Psychological,Linguistic and Sociocultural Correlates of Reading Among Mexican American Elementary Students

The present study helps clarify the nature of relationships between cognitive style and reading achievement by estimating the amount of variance field dependence-independence, mental age, linguistic and socio-cultural variables contribute to reading recognition and comprehension among Mexican American students. All variables correlate significantly with reading achievement and, with the exception of the use of Spanish in the home, all correlate positively. The results of multiple linear regressions indicate mental age and the four language variables (i.e. grammatic closure, expressive vocabulary, receptive vocabulary and auditory blending) each accounts for more variance associated with reading recognition and comprehension than does field dependence-independence. Field dependence-independence is of little importance when considered along side of the other variables. Psychodiagnostic activities are strongly encouraged to examine the extent to which mental age, grammatic closure, receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary and auditory blending may be attenuating the development of Mexican American children manifesting reading recognition and comprehension problems. An implication of this study for school psychologists in other countries that have sizable numbers of linguistic minority children is that proper attention be directed toward students' intelligence and linguistic competencies in the instructional language while promoting their reading development.