ASSESSMENT OF READING COMPREHENSION DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES USED IN NIGERIAN SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Abstract

Abstract

This paper explores the reading comprehension problems of students attending schools in Nigeria and the role schools libraries play in overcoming the problems. Reading comprehension skill is an important ability to academic success yet most students in Nigeria are not able to master it. Such difficulties tend to be aggravated by the language barriers, lack of vocabulary, lack of awareness of sounds present in words, and social-economic problems. Also, most Nigerian school libraries are underfunded and do not have the resources needed, and it is more challenging to get the reading materials students require. This research concentrates on how school libraries can play their part in facilitating the reading of students against these odds. It puts into consideration the challenges that the Nigerian students continue to experience that are exacerbated by cognitive and environmental variables. Many schools do not have the right teaching tools and learners struggle to decode and read written information. The systematic review methodology allows the study to review the current research on the problem of reading comprehension and the role of libraries in alleviating the problem and enhancing reading abilities. The review considered the publications published between 2019 and 2025 and covered the problem of reading comprehension and the contribution of school libraries in Nigeria. The results indicate that the issue of reading comprehension in the Nigerian schools is mostly caused by cognitive difficulties, i.e., by lack of phonological awareness and vocabulary, and by socio-economic determinants. School libraries with restricted funding have achieved a lot by providing a collection of reading material, running special classes to assist ineffective readers and encouraging learning to go together. There are also libraries that have implemented digital devices that facilitate the interactions with the students and enhance their reading abilities. The paper has emphasized the significance of school libraries in enhancing reading comprehension among Nigerian students and suggests that more resources be allocated to libraries, librarians train better and that reading strategies needs to be incorporated into the broader education system to enhance the literacy growth of Nigerian students.