THE EFFECTS OF POOR VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT ON THE READING COMPREHENSION ABILITY OF J.S.S THREE STUDENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page: – – – – – – – i
Declaration page: – – – – – ii
Approval page: – – – – – – iii
Dedication: – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgment: – – – – v
Table of content: – – – – – vi
Abstract: – – – – – – – viii

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study: – – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of the problem : – – – – 2
1.3 Purpose of the study : – – – – – 4
1.4 Research question: – – – – – 5
1.5 Hypotheses: – – – – – – 6
1.6 Significance of the study: – – – – 6
1.7 Scope and delimitation of the study: – – – 7

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 The Concept of vocabulary: – – – 8
2.2 Types of vocabulary: – – – – – 10
2.3 Importance of vocabulary in reading comprehension 13
2.4 Problems of vocabulary in reading comprehension 16
2.5 The concept of reading: – – – – 18
2.6 Goals of reading: – – – – – – 20
2.7 Types of reading: – – – – – 21
2.8 Reading problems that are common among students 22
2.9 Guides and techniques of reading comprehension:- 24
2.10 Summary of literature review: – – – – 27

CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research design: – – – – – 32
3.2 Research area and sample: – – – – 33
3.3 Sampling technique: – – – – 34
3.4 Instrument for data collection: – – – 34
3.5 validation of the instrument: – – – – 35
3.6 Method of data collection: – – – – 35
3.7 Method of data analysis: – – – – 35

CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results: – – – – – – 37
4.2 Hypothesis Testing: – – – – – 58

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary and research findings: – – – 61
5.2 Conclusion: – – – – – – 63
5.3 Recommendations: – – – – 63
References: – – – – – 66
Appendix A: – – – – 70
Appendix B: – – – – – 71
Appendix C: – – – – – 73

ABSTRACT
This research work is aimed at discussing the effects of poor vocabulary development on the reading comprehension ability of Jss3 students. One of the major problems is that, a lot of students find it difficult to comprehend a text because of their inability to recognise the meaning of new words in a passage. Two questionnaires were administered for the research; teachers questionnaire and students questionnaire. The questionnaires were collected and analysed through the simple percentage method. In the light of the above findings, appropriate recommendations were made on how to improve vocabulary acquisition skills in teaching and learning reading comprehension.

CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background of the Study
A good store of vocabulary of a language is an asset for effective communication and for passing examination of whatever level of study one finds him/herself. It also helps the language user to express him/herself vividly, fluently and exactly too, without running short of words and without repeating words within the same utterance.
The need for effective vocabulary development in teaching reading comprehension passage in our junior secondary schools (JSS 3 students) should be of paramount importance. Many studies have shown that the more vocabulary students know, the better they can decode and understand what they read.
Kamil and Hiebert (2005), defined vocabulary as the knowledge of words and words meaning. More specifically, we use vocabulary to refer to the kind of words that students must know to read demanding texts with comprehension.
Generally speaking, this can be taken to mean that, the selection of a right word for communication depends much on the proficiency of the speaker; comprehension also suffers without a good store of the vocabulary. The four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing can only be effectively employed via a good grasp of the vocabulary of the language in use.
Joshi and Aaron (2000), find that vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading ability when factoring reading speed with decoding and comprehension. Students learn the meaning of most words indirectly, through everyday experiences with oral and written languages. Other words are learned through carefully designed instruction.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There are various problems concerning vocabulary development when reading a comprehension passage. Vocabulary plays a fundamental role in the reading process and contributes greatly to a reader’s comprehension. A number of students cannot understand a text without knowing what most of the words mean. This means that, students who experience poor vocabulary development, find it difficult to understand passages and express their difficulties and frustrations in general ways, which leads to poor performances and lack of interest in reading.
The research will examine the effects of poor vocabulary development problems that students find difficult to comprehend in junior secondary schools (jss3) in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Several vocabulary problems affect the students ability in reading comprehension. One of the major problems is poor vocabulary knowledge and acquisition skills. Such acquisition skills include: understanding context clues, knowledge of words element and effective use of the dictionary. Without adequate vocabulary knowledge and acquisition skills, the students cannot understand most words used in a context and are unable to decode the meaning of the passage appropriately.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to examine the factors that influence vocabulary development in reading comprehension ability, in some junior secondary schools students (jss3) in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State. The specific objectives of the study are as follows:
i. To find out the type of vocabulary development teachers in junior secondary schools use in reading comprehension.
ii. To find out the vocabulary teaching techniques the teachers use in reading comprehension.
iii. To find out the reasons that account for vocabulary reading difficulties encountered by the students, in reading comprehension.
iv. To find out which vocabulary acquisition skills the students understands clearly.
v. To find out the vocabulary learning strategies used by the students to improve understanding in reading comprehension.
1.4 Research Question
The following research questions are formulated to aid the course of this study:
i. What steps can be taken to improve the performance of the students when teaching vocabulary in reading comprehension?
ii. What are the reasons that account for vocabulary learning difficulties for jss3 students?
iii. What vocabulary teaching techniques are used by the teachers in the class to improve the students understanding?
iv. What vocabulary learning strategies are used by the students inside and outside the class?

1.5 Hypothesis
I. There is a significant relationship between Poor vocabulary development and the students’ ability in reading comprehension.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will be of benefit in a number of ways. One, it will reveal the factors that influence good vocabulary development in teaching reading comprehension in junior secondary schools (jss3).
The knowledge of this project will also help the teachers to determine whether the right things are being done in teaching vocabulary when reading a comprehension passage. This will ensure that the area of need will be highlighted for the teacher’s correction.
The findings will also reveal whether the teachers are qualified to teach reading comprehension; if not, recommendations will be made for posting of qualified teachers to the required schools.
The effective study of vocabulary in teaching reading comprehension is of paramount importance, because it also aids the students in reading and understanding various subjects.
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The scope of the study will cover some selected junior secondary schools (jss3) in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State. The research intends to study the effects of poor vocabulary development in reading comprehension.
Thus, all statistics and data to be collected is limited for the purpose of writing, the project will come from the following selected secondary schools:
i. Trinity Missionary College, Pankshin.
ii. Government Secondary School, Pankshin.
iii. St. Benedict Seminary School, Pankshin.
iv. Tambes Community Secondary School, Pankshin.
v. Government College, Pankshin.