Alemayehu Teklemariam (PhD)Wudie Nibret2024-02-052024-02-052023-05https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/1697The aim of the study was to assess the reading skills of early grade students with special focus on Grade three students and factors that influence reading skill acquisition in selected primary school in Yeka Sub-City, Addis Ababa. In doing so, an explanatory sequential design with mixed approaches was used for the study. The total sample size of the study 176 which was, 171 grade three students, 3 teachers and 2 school principal. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were employed to select the participants. To collect data, reading test, an interview guide, and an observation checklist were employed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used to organize quantitative data for analysis and Descriptive statistical tools like frequency and percentage and inferential statistical tools like An independent sample T-test was used to analyze quantitative data, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically using narrative mode. The results revealed that the majority of grade three students in public primary schools were low in word reading, oral reading fluency, and reading comprehension. While most grade three students are good at letter identification and phonological awareness. There was a significant difference between availability of reading materials and grade three students reading skill acquisition. The finding of the study further showed that there were many factors that influenced early grade reading skill acquisitions, such as the availability of reading materials, instructional methods, and the accessibility of environments. The study also concluded that the majority of grade three students were at risk of reading difficulty.enThesis