Teaching Reading Comprehension at Senior Secondary School Level of Education: An Exploration of its Importance and Problems in Classroom Delivery

Abstract

This paper takes a cursory look at the concept of reading comprehension – one of the basic components in English language as enshrined in the curriculum of senior secondary school level of Education in Nigeria. It identifies the advantages and roles played by reading comprehension in enhancing academic performance in virtually all school subjects among senior secondary school students in Nigeria. It explores some of the strategies to teaching reading comprehension and highlights practical problems associated with delivery of lessons in the teaching and learning of reading comprehension in typical classrooms of senior secondary schools in Nigeria. These problems include: lack of proper implementation of curriculum; unsuitable choice of language teaching strategies; inadequate instructional resources; and so on. The paper contends that to provide possible solutions to the identified problems, qualified English language teachers must be employed to handle reading comprehension; and the use of modern technology in lesson delivery by teachers should be encouraged. The educational implication which aims at stimulating students' academic performance in all school subjects may be ineffective if the issues are not handled wisely. The paper concludes that senior secondary school students must acquire the reading comprehension abilities, as it forms the basis for all learning activities. Finally, the paper suggests that teachers of English language should be exposed to more training so as to acquire knowledge of different language strategies. This could go a long way in ameliorating the problems in teaching reading comprehension at senior secondary school in Nigeria.