https://jurnal. id/index. php/jall/index JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 Received: December 25th, 2025. Accepted: February 12th, 2026. Published February 27th, 2026 The Effects of Cognitive Reading Strategies on Freshman StudentsAo Reading Comprehension Performance Worku Seyoum Ketsela Addis Ababa University. Ethiopia workuseyoum2@gmail. Abstract This study discusses the effect of cognitive reading strategy training on freshman students' reading comprehension performance at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Of the 96 participants, 48 were randomly assigned to receive direct strategy instruction in cognitive reading strategies, while the remaining students were exposed to traditional teaching. Data collection was through reading comprehension test and interview. Participants assigned to the experimental group were interviewed immediately after they had taken the cognitive reading strategy test. In this, the interviews provided the researcher with opportunities for deeper explorations of the participants' reading experiences. Descriptive and independent ttests examined the average pre- and post-test scores between the experimental and control groups, while within-subjects t-tests were conducted within the experimental group. In this research, both groups were tested before and after the study, and perceptions of the strategy training were obtained from the experimental group. This study employed both numerical and descriptive methods. therefore, it is a mixed-methods design. This provides more comprehensive insight into the problem to be investigated. it has the function of compensation for the limitations in using one method to interpret the results. The results indicated that the students who received cognitive strategy training improved significantly in reading comprehension compared to the students in the control group. Keywords: Reading Comprehension. Reading Strategies. Freshman StudentsAo Cognitive Strategies, language learning strategies Introduction English has dual importance in secondary schools and higher institutions of learning within the boundaries of Ethiopia. English is taught as a subject, and it is also predominantly the language of instruction. Due to these circumstances, the importance of reading is paramount for the success of students within any subject at any academic level (Ministry of Education, 2. Most studies within Ethiopia indicate that reading is not only essential for enhanced performance within the English language classes but also has a significant impact on other subjects, for instance, history, geography, civics, psychology, agriculture, and economics, among others (Bogale, 2018. Getachew, 2018. Kebede, 2. Reading is a cognitive process that consumes distinct effort on the part of the reader to interpret the text (Grabe, 2. Reading is a cognitive task in which the reader interprets, inquires, analyzes, and evaluates the text. So, engaging in such a manner, it helps the students become critical and collaborative in solving problems as they attempt to make sense of their academic text (Chinpakdee, 2. Thus, explicit instruction of reading strategies is far more useful than simply receiving instruction on them, especially in EFL contexts where the students require distinct instructions to interpret academic text (Gu, 2. Even though reading is at the core of the education system in Ethiopia, various studies indicate that school and university students often experience immense difficulties while reading and do not possess the strategies necessary to approach academic texts appropriately. For instance. Abiy 2012. Eshetie Niguse 2013 confirm this trend. Barasa 2005 also notes that university students still experience chronic problems with basic language skills such as reading, writing, and even speaking. Personal teaching by the researcher confirms the observation that most students experience problems in reading comprehension and mostly find it difficult to grasp the contents of academic materials. Previous literature addresses these persisting problems in relation to teaching reading strategies. Many researchers report that students who benefit from organized and direct teaching in reading strategies make significant gains in their understanding and succeed in general academic pursuits as well. This body of evidence encompasses studies by Grabe 2009. Mebratu, 2014. and Mokhtari et al. Kebede, in 2024, identified the promotion of questioning techniques by school teachers, while Bogale's 2018 study revealed good outcomes from direct strategy training in comparison with traditional skill-focused teaching. Additional findings from universities also indicate severe deficiencies in the use of reading techniques by students. Motuma . reported that nearly 90% of university students experienced difficulties in identifying the main points or grasping unstated meanings and often depended too much on reading word-by-word instead of applying wider, more effective strategies. Findings from Getachew et al. also indicated that students who received strategy teaching did better on comprehension activities and felt more confident. Similarly, studies by Dugasa et al. and Getnet . also support the positive effect of direct strategy teaching and stress the value of knowing what students think about reading instruction. Despite the availability of this research, not all areas have been covered. Very few studies have been conducted in Ethiopia on how cognitive reading strategies impact the reading skill of first-year university students at AAU. Additionally, very few studies have explored studentsAo perceptions concerning these strategies. Findings on the effectiveness of either direct or indirect strategy instruction also differ greatly (Adler. Bryuten, 