Abstract:
Despite assertions made by researchers that the 21st century places more pressureon acquiring skills for deeper levels of reading comprehension, most instructionalprograms for reading still focus mainly on lower-level skills such as speed-reading,memorizing, and summarizing (Murnane, Sawhill, & Snow, 2012). The present studywas an investigation on how different reading behaviors correlated with readingcomprehension. [The first factor in this study was reading maturity, or the level of skillwith which a reader can extract meanings from texts and apply them to real life (Gray &Rogers, 1956). The second, reading purpose, referred to the reason behind engaging withwritten material through reading (Thomas, 2001). The third, reading interest, referred tothe potential excitement a reader perceives when contemplating reading (in order to beable to learn new information) (Thomas, 2001). Data for the present study were gatheredfrom existing reading comprehension test scores from the XYZ School District, as well asfrom administering the reading maturity survey developed by Thomas (2001). Scores onschool examinations and the reading maturity survey were analyzed using descriptivestatistics and correlation coefficients. This study found a positive significant relationshipbetween reading comprehension and reading interest, between reading comprehensionand reading purpose, as well as between reading comprehension and reading maturity.As each of these reading facets increases, the level of student reading comprehensionincreases. These reading facets are positive indicators of reading success or readingcomprehension. They influence student reading comprehension in a positive manner.