Reading Difficulties and Reading Strategies of Grade 10 Students in the New Normal

Abstract

This study utilized the descriptive research design to determine the reading difficulties of one hundred Grade 10 students who scored the least in the reading inventory in a public high school in Negros Occidental in the School Year 2021-2022 in terms of vocabulary and reading comprehension. Furthermore, their reading strategies were investigated. To solicit suggestions for building better reading skills, fifty of the selected respondents were interviewed through convenience sampling. The results reveal the following: (a) The students had difficulty understanding specialized words; (b) The students had difficulty answering critical questions; (c) The students used their background knowledge as their reading strategy; and (d) The students suggested that tutorials and spelling tests be conducted for their reading skills to improve. It was recommended that students resolve to better their reading skills and that teachers, parents, and curriculum specialists pay rapt attention to helping students gain reading proficiency.