English vocabulary proficiency, reading comprehension, and academic understanding among Grade 4 learners in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, Philippines

Relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension among Grade 3 pupils in rural public elementary schools

Reading proficiency is fundamental to learners’ academic success because it enables them to understand, interpret, and apply information across learning areas. Despite the recognized importance of vocabulary and reading comprehension, limited local evidence exists on how these two variables are related among Grade 3 learners in rural public elementary schools. This study determined the relationship between vocabulary skills and reading comprehension as measures of reading skills among Grade 3 pupils in the public elementary schools of Solana, Cagayan. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were gathered from 34 Grade 3 teachers through a validated questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and Pearson’s r. The findings showed that pupils had high levels of vocabulary skills and reading comprehension, although teachers experienced very serious challenges in developing reading skills. A significant moderate positive relationship was found between vocabulary and reading comprehension (r = .443, p = .009). The study concludes that strengthening vocabulary instruction, together with sustained instructional support, is essential to improving pupils’ reading proficiency.

The Relationship between english proficiency, academic reading comprehension, and critical thinking in university students

Technical English Vocabulary Proficiency and Reading Comprehension Skills of Students: Basis for Intervention

The study employed a quantitative-descriptive correlational research design to assess the relationship between technical English vocabulary proficiency and reading comprehension skills among Grade 11 Organic Agriculture Production (OAP) students in Negros Occidental during the school year 2025–2026. The respondents consisted of the entire population of 105 students, selected through total enumeration sampling to ensure comprehensive representation. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire composed of two parts: twenty-five multiple-choice items measuring technical English vocabulary proficiency and nineteen passage-based items assessing reading comprehension strategies. To establish rigor, the instrument underwent content validation by a panel of experts in language education and agricultural instruction, ensuring clarity, relevance, and alignment with study objectives. Reliability was confirmed through the test–retest method, yielding exceptionally high Pearson correlation coefficients (technical vocabulary: r = 0.996, p < .001; reading comprehension: r = 0.997, p < .001), indicating strong stability and consistency of the tool. Results revealed distinct levels of proficiency in both technical vocabulary and comprehension skills, and statistical analysis tested the hypothesized relationship between the two variables. Findings underscored that vocabulary mastery significantly influenced comprehension outcomes, affirming the theoretical premise that linguistic competence serves as a gateway to disciplinary knowledge. The study provides evidence-based insights for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers, highlighting the need for integrated instructional approaches that strengthen technical language acquisition and comprehension skills to enhance academic success and professional readiness in agricultural education.

Relationship between Vocabulary Knowledge and Inferential Reading Comprehension in Junior High Students

Vocabulary knowledge is an essential component of reading comprehension, particularly inferential comprehension, which requires readers to interpret implicit meaning rather than relying solely on explicitly stated information. For many EFL learners, an insufficient vocabulary base makes inferential comprehension difficult to achieve. Although previous studies have widely confirmed the importance of vocabulary for reading comprehension, limited research has specifically examined how vocabulary knowledge across different word-frequency levels relates to inferential reading comprehension at the junior high school students’ vocabulary knowledge and their inferential reading comprehension using a quantitative correlational design involving 53 eighth-grade students. Vocabulary knowledge was measured using the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test (1000-5000 levels), while inferential reading comprehension was assessed through an inference-based reading test adapted from TOEFL Junior materials. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho correlation. The results showed that students achieved strong mastery at the 1000-word level (92.5%), with mastery declining and becoming more varied at the 2000-word (62.3%) through 5000-word levels. Inferential reading comprehension yielded a mean score of 57.83, falling into the sufficient category. Spearman’s rho analysis revealed a significant moderate positive correlation between vocabulary knowledge and inferential reading comprehension (r = .488, p = .000), particularly strong at the 1000-word (r = .513) and 2000-word (r = .541) levels. These findings indicate that vocabulary mastery at basic and intermediate levels serves as a primary predictor of inferential reading performance, suggesting that teachers should prioritize structured vocabulary instruction to facilitate students’ transition toward higher-order reading skills.

Using Short Stories as a Teaching Strategy to Improve Student’s Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills in English language learning because it enables students to understand, interpret, and analyze information from written texts. However, many students still face difficulties in comprehending English texts due to limited vocabulary, low reading motivation, and ineffective learning strategies. Therefore, teachers need to implement appropriate teaching strategies to improve students’ reading comprehension. This study aims to investigate the use of short stories as a teaching strategy to improve students’ reading comprehension in English language learning. This research employed a library research method by analyzing and synthesizing findings from twenty-five previous studies published between 2021 and 2026. The selected studies were reviewed and categorized into five themes: reading comprehension improvement, reading motivation, vocabulary development, reading strategies, and students’ engagement in reading activities. The findings reveal that short stories significantly contribute to improving students’ reading comprehension by providing meaningful and contextualized language input. In addition, short stories increase students’ motivation to read, enrich vocabulary knowledge, facilitate the use of reading strategies, and encourage active participation during classroom learning activities. The analysis also indicates that students become more interested and engaged in reading lessons when short stories are used as instructional materials. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that short stories are an effective teaching strategy for improving students’ reading comprehension in English language learning. Therefore, English teachers are encouraged to integrate short stories into reading instruction to create more meaningful, enjoyable, and effective learning experiences.

The Relationship between Vocabulary Mastery and Reading Comprehension of English Education Students at UNUSA

This study examined the relationship between vocabulary mastery and reading comprehension among English Education students at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya (UNUSA). A quantitative correlational design was employed to determine whether students’ vocabulary knowledge was significantly associated with their ability to comprehend English texts. The population consisted of 40 students from the 2023 and 2024 cohorts. Using stratified random sampling and the Lemeshow formula, 28 students were selected as participants. Data were collected through a vocabulary mastery test and a reading comprehension test. The vocabulary test assessed word meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and contextual word use, while the reading test measured students’ ability to identify main ideas, supporting details, references, implied meanings, and vocabulary in context. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The findings showed that the students obtained a mean vocabulary mastery score of 77, categorized as good, and a mean reading comprehension score of 74, categorized as moderate. The correlation analysis produced an r-value of 0.61 with a significance value of 0.000, indicating a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between the two variables. These findings suggest that students with broader vocabulary knowledge tend to comprehend English texts more effectively. Therefore, systematic vocabulary development should be integrated into reading instruction through contextual exercises, extensive reading, and independent learning activities.