Young Learners Sixth Graders’ Comprehension: Proficiency Analysis and Implication for EYL more

This study investigates the reading comprehension skills of 84 sixth-grade students in a primary school in Palembang, Indonesia, to identify their strengths and weaknesses in English language ing. Using 18 informal comprehension assessments and six teacher-developed English proficiency tests, data were analyzed through Smart-PLS 4.0. With three validated comprehension categories: literal, inferential, and critical, the Reading Comprehension (RC) measurement demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach's Alpha -0.882, Composite Reliability = 0.923, Average Variance Extracted = 0.801). These categories exhibited positive correlations with English proficiency whose reliability is 0.65, 0.808, and 0.586 consecutively. The overall mean RC score was 26.57 with the highest category on literal and weakest critical. Meanwhile the mean English proficiency score was 87.46, being significantly influenced by Reading Comprehension for 27.9% (p = 0.007). The findings underscore the need for comprehensive reading strategies beyond mere word recognition and gender-responsive materials to enhance reading proficiency.