Reading comprehension in first-year high school students. A preliminary study.

Abstract

Reading comprehension is a nationwide issue that significantly impacts students' academic performance and their ability to acquire knowledge, not only in the language area but also in other subjects, highlighting its relevance in the learning process. Reading comprehension is a highly complex skill that involves various areas, as outlined by the multi-component theoretical model that frames this study. The objective of this work was to describe and analyze the impact of a neurodidactic intervention focused on reading comprehension in first-year secondary school students. A quantitative, experimental, longitudinal study with an exploratory-descriptive scope was conducted. A convenience sample of 56 first-year students from two private educational institutions was considered; forming an "Experimental" group and a "Control" group that were evaluated in two phases with the Leer para Comprender-II Test (pre-intervention and post-intervention). In the pre-intervention evaluation, the results indicated low levels of reading comprehension in the studied population, as well as significant changes post-intervention in the experimental group in the components involved in reading comprehension, specifically, in facts and sequences and in lexical semantics, and a tendency towards improvement in the other evaluated skills, compared to the changes that occur through conventional teaching. These preliminary findings highlight the relevance of designing and implementing specific intervention programs to address this issue at the secondary level, promoting the development of key skills for reading comprehension and academic performance.