Effect of Word Recognition Skills on Learners’ Achievement in Reading Comprehension in Vihiga County, Kenya

Abstract

Word recognition is one of the comprehension processing skills encapsulated by the interactive approach instruction. Word recognition skills enable readers to understand the meaning of comprehension passages by decoding the sound of new words. Learners in Vihiga County perform poorer in English language examinations than their peers in neighbouring counties. The performance is weaker in comprehension than in grammar sections of the English paper. Despite this, there is paucity of empirical information about the nexus between activation of word recognition skills and learners’ achievement in reading comprehension in the County. This study applied the Solomon Four-Group Design to source data from 279 primary school learners and 8 teachers in 2017. Multiple linear regression was used to generate two models, one for the experimental group (Model 1) and one for the control group (Model 2). Key results show that the influence of word recognition skills on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension was statistically significant in both groups. However, the effect was stronger in the experimental than in the control group, suggests that training teachers in the experimental group enabled learners in that group to perform better than their colleagues in the control group. Thus, activation of learners’ word recognition skills is likely to improve achievement in reading comprehension.

Beyond the Words: The Art and Science of Teaching Reading Interactively

“…On the other hand, Anyiendah's (2020) opposing perspective adds an important aspect to the conversation, underlining the vital need for comprehensive preparation for English language educators. More precisely, the focus on precise execution of forecasting abilities appears to be a critical element in refining learners' understanding of written material.…”