Influence of Reading Fluency and Comprehension on Students’ Rapid Mathematics Assessment Performance

Abstract

Despite global efforts to improve education, many countries continue to struggle with low levels of literacy and numeracy, reflecting a persistent challenge in foundational learning skills; thus, this study examined the relationship between students’ reading profiles and mathematical proficiency among Grade 10 public high school students in the Digos City Division during School Year 2025–2026. Using secondary data from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) and the Rapid Mathematics Assessment (RMA), the study determined students’ reading fluency, reading comprehension, and mathematical proficiency, as well as the relationship between reading profiles and mathematics performance. Results showed that students were at the instructional level in reading fluency (M = 90.64, SD = 8.29) and at the frustration level in reading comprehension (M = 36.61, SD = 16.67), while their mathematical proficiency was classified as Emerging (Not Proficient) (M = 7.57, SD = 4.57). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship between reading profile and mathematical proficiency (r = .547). Regression analysis indicated that reading fluency and comprehension jointly accounted for 37.5% of the variance in mathematical proficiency (R² = .375, p = .000), with reading fluency having a stronger effect than reading comprehension. The findings highlight the significant role of reading skills in mathematics learning, suggesting that difficulties in understanding text, instructions, and word problems may hinder students’ mathematical performance.