Abstract
Studies on the relationship between reading skills and English proficiency are central to academic research, as the cognitive processes of achieving overall language proficiency and learning complex information in written and spoken forms are most often achieved through reading. Thus, this study investigated the relationship between reading proficiency and English performance among Grade 9 learners (N = 260) selected via stratified random sampling. Framed within the Simple View of Reading, the study examined how word recognition and language comprehension map onto English outcomes. Using a descriptive-correlational design, reading abilities were evaluated through a standardized test based on the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), while academic grades measured English performance. The research targeted three specific objectives: profiling learners’ word recognition and comprehension levels, assessing their overall English performance, and determining the significant relationship between these foundational reading dimensions and their academic English outcomes. Using the Phil-IRI, reading performance was evaluated across exact criterion-based levels: word recognition [independent (≥97%), instructional (90–96%), frustration (≤89%)] and reading comprehension [independent (90–100%), instructional (75–89%), frustration (≤74%)]. Meanwhile, English performance was measured using academic grades aligned with the DepEd K-12 grading system (Did Not Meet Expectations [Below 77], Fairly Satisfactory [75–79], Satisfactory [80–84], Very Satisfactory [85–89], and Outstanding [90–100]). Descriptive analysis revealed a literacy disparity: learners achieved an instructional level in word recognition (M = 92.51) but collapsed to the frustration level in comprehension (M = 47.15). Overall English performance was satisfactory (M = 84.05). In addition, Spearman’s rho revealed a significant, perfect positive correlation (p = 1.000, p < .001) between reading dimensions and English outcomes, validating that comprehension deficits heavily constrain academic achievement despite adequate decoding skills. Inferential tests (t-tests) showed that while word recognition was stable, comprehension and English proficiency were heavily modulated by home literacy environments, specifically parents’ educational attainment (p < .001). A key limitation is the absolute correlation coefficient, which requires caution when interpreting dataset characteristics. In practice, these findings necessitate a shift from decoding-focused instruction to language-rich, comprehension-centered interventions to bridge systemic literacy gaps and enhance advanced language performance.
Keywords: Academic achievement, english proficiency, grade 9 learners, Phil-IRI (Philippine Informal Reading Inventory), reading comprehension, word recognition