2010. Relton, 2017. Wang, 2. Some authors argue that direct instruction leads to effective comprehension (Alene, 2021. Bryuten, 2010. Dawit, 2. , although others observe no difference between both instruction methods (Adler, 2015. Relton, 2. When it comes to Ethiopian higher education, specifically among firstyear students, the application of reading strategies appears not to result in a balanced It is apparent, based on research conducted at the AAU and other Ethiopian higher education institutions, that many students find it difficult to read educational texts at university because they were not adequately prepared in self-monitoring reading strategies while they were in secondary school (Mebratu, 2017. Worku, 2. Rather, they tend to read the texts in a passive way based on the teacher explanations. Although several studies have indeed investigated reading strategies in high schools (Bogale, 2018. Kebede, 2. , there is limited research into how such methods impact first-year university students, particularly at Addis Ababa University. JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 addition, previous research has produced conflicting findings regarding how far the direct teaching of strategies is more effective than the indirect. Worku . reported that new students at AAU were mainly using simple supporting techniques, such as highlighting or looking up words in their dictionary, but seldom used complex, global strategies like skimming or predicting, which would help them comprehend the overall This indicates an ongoing need for direct teaching to demonstrate to students how to plan for, check, and evaluate their reading. While previous studies have investigated cognitive reading strategies in secondary schools and among English-major students, not much attention has been given to how these strategies influence first-year university students at AAU. Equally, there is a shortage of studies dealing with university students' perception of strategy instruction in this setting. Consequently, the current study tries to fill such gaps by using a combined numerical . and descriptive . method to determine the effect of cognitive reading strategies on comprehension and investigate student perceptions. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights that could improve reading teaching practices in Ethiopian higher education. Given these gaps and conflicting findings, the present study explores the extent to which cognitive reading strategies affect the reading comprehension of freshman students at AAU and explores their perceptions about the usefulness of these strategies. This research was inspired by the researcher's own teaching experience, methodological flaws in previously published studies, and the contemporary academic debate on strategy teaching outcomes. This study specifically aims to . examine how teaching cognitive reading techniques influences students' reading comprehension, . to compare the reading comprehension performance of students who received cognitive strategy training with those taught using traditional methods and . to explore studentsAo opinions on how effective cognitive reading strategies are. Review of the Literature Reading comprehension is a crucial academic competency that benefits learners to a great extent, enabling them to interpret information presented within different subjects (Grabe, 2. Within the Ethiopian education context. English language proficiency is vital due to the prevalence of the English language within texts, tests, and textbooks, as stated by the Ministry of Education . Further, improved reading comprehension has also been proven within the literature, indicating that students who perform better are more confident (Getachew et al. , 2. Reading strategies refer to deliberate and planned ways that allow the reader to improve comprehension and retention of information. Cognitive strategies, including predicting, summarizing, questioning, inference, and clarifying, enable the reader to better process information mentally (Mokhtari. Rosenvald, & Walker, 2. Research JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 has indicated that successfully teaching reading strategies improves comprehension as it allows greater processing of information mentally (Gu, 2019. Mebratu, 2. Recent research in Ethiopian EFL contexts has demonstrated that the joint instruction of cognitive and metacognitive strategies results in superior understanding and more positive student attitudes (Husna et al. , 2. However, this is rarely practiced in typical classrooms. Kebede . found that the majority of strategy type was questioning techniques, while Bogale . observed that focused strategy-based instruction yielded better learning outcomes compared to the traditional, skill-based Research has shown that Ethiopian university students do not read effectively. Motuma . reported that about 90% of the students were not able to identify main ideas or make inferences but instead adopted inefficient ways of reading word by word. In other EFL contexts, results from studies conducted in Morocco on university students similarly reveal very low awareness of key reading strategies, indicating such difficulties can be expected among EFL readers. These lingering challenges create a need for systematic and sustained strategy instruction at the university level. Where comparisons of direct and indirect methods have been done, findings have been inconsistent. Some argue that reading comprehension improves under direct instruction (Alene 2021. Bryuten 2010. Dawit 2. other research is said to point to no important differences between the two teaching approaches (Adler 2015. Relton 2. Recently, however, direct metacognitive strategies instruction proves to reinforce significantly both