This study aimed to determine the relationship between reading strategies and comprehension among first year college students. 101 students were surveyed on their use of strategies before, during, and after reading and tested on vocabulary, details, and structure. Results showed many students had difficulty with reading comprehension. The study aimed to identify strategy use and determine if a relationship existed between strategies and comprehension.

1. Reading Strategies and Comprehension
Among First Year College Students
GILBERT C. BIÑAS, M.A.T.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9910-8094
gilbertbinas_nipsc@yahoo.com
Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College
Philippines

2. * Reading is a basic skill to obtain information.
* On a global scale, knowing how to read and write is an indicator that one is
educated. It is also an accepted phenomenon that reading is a very relevant part in the
development of an individual's whole being. Reading is said to be the training of the mind
and the means to attain deeper meaning of reality. Reading is a habit where students
learn, gain knowledge and develop new skills (Olivar, 2014).
* Chall (2014) states that reading is the response to printed or written symbols and
established skills needed to understand the meaning from different texts created by the
reader's previous experience.
*Kirmizi (2010) described reading strategy as a systematic plan adopted by
readers to facilitate understanding of reading and the construction of meaning.
*McLaughlin and Allen (2002) believed that using strategies can help students
become metacognitive readers.
INTRODUCTION

3. * K + 12 subjects are offered to create
multi-literate and independent readers.
1) in-depth discussions of spiral lessons to
develop reading skills;
2) contextual understanding of texts applied
to various sources of reading materials; and
3) writing exposure to complement reading.

4. * However, notwithstanding the
government's efforts and school programs
supporting the DepEd's vision, the growing
reading problem persists.
* Magistrado (2015) study revealed that
one-sixth to one-third of the elementary school
graduates were identified as "frustrated"
readers while others were labeled
"instructional" readers. Both levels are below
the desired reading level.
* Briones (2014) study found that 55% of
primary school graduates were frustrated
readers who showed withdrawal from reading
instructions and had poor skills in word
recognition and comprehension.

5. Like other public schools in the country, NIPSC Batad Campus
also encounters students with reading difficulties based on the
researcher's observations, the fact that many students who arrive at
the post-secondary and tertiary levels are academically ill-prepared.
Students find it difficult to express themselves using the second
language. Today, many students could read, but could hardly
understand what they are reading. When asked to read a passage,
some hesitate to do so. One reason is, they do not want to be ridiculed
when they read. Others refrain from being asked about the text they
are reading for fear as they will not be able to answer the teacher's
questions. Finally, students lack the necessary reading strategies that
can help them understand what they are reading.

6. * These results raise an alarming
case not only for primary school teachers
but also for all secondary and tertiary
teachers because reading is a much
needed skill at the highest level of the
academic world.
* Due to the foregoing situations, the
researcher determined if there is a
significant relationship between reading
strategies and reading comprehension of
first-year college students at NIPSC Batad
Campus during the school year 2017-
2018.

7. Objectives
1. To find out the reading comprehension level of the first
year college students in terms of: understanding vocabulary
in context, noting details, and determining story structure;
2. To identify how often the first year college students use
strategies before, during and after reading stages; and
3. To determine if there is a significant relationship between
reading strategies and comprehension of the first year
college students.

8. Methods
This study utilized the descriptive-correlational design. The 101 first
year college students were sampled using the stratified random sampling
approach. The college students were from different fields of concentration or
disciplines-BSED, BSIT, BTLED and BSA.
For the survey questionnaire, descriptive statistics such as frequency
counts, percentage, and means were utilized. For the relationship between
the reading strategies used and the reading comprehension the Pearson
Product–Moment Correlation was used to explore the relationship between the
two variables.
In this study the researcher utilized survey questionnaire to determine
what reading strategies the students use while reading in different stages and a
reading comprehension test to measure their reading comprehension.

9. The survey questionnaire is a list of different reading
strategies and the students were asked to answer it by putting a
check mark (√) on the corresponding box of their answers. The
responses were based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1
to 5. (1=never, 2= rarely, 3=occasionally, 4= frequently and 5=
always).
For the comprehension test, the researcher gave forty-five
(45) questions to be broken as follows; for vocabulary in context,
fifteen (15); noting details, fifteen (15); and determining story
structure, fifteen (15). The test on vocabulary in context, noting
details, and determining story structure was a multiple choice.

10. References
Al-Faki I. (2013). The Role of Background Knowledge in Enhancing Reading Comprehension.
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Briones, G. (2014). The Pupils Reading Level in relation to the performance of grade one
teachers in Libmanan North District. Unpublished Master Thesis. University of
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11. Chall, R., McCutchen,S. et al. (2014). Comparison of three approaches to supplementary
reading instruction for low-achieving second-grade readers. Language, Speech, &
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Duke, N.K., & Roberts, K.L. (2010). The genrespecific nature of reading comprehension. In
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12. Magistrado,R. (2015). A Proposed Intervention Program on the reading comprehension
skills of the college freshmen students of Bicol University. Unpublished Master
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McLaughlin, M., & Allen, M.B. (2002). Guided comprehension: A teaching model for grades 3–8.
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Philippine Informal Reading Test Handbook, Guide for Teachers (2012).
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