Abstract
Reading remains a fundamental pillar of education, beyond mere text decoding, proficient reading unlocks the doors to critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and the ability to navigate a world saturated with information. This study explored the implications of reading skills proficiency among first-year students of UM Digos College. The study used a phenomenological descriptive research design and thematic analysis to explore the perceptions of first-year students regarding the implication of reading skills proficiency in the school, their self-assessment of reading skill proficiency, and the difficulties they experience in reading. The result found that first-year students perceive reading skills proficiency as having a positive impact on their self-efficacy, knowledge, and ability to think critically. They also reported that reading skills proficiency helps them to improve their fluency and pronunciation. However, students also reported experiencing difficulties with reading, such as time management and encountering unfamiliar words. The findings of this study suggest that it is important to promote reading skills proficiency among first-year college students. This can be done by providing students with opportunities to practice their reading skills, teaching them strategies for dealing with difficulties, and helping them to build their background knowledge.
Keywords:
Reading skills proficiency, first-year college students, self-efficacy, critical thinking, fluency, pronunciation, time management.
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