Effects of Phonological Abilities and Linguistic Comprehension on the Development of Reading

TLDR

The study examined how phonological skills and linguistic comprehension influence the development of word decoding and reading comprehension in 141 Dutch children from the end of first to the end of third grade. First‑grade children completed tests of phonological awareness, rapid naming, vocabulary, and listening comprehension, and word‑decoding speed and reading comprehension were measured at the end of Grades 1 and 3. Phonological abilities strongly predict word decoding but do not further influence its growth after first grade, whereas word decoding, vocabulary, and listening comprehension jointly drive reading comprehension development, indicating distinct determinants for the two skills.

Abstract

Specific effects of phonological abilities and linguistic comprehension on the development of word-decoding ability and reading comprehension, respectively, were examined in a longitudinal study with 141 Dutch children from the end of first grade to the end of third grade. In first grade, measures were administered for phonological awareness and serial rapid naming and for vocabulary and listening comprehension. Word-decoding speed and reading comprehension were assessed at the end of Grades 1 and 3. Results indicate that phonological abilities were highly associated with word decoding but did not have an additional influence on the further development of word decoding after first grade. For reading comprehension, word decoding, vocabulary, and listening comprehension appeared to exert additional influences on its further development after first grade. The results indicate that partly different determinants underlie the development of word-decoding ability and reading comprehension.