students' awareness of strategies and their comprehension performance in Ethiopian Grade 11 students. The latter would, therefore, underpin the necessity to investigate more closely at least within an Ethiopian university. Methodology In this research, a quasi-experimental design was employed to determine the impact that teaching cognitive reading skills had on the reading comprehension ability of first-year students in AAU. The reason why this design was selected is that it enables a cause-and-effect analysis to be carried out that is applicable in a classroom where it is not feasible to assign members randomly to groups (Creswell, 2. In addition, a qualitative aspect was also considered to help obtain feedback from students on the teaching methodology employed. In this manner, this research combined both numerical and descriptive analyses to form a mixed-methods design, which helped to provide a clearer insight into this research proposition by covering any shortcomings that arise from conducting a solitary analysis (Costa, 2024. Dawadi et al. , 2. The study was conducted in Addis Ababa University, located in the political capital of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University was selected due to convenience. The university is accessible, which gives it a significant advantage in conducting the activities of the research (Creswell, 2. The university was selected because it is a fair representation of other Ethiopian universities with regards to the teaching methods, class size, teaching materials, and behaviors of the learners. JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 Two existing first-year classes enrolled in the AuCommunicative English Skills IAy course were specifically selected and assigned as the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). This method of choosing participants is consistent with quasiexperimental research, which relies on pre-formed groups rather than individual random assignment. The test was conducted on two sections of a whole first-year class. Although whole classes were used, the sections were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. The pre-test results proved the absence of significant differences in the scores of both groups prior to the test. This approach strengthened the internal validity of the test, as it operated within the limitations of a quasi-experiment (Creswell, 2. The researcher assessed the effect of cognitive reading strategy teaching on studentsAo reading comprehension through pre-tests as well as post-tests conducted alongside interviews. The initial and final tests were developed to cover reading comprehension as well as the use of strategies by students. These tests ensured equal levels of complexity. The interviews were carried out on those who were part of the experimental group after they were tested using cognitive reading strategies. This was an effective way to get an in-depth perspective on reading. For analyzing the results, an independent sample t-test was utilized to compare pre and posttest scores among both experimental and control groups, and to check experimental group scores, paired sample t-tests were used. For conducting reading tests, different types of questions were incorporated, such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, open-ended questions, and writing assignments based on paragraphs. All these questions and assignments involved cognitive reading strategies and techniques such as skimming, scanning, predicting, inferencing, paraphrasing, and summarizing. The study began after formal approval was granted by the freshman coordinator at AAU. Students in the experimental group underwent an orientation one week prior to the intervention. The aim of this session was to explain what the strategies were, for what purpose, and how these were to be used with the reading materials. All data, from assessment scores or interview responses, was treated strictly confidentially. Students were further allowed to express their concerns, either verbally or in writing. It was in this way that it was guaranteed that all ten strategies had been judged in comprehension The reading ability test at the post-test stage contained 20 items employing a number of formats such as short answer, multiple-choice, and long answer essays. Testing for internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha, using SPSS software version 26, was employed. Care was taken to see that the pre-test and post-test were equitable in terms of the number and type of test questions, the length of the texts, and the time allotted for the test. Some control variables have been employed to minimize possible threats to the internal validity of the study, which may occur due to biases of selection, change and maturation, and regression. These are: the same teacher will teach both groups. Experienced supervisors were present for the entire testing process, along with the completion of all exercises by the students. Semi-structured interviews, as a way of collecting information pertaining to the student perceptions of the treatment, are JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 preferably employed. Its flexibility is more than the other type of interviews (Dyrnyei. The experimental group was tutored for 14 weeks with a total of 28 hours of training for two hours each week. The training consisted of teachings on various cognitive strategies for reading, demonstrations on these strategies, guided practice sessions, and making use of various reading resources. Post-assessments were conducted at the end of the academic year. Instructional design was done through the five stages of CALLA, which was aligned with the three different stages of reading Pre-reading tasks were necessary for activating the existing knowledge, while the stage of instruction included the demonstration of the different strategies, along with the post-stages for directed practice and independent monitoring. The effect size was measured through Cohen d, showing a value of 1. 