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Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding
Published on: October 11, 2018
A predictive study of reading comprehension in third-grade Spanish students
Carmen López-Escribano1, María Rosa Elosúa de Juan, Isabel Gómez-Veiga
1Facultad de Educación, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain. carmenle@edu.ucm.es
Psicothema
|May 1, 2013
Summary
Reading speed and word recognition are key predictors of reading comprehension in Spanish-speaking students. The choice of reading comprehension test significantly impacts which skills are identified as most important.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Reading comprehension research is vital.
- Assessing reading comprehension is complex due to varied test demands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how language and cognitive skills predict reading comprehension.
- To compare predictors across two different reading comprehension tests.
Main Methods:
- Examined decoding, word recognition, reading speed, intelligence, and working memory.
- Assessed third-grade Spanish-speaking students using two distinct comprehension tests.
Main Results:
- Linguistic and cognitive skills significantly predicted reading comprehension.
- Reading speed best predicted comprehension on the PROLEC-R test.
- Word recognition and verbal working memory best predicted comprehension on the DARC test.
Conclusions:
- Reading speed and word recognition are stronger predictors than accuracy for Spanish reading comprehension.
- The specific reading comprehension test used is a critical factor in interpreting results.
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