THE PROBLEMS OF POOR READING HABITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES ON A CHILD’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
Reading is done as an intellectual activity in a literate society to obtain information, acquire and expand knowledge. It is an important activity in an individual’s life because it motivates the individual’s interest in gaining more knowledge. It also allows the individual to enjoy and entertain themselves by sharing the experiences of others communicated through print or test materials. It is also a process in which printed words are assimilated, interpreted, and transmitted into spoken words in order to comprehend and apply the meaning.
Reading, like listening and vocalizing what has been stimulated, is a receptive skill that is also productive when done aloud. It is, however, a mental process that involves the interpretation of signs perceived by the sense organs. Longe and Ojo (1996) define reading as the ability to convert the visual representation of language into meaning.
Walker (1998) defines reading as an active process (rather than a product, such as history) in which readers shift between sources of information (what they know and what the text says), elaborate meaning and strategies, and double-check their interpretation (receiving when appropriate and use social context to focus their responses).
According to the Interpretation Reading Association (2005), reading is a comprehensive system of deriving meaning from print that necessitates all of the following:
1. The creation and maintenance of a reading motivation.
2. The creation of appropriate active strategies for contrasting meaning from prints.
3. Enough background information and vocabulary to aid reading comprehension.
4. The ability to decipher unfamiliar words
5th. The ability to read fluently.
Reading, according to this definition, is a complex activity that requires good mastery and personal interest for sound effectiveness; as a result, most students lost interest and concentration, resulting in poor reading habits among students.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
From the beginning to the present, Nigeria has placed a high value on reading, beginning with primary school and continuing through tertiary education. It is important to note that there are numerous complex issues that can lead to the problem of poor reading habits and the consequences for a child’s academic performance in the school system.
This prompted the researcher to investigate the possible effects experienced by secondary school students in Edo State’s Ovia North East LGA. It is of great interest to note that most secondary schools in Edo State, particularly in Ovia North East LGA, are dealing with the problem of poor reading habits,
which has taken deep roots in the students’ minds as a result of a lack of qualified teachers, student ill-health, poor teaching methods, outdated textbooks, family background and psychological factors, and teachers’ poor attitude towards reading and teaching students proper reading skills.
QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
1. Does a lack of qualified teachers have an impact on reading efficiency?
2. Does a lack of relevant textbooks in the school library reduce reading efficiency?
3. Does illness have an effect on reading efficiency?
4. Do poor reading habits result from ineffective teaching methods?
5. Do family history and psychological factors influence reading efficiency?
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This research is being conducted in order to:
1. Determine the causes of students’ poor reading habits.
2. Examine the impact of poor reading habits and their consequences on a child’s academic performance.
3. Propose a long-term solution
THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
Students will benefit from this research because they will have firsthand knowledge of the causes, effects, and long-term solutions to the problems of poor reading habits. Furthermore, this research will force the government, secondary school principals, and teachers to become acquainted with new methods of teaching reading and the provision of educational facilities.
Students will improve on the suggested solution as a result of their awareness of the consequences of poor reading habits, and this will serve as a channel to students regarding their reading in and outside of their secondary level, motivating them to provide the necessary school materials for themselves.
It will also raise educational standards because the study will teach students key words and reading techniques. This will lead to success and self-sufficiency in their exams and in society.
TERMS DEFINITION
Reading is the ability to make sense of printed symbols.
The ability to do something well.
A student is a person under the age of 16 who attends secondary school.
A special training school or college is known as an academy.
Concentration is defined as the ability to focus one’s attention.
Comprehension: The ability to understand and exercise that aims to improve or test one’s understanding of language.
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THE PROBLEMS OF POOR READING HABITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES ON A CHILD’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE