Relationship between reading comprehension strategy use and daily free reading time

Problem Statement: It is not sufficient to simply decode word meaning to comprehend a reading text. To achieve comprehension in reading, an effective reader should be able to successfully implement such practices as relating the text with his or her own background knowledge, summarizing information, drawing conclusions, and posing questions at the text. Use of reading comprehension strategies facilitates a successful reading process. However, use of strategies may not always be sufficient for a successful reading process. There are other factors that increase student motivation. Allotting a certain amount of time to reading may be highly effective in increasing reading success. Purpose of the Study: This study aims to determine the relationship between use of reading comprehension strategies and daily free reading time among 4th and 5th grade primary education students. Method of the Study: Descriptive method was used to identify the situation. The study was conducted on 4th and 5th grade primary education students to examine the relationship between their use of reading comprehension strategies and daily time allotted to free reading. Sampling: The study was conducted on 402 (208 girls, 195 boys) students at 4th and 5th grades attending 7 primary education schools in İzmir/Buca. 51.7% of the participants were female and 48.3% were male. The sample was determined through stratified sampling method. Data Collection Instrument: In this study, a "Reading Comprehension Strategies Scale" (RCSS) was used to determine students' level of use of reading strategies. The daily time that student spend free reading (stated in minutes as unit of time) was obtained through the personal information form of the scale. Data Analysis and Interpretation: As a result of the analyses, the use of reading comprehension strategies was found to be a significant predictor on daily time spent reading (R2=0.57, p=0.00). Based on this result, it can be stated that there is a significant positive relationship at a medium level between use of reading strategies and daily time spent reading. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved