Horizontes Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación

Background: Strategic vocabulary acquisition is a significant factor in the development of reading comprehension during secondary education, as it facilitates meaning construction, access to academic vocabulary, and the effective interpretation of increasingly complex texts. Objective: To determine the relationship between vocabulary acquisition strategies and reading comprehension among first-year secondary school students at an educational institution in Lima, Peru. Methodology: A quantitative approach was employed using a non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional design to analyze the relationship between vocabulary acquisition strategies and reading comprehension in secondary school students. The sample consisted of 50 students. Results: Vocabulary acquisition strategies were the dimension most closely associated with reading comprehension (ρ = .693; p < .001), surpassing the relationship observed for overall vocabulary development (ρ = .630; p < .001). Furthermore, vocabulary mastery and functional vocabulary use showed moderate positive correlations (ρ = .401; p = .004), demonstrating the contribution of various lexical dimensions to reading comprehension performance. Conclusion: Vocabulary acquisition strategies play a significant role in reading comprehension; therefore, strengthening these strategies in secondary education represents a relevant pedagogical approach to fostering meaning construction and the development of reading competencies.