View article

Given the dearth of published research in correlating the three essential ESL variables: reading habit, reading comprehension and academic performance in the Philippine primary pedagogical context, the present study attempted to determine the 150 Grade V pupils’ levels of reading habit, reading comprehension and academic performance and the association of these variables employing a quantitative research design. The young participants were selected via a systematic random sampling. This study was drawn from Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior and Neal, Wood, Labrecque and Lally’s (2012) psychological disposition assumption that allows the learners the proclivity to reiterate previous actions necessary to account for the pupils’ detrimental or incremental performance in reading or in academic tasks in general. It was hypothesized that the students’ reading habit would correlate with reading comprehension and academic performance. It was also predicted that their reading comprehension would also correspond to their academic performance. Data showed that pupils utilized both printed and electronic sources as part of their reading habits. Their reading comprehension level was average while their academic performance was satisfactory. Consistent with the hypothesis, the pupils’ reading habits positively correlated with their reading comprehension and academic performance. Additionally, the students’ reading comprehension was highly correlated with their academic performance.