^{Unveiling the Learning Crisis: Understanding the Reading Comprehension Challenges in Multilingual Contexts}

This study explores the underlying component reading skills that explain reading comprehension challenges faced by learners in multilingual settings who are instructed in a language in which they may or may not have oral language proficiency. Using data collected in the Philippines, Rwanda, and Kenya, we apply a two-step latent class analysis to first identify students with reading comprehension difficulties and then characterize their distinct skill profiles. In the Philippines, the profiles were primarily characterized by the specificity of skill deficits, such as challenges in decoding, oral language, or both. In contrast, in Rwanda and Kenya, the profiles were predominantly defined by the severity of the deficits, reflecting global difficulties across both decoding and oral language skills. These results underscore the importance of addressing both decoding and oral language skills to improve reading comprehension outcomes, particularly in settings where students are required to learn in languages they may not use at home.