13, which is a gross effect. The data analysis involved the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. T-tests, either paired sample t-tests or independent sample t-tests, were used to explore the mean scores, variability of scores, correlation between variables, and differences between the control and treatment groups. The reason why the t-test was used is that it is appropriate for comparing the mean values of continuous data between groups. The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 26 software. Descriptive statistics were computed to identify the mean, standard deviation, and probability. Cronbach alpha was used to validate the internal reliability of the instruments used for data collection. A test of normality (Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to verify that the data obtained followed a normal distribution before performing other parametric test techniques. suggested by Creswell . , this test validated the use of the applied techniques in this study. Findings and Discussion Table 1 presents the distribution of reading comprehension scores for the control group in both pre- and post-intervention phases. The data are described using frequencies and percentages, showing students' number achieving each score point for both the pre- and post-tests in order to compare performance trends clearly. Whereas 2% of the students scored 46 in the pretest, this number decreased to 1 student . in the posttest. This slight decrease indicates a small shift away from the lowest score level, yet it is still not indicative of significant gains. Whereas 6. 3% of the students scored 48 pre-intervention, after the intervention, the figure dropped to 2 students, or 2%, indicating only a slight decrease, yet still showing some at the lower tail of The same thing happened with the frequency count of the students scoring 52, which decreased from 6. 3% in the pretest to 2. 2% in the posttest, thus indicating that fewer students remained at this lower score level. In the pretest, 6 students had a score of 56, whereas 3 students reached the same score in the posttest, indicating that half of the students on this score had moved to the next score level, hence a major JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 Table 1. Pretest and Posttest Comprehension Scores of the Control Group Scores Pretest Frequency Total Pretest Percent Posttest Frequency Posttest Percent Four students . 3%) made 60 in the pretest, while only two students . made the same score in the posttest, once more hinting at a slight trend towards improved academic performance. The score of 62 was first the most popular, with a total of ten students . 8%) scoring the same in the pretest. But this significantly decreased to only three students . 3%) for the posttest. Such a great decrease means a large number of students who made 62 either improved or deteriorated in academic Eight students . 7%) made 64 in the pretest, while only three students . 3%) made the same score in the posttest. Such a decrease indicates that a large number of these students improved to much higher levels of academic performance. There was an observed increase in Score 66, which started from only three students . 3%) in the pretest to eight students . 7%) in the posttest. This increase indicates that some students performed well enough to attain this Mid-scale score. There was a slight decrease in the number of students with Score 68, which started from three students . 3%) in the pretest to only one student . 1%) in the post-test. However, there seems to be a reduction in the number of students belonging to this particular scores level after the intervention. Just one student . 1%) obtained a score of 70 in the pretest. However, there seems to be an increase to six students . 5%) in the posttest, which reveals better performance by many students. Just three students . obtained 72 in the pretest. However, only one student . 1%) obtained the same in the It is apparent that students scoring 72 may have increased or decreased their Just one student . 1%) obtained 76 in the pretest. However, there seems to be an increase to four students . 3%) in the posttest. The rise indicates better performance by many students since the score is relatively higher. As a whole, the data for score distribution indicates that although there was no training in cognitive strategies for reading in the control group, there was a certain natural progress in some categories of the scores. This is because there was a certain reduction in some lower scores . cores JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 between 46 and . , and a few scores in the middle to higher categories . cores of 66, 70, 74, and . demonstrated an increase. The most striking alteration was the significant increase in students scoring 74, which soared from just one student to eleven This highlights that a degree of natural academic development did take place, even without targeted strategy intervention. Table 2. Pretest and Posttest Comprehension Scores of the Experimental Group Scores Pretest Frequency Pretest Percent Posttest Frequency Posttest Percent Total A study of reading comprehension of the experimental group on pre-test and post-test assessments demonstrates dramatic changes in their performance level. their initial test, only four . 3%) of them reached a score of 72. This number dramatically increased to 12 . %) of them on their second test for the same score of Moreover, it was also noted that six students . 