Toward a comprehensive view of the skills involved in word reading in Grades 4, 6, and 8

A A Roman; J R Kirby; R K Parrila; L Wade-Woolley; S H Deacon

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2008.01.004

Toward a comprehensive view of the skills involved in word reading in Grades 4, 6, and 8

J Exp Child Psychol. 2009 Jan;102(1):96-113. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2008.01.004. Epub 2008 Mar 7.

Authors

A A Roman¹, J R Kirby, R K Parrila, L Wade-Woolley, S H Deacon

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychology, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4J1, Canada.

PMID: 18329037
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2008.01.004

Abstract

Research to date has proposed four main variables involved in reading development: phonological awareness, naming speed, orthographic knowledge, and morphological awareness. Although each of these variables has been examined in the context of one or two of the other variables, this study examines all four factors together to assess their unique contribution to reading. A sample of children in Grades 4, 6, and 8 (ages 10, 12, and 14 years) completed a battery of tests that included at least one measure of each of the four variables and two measures of reading accuracy. Phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, and morphological awareness each contributed uniquely to real word and pseudoword reading beyond the other variables, whereas naming speed did not survive these stringent controls. The results support the sustained importance of these three skills in reading by older readers.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Age Factors
Awareness*
Child
Comprehension*
Female
Humans
Male
Phonetics*
Reading*
Speech Perception*
Writing*