The Role of Reading Skill in Enhancing Academic Success among Senior Secondary School Students

The study sought to investigate the role of reading skill in enhancing academic success among senior secondary school students. The sample was made up of 60 senior secondary school teachers in the three Senatorial District in Ekiti State. A purposive sampling was used to select the teachers while random sampling technique was used to select two (2) secondary schools in each of the Senatorial District making a total of six (6) schools in the State. The study employed a descriptive survey design. A structured questionnaire devised by the researcher serves as the primary instrument for data gathering. Four research questions raised to guide the study were answered descriptively using frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The two research hypotheses formulated for the study were tested using inferential statistics. Based on the data analysis, the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation analysis for the study revealed that significant relationship existed between students’ reading skills and their overall academic performance, (r = 0.614, p < 0.05). Also, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test for the study revealed statistically significant difference in students' performance in core academic topics relative to reading comprehension levels, F(2, 57) = 4.83, p = 0.014. The study therefore underscores that reading is not a solitary ability limited to language topics but a vital facilitator of academic success across all fields. The study recommended that in integrating reading understanding across the curriculum, teachers must implement interdisciplinary reading practices that enhance understanding across all courses, not alone in English.