5%) performed better in their posttest by scoring above the greatest score of 72 obtained in their initial test. On the other hand, four persons . 3%) achieved the same score of 68 on the pretest, while the number slightly increased to five persons . 4%) on the posttest. Notably, twelve persons . %) stuck to the same score of 64 on the pretest and posttest. In addition, two JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 2%) stuck to the same score of 62 on the pretest and posttest, while six persons . 5%) stuck to the same score of 60 on the pretest as well as the posttest. Before the intervention, the score of 56 was shown by eight participants . 7%). but only two participants . 2%) showed this score following the intervention. More importantly, four participants . 3%) received a score below the average of 50% at the beginning. But after the intervention, none of the participants received a score below 50%. On the whole, the results showed that the experimental group had a significant positive change in the reading comprehension score from the pre-test to the post-test. The fact that the reading comprehension score of the experimental group had no data below the average level after the intervention strongly supported the idea that the experimental groupAos reading comprehension had been enhanced by the cognitive reading strategies. Discussion For the study, the respondents were classified into three levels based on their test results, namely high achievers (R1-R. , medium achievers (R4-R. , and low achievers (R7-R. The selection enabled the analysis of the respondentsAo attitude towards the reading strategy training (RST) based on their levels. When asked if RST increased their understanding of the reading passages. Nearly all the participants were positive about the results achieved. For instance. R1 feels that the strategies are helpful for classifying questions and understanding the authorAos purpose and intended meaning. Another medium achiever. R4, also confirmed that they have been able to improve their understanding as a result of RST. The above answers have already proven the earlier findings that increased teaching of analytical and metacognitive strategies does have an impact on understanding and the knowledge of the strategies (Mekuria et al. , 2. Also, results obtained from numerous studies involving over 20,000 students have clearly identified the efficacy of the use of analytical and metacognitive strategies and reading comprehension. The relevance of the training activity has also been emphasized by the high performance group, including R1, where they enabled the connection with the direct cues from the text and the better comprehension for the text through inference. These activities have been proven to benefit students according to a research finding indicating that instructor-led strategy instruction has contributed to an improvement in the interpretation of complex text (Annury et al. , 2. The medium performance members were also satisfied with the relevance of RST to learn better irrespective of the learners' initial level. These observations align with the experiences in Ethiopian English Foreign Language class settings. The semi-structured nature of the interviews, in which students of varied performance levels were selected, contributed significantly to an understanding of the varied perceptions of the students. Weaker students may need additional help in using strategies, while stronger students are likely to autonomously apply strategies (Farid, 2. The perceptions of the participants, for example, of R1 regarding the drawing of inferences in reaching the authorAos intent, are indicative of RST building higher-order cognition concerning cognition rather than the JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 surface-level type. Most direct strategy intervention programs aiming for reading are devoted to promoting higher-order cognition concerning cognition rather than the surface level (Mekuria, 2. However, it is evident that there is a need to measure to what extent students are actually adopting and applying strategies independently. Recent studies have indicated that one should confirm whether students understand and apply strategies independently, including beyond guided instruction (Farid et al. , 2020. Mekuria et al. For example, students with lower performance (R7 to R. may require additional instruction to apply their strategy mastery. Generally, the study interview results provide evidence that the learners apreciate the specific reading strategies skills and their utility in enhancing comprehension at all performance levels. This finding affirms other study results indicating the efficacy of strategy knowledge in augmenting comprehension performance (Farid et al. , 2020. Wendaferew & Damtew. The results revealed that in the control group, just a few students . attained below 50% in their final evaluation. Most importantly, the level attained by those students did not suffer much from the start to the end of the experiment. This is taken as an indication that traditional methods of teaching have not improved their comprehension to any great extent and may not be appropriate for teaching readingchallenged students (Lypez, 2. Conversely, in the experimental group, four students . 