Oral Reading Fluency as a Vocabulary Bridge to Secondary Comprehension

Abstract

This study traced the role of oral reading fluency in supporting vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension among secondary learners in Cabagan, Isabela. Using a cross-sectional explanatory mediation design, data were collected from 120 Grade 9 and Grade 10 learners selected through a two-stage probability sampling procedure. Oral reading fluency was measured through words correct per minute, while vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension were assessed using validated researcher-developed measures. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and bias-corrected bootstrap mediation with 10,000 resamples were applied. Results showed that oral reading fluency was positively associated with vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension, while vocabulary demonstrated the strongest relationship with comprehension. Fluency significantly predicted vocabulary knowledge and comprehension, and vocabulary significantly predicted comprehension after controlling for fluency. The indirect effect of fluency on comprehension through vocabulary was significant, with vocabulary accounting for 52.03% of the total association between the two variables. The findings indicated that oral reading fluency supported comprehension partly by strengthening learners’ access to word meaning, although fluency retained an independent contribution to comprehension. The study concluded that secondary reading support should integrate fluent oral reading with explicit vocabulary development and meaning-focused comprehension activities. Such integration may provide a more responsive approach for learners who can read connected text but continue to experience difficulty constructing meaning from academic and literary materials.