CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Reading is a language development; Obanya (2008), agrees that
reading ability is directly related to general language ability. Success in reading
programme depends largely on the extent to which the child has language.
Reading is the heart of human knowledge.
According to Osunkoya(2005), reading transform children into articulate
citizens, reading means conquering poverty, hunger and disease. Reading cuts
across various subjects. The ability of the child succeed in other schools
depends on the child’s skill. In addition to the importance of reading and
literacy skills, National Policy on education (2014), articulates the
inculcation of permanent literacy and numberacy and the ability to communicate
effectively. Reading is a process through which a child’s cognitive development
can be further enhance and a child becoming aware of the event in other lands
through teaching. Harris(2000), refers to reading, as the meaningful
interpretation of printed or verbal symbols. Rudyard Kipling(2010), children
who devote themselves in reading benefits greatly in the society, and these
benefits and importance are:
i.
Reading improves a child vocabulary and lead to
more highly developed language skills.
ii.
It develops a child imagination
iii.
Reading teaches children about the world
iv.
Children who read do better at school.
Majority
of children in school, in Southern Ijaw cannot read English language or the
language of their immediate environment.A number, of their inability to read
accounts to some factors responsible for it, these factors are as follows;
i.
Attitude of pupils towards reading
ii.
The impact of parental background on the child’s
reading ability
iii.
Impact of peer group on the child reading
ability
Bush(2002),
said, the greatest achievers in our world are people who have read. Achievers
in the field of sciences and in the field of arts have been made by people who
devote their time to reading and improving on themselves from what they read.
However, reading culture in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area is dying.Majority
of children in primary schools know the names of all home videos, actors and
recent films in town but they cannot mention a single story book, or science
fiction book that they read.
Among students of my secondary school
days reading is also a serious problem, I was seriously embarrassed and
disappointed when I discovered that, some of my classmates were not able to
read some questions in one of our exams. This was not because of typographical
error, nor eye defects,But poor reading habits.
However, there are effects of poor
reading habits and these include:
i.
The effect of poor reading habit is the cause of
failure in an examination
ii.
Children with poor reading habits receive poor
grades at school, get easily distracted and frustrated.
iii.
According to Rubin(2002), children with poor
reading habits have a higher chance of anti-social behaviour.
The
burning question in my mind is that:
What is happening to our once upon a
time reading habits? Why are pupils in the primary school not able to create
time to read? Why do pupils prefer watching film and carrying out extra
curriculum activities of reading? What is the future of our Southern Ijaw Local
Government leaders of tomorrow?
i.
Readers are researchers
ii.
Readers are resource persons
iii.
Readers are also educators
1.2STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
It
is obvious that, there are numerous factors responsible for poor reading habits
among primary school pupils in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa
State. Inability to read is the major cause of high examination malpractice and
failure among pupils and students. I discovered during my classroom observation
that many of the pupils were not able to read their textbooks properly and the
notes given to them in the various subjects and even the question papers of
their examination. As a result of poor reading habits, they failed woefully in
their examination if the questions were not read to them. It is even more
worrisome that students are not able to prove that they have been to school.
They cannot read due to the aforementioned factors. It is important to note
that, there are many complex factors that may result to poor reading habits
among pupils. In this research work, these one’s are to be considered and it
include:
i.
Attitude of pupils towards reading
ii.
The impact of parental background on the child’s
reading ability.
iii.
The impact of peer group on the child reading
ability.
It
is against this backdrop, that the need for parents, school authorities to show
serious concern on poor reading habits. The pupils attitude towards reading,
how often pupils read both at school and at home, and how the teachers and
parents encourage pupils to have reading culture. It is therefore necessary to
find out from pupils, teachers, and parents those factors they encounter during
the course of reading.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
main objectives of this study is to:
1. Find
out whether attitudes of pupils is responsible for poor reading habit.
2. Examine
the impact of parental background on the children’s poor reading habit
3. To
determine whether peer group influence is responsible for children poor reading
habits
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
To facilitate the achievement of this study the follow research questions
are formulated.
ii.
How does parental background responsible for poor
reading habits?
iii.
How does the influence of peer groups on the
child affect reading habits?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will find a solution to poor reading habits.
This is because, it will examine the various factors responsible for poor reading
habits. Also the finding of this research will be of benefits to schools,
government and pupils. This is because it will provide a guide to solving
reading challenges among children in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of
Bayelsa State. The awareness of the effect of poor reading habits will make
pupils improve on the suggested solution and this will serve as a channel to
students, pupils as regards their reading in and outside their primary school
level and this will motivate them to provide the necessary school materials for
themselves, it will also enhance the standard of education because the study
will equip students to master some key words and techniques to reading. This
will also lead to success and self-reliance during their exams and in the society.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this study is to investigate the factors
responsible for poor reading habits among public primary school pupils. The
study is limited to school in Bomo clan, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of
Bayelsa State.
1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY
The major limitation of this study among others
includes the following:
1. Finance: A study of this kind is
expected to be broad based,i.e, the greater the number of schools sampled, the
higher the reliability of result but the finance cannot cover the study across
the whole public V primary
schools.Therefore, the study is confined to some selected public primary schools.
2. Time: The time available for conducting
this research is highly limited and by this a relatively small sample is being
studied.
3. Material: There is death of information
due to poor responses from school teachers and parents. Again, the poor facilities
in the state also contributed.The state and in schools has limited materials
and other secondary data.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Habit: A thing that a person
does often and almost without thinking, especially something that is hard to
stop doing.
Primary School: This refers to
school that children go to after they have graduated from their nursery level
of education.
Attitude: This refers to an
individual behaviour.
Responsible: being able to be blamed
for something
Reading: The activities of somebody who
reads
Poor: Having something only in a very
small quantities
Effect: A change produced by an action
or a case
Public school: A free local school paid
by the government
Public: A person who is being taught,
especially a child in a school.
Motivation: Is the ability to encourage
pupils by providing their basic needs in school and at home.
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REFERENCES
Adewole A.O (2001). What reading skill do students
need to comprehend literature? Ibadan: Journal of education studies (1) 66.
AdeyinkaT, and Samon A. (2007). Children reading
habit and availability of books in Botswana primary school.Implication for
achieving quality education.
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