--16/what-is-reading-comprehension-
and-why-is-it-important--2)

Reading comprehension is important for academic achievement, critical thinking,

language proficiency, information retrieval, empowerment, and personal success. Developing
and honing reading comprehension skills can have a profound and lasting impact on
individuals' lives by expanding their knowledge, improving their cognitive abilities, and
enabling them to navigate the world effectively.(Dr.Padma Priya Selvarajan,2023)

(https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-doing-reading-comprehension-dr-padma-priya-
selvarajan)

The impact of reading comprehension on academic success cannot be overstated. A

study conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation revealed that students who do not read
proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.
By nurturing reading comprehension skills early on, teachers can set their students up for a
lifetime of success in the classroom and beyond.

(https://www.studentachievementsolutions.com/reading-comprehension-and-why-it-
matters/)

The benefits of reading can deeply impact your life experience. Reading comprehension
importance is not just about being able to read the words on a page, but also about
understanding what those words mean. Good reading comprehension skills are essential not
only in school but also in everyday life. When children struggle with reading comprehension,
it can affect their performance in school and their confidence level in real life.

There are a variety of strategies that can be used to achieve confident reading, and these
can be used with children of all ages. Some of the most effective strategies include
previewing the text, using graphic organizers, and asking questions about the text. By using a
combination of these strategies, teachers can help their students to better understand what
they read. In turn, this will lead to improved performance in school and a more positive
outlook on reading. (Lilypad.ai,2023)

(https://blog.lillypad.ai/importance-of-reading-comprehension/#conclusion)
Local Related literature

Based on the journal article of Imam (2014), there is only 3.2% of the total sample
categorized as "mastery" level in reading comprehension. It implies that only a few students
answered above 75% of the test items in reading comprehension. While on the Science test,
only 3.3% of the total sample scored more than 75% or categorized as "mastery." It also
turned out that these students who qualified for the mastery level studied in a private school.
The result says a lot about how the education system in the Philippines works, especially in
public schools. Most of the students in public schools are living in poverty (Taylor, 2017).
Imam (2014) also used a level on how to categorize the readers. Students with a 75% and
above correct answer are categorized as "mastery level." Students with 50%-74% correct
answers are categorized under "near mastery level." While the category "low mastery level"
is for students with a score of 49% and below.

Lin’s (2010) study participated by 78 Senior High School readers assigned three types of
reading materials, namely: Level 2 (600 words- A Christmas Carol), Level 3 (1200 words-
Forest Gump), and Level 4 (1700- The Client). The result shows that in terms of reading
comprehension, the females increased their score by 6.5% from their pre-test to the post-test
wherein the boys got only 2.68% increase from pre-test to posttest. This result is consistent
with the research by Logan et al. (2009), which found that female readers have more patience
in reading. They always take their time to read and enjoy every word that leads them to a
higher reading comprehension. In terms of the time spent in reading; the females spent less
time than male readers. This implies that longer time in reading does not always result in a
high score in reading comprehension. Female readers are excellent in using word, sentence,
and word knowledge and consequently, perform reading efficacy. In terms of the result for
the Reading Strategies, each gender uses the word Meaning strategy but primarily female
readers. Word Meaning strategy is how to translate unfamiliar English words to the readers'
mother tongue to be much easier for the readers to understand the whole concept and context
of the reading materials.

According to Meylana (2019), reading comprehension is a matter of understanding in

written reading texts to obtain information efficiently. According to Stahl (1989) there are
two definitions of reading comprehension. First, reading comprehension is a complicated
cognitive process that cannot be understood without a clear description of the role that
vocabulary improvement and vocabulary preparation play in the understanding of what has
been read. Second, comprehension is an active method that requires an intentional and
considerate interaction between the reader and the text comprehension instruction. According
to Nuttall (2018), there are four aspects of reading comprehension which the students should
understand in comprehending a text well, such as determining the main idea, finding specific
information (scanning),making inference, and understanding the meaning of words or detail
information which are considered as students’ difficulties in understanding the text. These
aspects are regarded as difficulties that the students encounter in comprehending the text.