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Reception class predictors of literacy skills
Jennifer Simpson1, John Everatt
1Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, UK.
The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|July 22, 2005
Summary
Early dyslexia screening tests like the Dyslexia Early Screening Test (DEST) show promise, but individual subtests, particularly sound order and naming speed, may be more predictive than the overall score. School-based letter knowledge assessments are also valuable predictors of future literacy skills.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Growing interest in early dyslexia screening for young children.
- Screening tests aim to identify underlying deficits like phonological deficits.
- The Dyslexia Early Screening Test (DEST) combines attainment and diagnostic indicators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the predictive ability of the DEST for future literacy skills.
- To compare DEST's predictive power with school-based measures like letter knowledge.
Main Methods:
- 45 boys aged 4.87 years participated.
- DEST assessed literacy, phonological awareness, memory, motor, and auditory skills.
- Subsequent assessments included letter knowledge, non-word reading, rhyme judgment, reading, and spelling over 22 months.
Main Results:
- Individual DEST subtests, specifically sound order and rapid automatized naming, were more predictive than the overall DEST 'at risk quotient'.
- School-based letter knowledge also proved to be a strong predictor of later literacy skills.
- Certain DEST subtests showed predictive value for future literacy.
Conclusions:
- Some DEST subtests predict future literacy, but school-based letter knowledge measures may be equally valid.
- The utility of a combined 'at risk' index for predicting literacy difficulties in young children is questioned.
- Further research may refine early screening tools for dyslexia.