3%) initially scored below 50%, but every one of them surpassed this mark after our specialized instruction. The considerable progress seen in their post-test scores indicates that teaching cognitive reading strategies (CRSI) significantly boosted their These observations align with previous research that highlights the positive effect of explicit strategy instruction on reading abilities (Cubukyu, 2008. Fan. Wendaferew, 2. Statistical analysis further confirmed these patterns: there was no meaningful difference in scores for the control group between the initial and final tests . = . However, the experimental group performed much better than the control group after receiving the new instruction. Similar outcomes have been noted by other researchers (Salatac & Akyel, 2002. Fan, 2010. Khezrlou, 2. , all of whom emphasize that structured teaching of strategies leads to measurable improvements in understanding written material. The qualitative data from student interviews also supported our quantitative Most participants reported that using reading strategies improved their comprehension, reinforcing the idea that teachers should incorporate various reading techniques to strengthen understanding (Hughes, 2010. Mebratu, 2014. MoE, 2. Interestingly, some students mentioned that grasping the author's purpose helped them understand better. This is consistent with findings by Motuma . and Khezrlou . , who stress the importance of inferring meaning and being aware of one's own thinking process. and this is in support of the argument that multiple reading strategies should be used by the teacher to enhance comprehension (Hughes, 2010. Mebratu. MoE, 2. Interestingly, some students mentioned that grasping the author's purpose helped them understand better. This is consistent with findings by Motuma JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 and Khezrlou . , who stress the importance of inferring meaning and being aware of one's own thinking process. Students appreciated the value of using their existing knowledge, which confirms the theory of schemes where comprehension is achieved by relating new information to known information (Brown, 2. Previewing the texts to be read was also valued as important, supporting findings of scholarly work by Songyut . where it was proved that the process of pre-reading increases comprehension levels, particularly if the background knowledge is low. As far as the contribution of cognitive strategies to academic success is concerned, most of the students were in agreement that there was a positive contribution. This corroborates other studies which revealed that strategy training results in improved achievement, greater self-direction, as well as general educational success (Fan, 2010. Kucukolu, 2. Very few students rated themselves as expert or mid-experimenters in using strategies independently, which substantiates that superior readers have used all kinds of strategies for tackling different situations (Brown, 2. A common problem that impeded understanding as mentioned by the respondents was having a vocabulary that was not sufficient. This is consistent with the findings of Hall . and Abebe . , which concluded that familiarity with words is a key factor to achieve a successful reading. Collectively, the qualitative and quantitative findings explicitly indicate that the cognitive reading strategy training is beneficial for improving reading comprehension. The amount of growth in the experimental group, in addition to the students' perception of enhanced comprehension, verifies that the instruction of cognitive strategies is indeed beneficial in improving students' comprehension for main ideas, inference, and the authorAos meaning (Annury et al. , 2023. Farid et al. , 2020. Mekuria et al. , 2024. Wendaferew & Damtew, 2. The small amount of growth in the control group, however, denotatively confirms the inefficiency of the traditional approaches to Interestingly, the improvements in comprehension occurred for all levels of achievementAihigh, medium, and lowAiwith students with lower levels of achievement potentially benefiting from supplementary instruction. Conclusion The present study was designed to measure the effect of explicit cognitive reading strategy instruction on students' comprehension and their perceptions of such an instructional approach. The findings validated that CRSI significantly enhanced reading comprehension when compared with traditional teaching. The scores of the experimental group were higher on their final test while both groups started with similar levels of understanding. This may mean that specific strategy training equipped students to process, interpret, and evaluate texts more proficiently. Participants reported favorable perceptions regarding CRSI, realizing its efficiency for developing their reading skills for academic purposes. The study, therefore, concludes that the instruction of cognitive reading strategies is crucial for enhancing reading ability. Teachers should intentionally JALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literac. ISSN 2598-8530. February. Vol. 10 No. 1, 2026 incorporate these into their reading lessons to develop strategic, independent readers capable of applying appropriate techniques to different text types. English instructors should provide explicit and sustained training in reading strategies, demonstrating for students how, when, and why each strategy should be used. Supported practice and reinforcement will aid the student to become independent, strategic readers (Hughes. Nuttall, 2. Students should be made to practice reading strategies actively through reflection, so that they become more cognizant of their own thought processes and independent in deducing the meaning from what they read. Educational materials are supposed to involve different reading strategies, such as pre-reading activities, inferring, and summarizing, which allow for the meaningful use of texts (MoE, 2. Future studies should spell out how CRSI is actually implemented in naturalistic classroom settings, taking into account teacher reflections and actual classroom It could also be a subject of investigation how teaching vocabulary within strategies impacts comprehension development over time. References