Enhancing Thai Primary School Students' Reading Strategies, Comprehension, and Vocabulary Knowledge through Reading

Abstract

Extensive reading (ER) is an approach that promotes not only vocabulary acquisition but can also enhance reading comprehension and attitude toward reading. This research aimed to investigate the effect of ER on Thai primary school students’ receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. It also examined Thai primary school participants’ strategy use while reading and their attitudes toward reading. Twenty primary school pupils at an opportunity extended school in northeastern Thailand were selected using convenience sampling. Their age ranged between 10 and 12 years old. Their native language was Thai, and they had about three hours of English language a week. Moreover, all of them had never studied English with native English teachers. The research instruments consisted of the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) test, reading report, and reading attitude questionnaire. All participants were requested to read ten graded readers during a ten-week-reading program. The quantitative data were analyzed using means, standard deviation and percentage, while the qualitative data were coded into themes based on ER principles. Results showed that participants’ receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge was developed after the 10-week implementation of ER. Regarding reading strategies for comprehension, the dictionary was the most frequently used, followed by guessing meanings from contexts and consulting others, and, finally, ignoring unknown words. The analysis of the current findings also revealed the gain in reading comprehension through ER. Primary school participants’ attitudes toward ER (graded readers) was also positively increased. Overall, the current findings support the benefits of ER in vocabulary growth and reading comprehension. ER also developed primary schoolers’ attitudes toward reading. However, the present study highlighted the significance of reading strategy training before ER program. Other implications in light of pedagogical and methodological practice were also discussed.

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