Poor reading skills of pupils A case study of Axim Anglican Junior High School

Abstract

Reading ability is a crucial developmental skill for learners of English as a second language. This is because it has a significant impact on the performance of students in other courses of study. Owing to this, it became necessary that the poor reading abilities among students of Axim Anglican Junior High school be investigated to ascertain the causes and devise probable measures to ameliorate the situation. This study was therefore set out to examine the causes of poor reading abilities among the pupils of Axim Anglican JHS and to explore measures that can be adopted in helping the pupils to overcome their poor reading abilities. A qualitative case study design was adopted using observation and interview for thematic analysis. The findings showed that lack of library, inadequate time for reading comprehension lessons, and lack of learner centred approaches are some of the endogenous causes of poor reading performance among the students. It was also revealed that parents have not taken the responsibility to ensure that their children develop reading skills, as they fail to acquire reading materials for their children. On addressing the situation, the findings showed that teachers need more time for reading lessons; they need to adopt learner-centred strategies such as peer teaching. Based on the results, it is recommended that Axim Anglican Junior High School should have a library where the students can practise reading outside the classroom. Additionally, it is recommended that parents take responsibility of developing their children’s reading ability by buying them books.