Identification and Remediation of Reading Difficulties Based on Successive Processing Deficits and Delay in General Reading

Widespread learning problems among South African children are associated with the apartheid era and show a need for effective reading programs. In selecting these programs, it is useful to differentiate between children with dyslexia and children whose reading is poor because teaching was inadequate. In this study, the Woodcock Tests of Reading Mastery-Revised and tests modelled on the Cognitive Assessment System were used to define a group of children with deficits in successive processing associated with dyslexia and a group of children with general reading delay. There were two girls and five boys in each group. For the children with successive processing deficit, the mean age was 9 yr., 8 mo. For the other group, mean age was 9 yr., 3 mo. Control groups were matched for age and sex and kind of reading difficulty. The first group received Das's PASS Reading Enhancement Program, and the second participated in a remedial program based on Whole Language principles. The treatment groups received 24 1-hr. long sessions. Gains in successive processing were shown for the first group, as measured by the tests modelled on Cognitive Assessment System subtests but not for the second group. Both groups showed gains in phonics and word identification, relative to their respective control groups, suggesting the respective intervention program was effective for each group.