The word pronunciations of good and poor seventh-grade readers were compared to second-, fifth-, and sixth-grade readers previously tested on similar lists of actual and synthetic words. On the actual word list, poor readers correctly pronounced about the same number of words as a combined group of normal second- and fifth-grade readers, but fewer words than did the seventh-grade good readers. On the synthetic word list, the performance of the poor readers was comparable to good seventh-grade readers except for the long vowels where their performance most closely resembled poor second-grade readers. The implications of this pattern of results are discussed.
References
1.
ChallJ.Learning to read: The great debate. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967.
2.
GuthrieJ. T.Models of reading and reading disability. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1973, 65, 9–18.
3.
KirkR. E.Experimental design: Procedures for the behavioral sciences. Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1968.
4.
LucasJ. M.ZoellickW.Developmental testing of both normal and retarded readers: A diagnostic method that suggests remedial strategies. Manuscript submitted for publication, 1974.
5.
SteinheiserR.GuthrieJ. T.Scanning times through prose and word strings for various targets by normal and disabled readers. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1974, 39, 931–938.
6.
TownerJ. D.The relationship between early intensive phonics instruction and the ability of second, third, and fourth grade children to pronounce synthetic words. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1972.
7.
VenezkyR. L.Letter-sound generalizations of first-, second-, and third-grade Finnish children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1973, 64, 288–292.
8.
VenezkyR. L.ChapmanR. S.CalfeeR. C.The development of letter-sound generalizations from second through sixth grade. (Tech. Rep. 231). Wisconsin Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning, September, 1972.
