Metacognitive Strategies, Reading Readiness and Reading Level of Grade 7 Students at Dita Integrated School: Basis for Improved Reading Competencies

This study examined the relationship among metacognitive strategies, reading readiness, and reading level of Grade 7 students at Dita Integrated School, using a descriptive-correlational design to determine how planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies, alongside phonological awareness, vocabulary knowledge, and syntactic proficiency, influence students’ placement across independent, instructional, and frustration levels. Findings revealed that students moderately utilized metacognitive strategies, with planning being the least practiced, and that reading readiness varied, with phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge at the same level while syntactic proficiency was the highest. Most students were at the independent level, followed by those at the instructional level while fewer were at the frustration level and required teacher guidance. Statistical analysis confirmed a strong and significant correlation between metacognitive strategy use and reading readiness, but only a weak correlation between readiness and reading level, and no significant correlation between metacognitive strategies and reading level. These results suggest that while metacognitive strategies enhance readiness, other factors such as fluency, motivation, and text difficulty more strongly determine reading level outcomes. Based on these findings, an intervention plan was proposed to integrate explicit metacognitive strategy instruction, targeted vocabulary and grammar development, and differentiated reading tasks tailored to learners at varying levels. The study contributes to literacy development by providing empirical evidence for designing school-based programs that strengthen reading competencies and by offering a foundation for future research on motivation, digital reading environments, and parental involvement in improving reading outcomes.