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An Examination of Language and Reading Comprehension in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

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An Examination of Language and Reading Comprehension in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence An Examination of Language and Reading Comprehension in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence DISSSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Margaret Beard Graduate Program in Education: Physical Activity and Education Services The Ohio State University 2017 Dissertation Committee: Kisha M. Radliff, Ph.D., Advisor Antoinette Miranda, Ph.D. Stephen A. Petrill, Ph.D. Copyrighted by Margaret E. Beard 2017 Abstract The simple view of reading suggests that proficient reading comprehension is the product of two factors, decoding (word recognition) and language comprehension (understanding spoken language), that are developmental in nature. Decoding accounts for more variance and predicts reading abilities in younger children, then as children age, language comprehension becomes more of a primary influence and predictor for comprehension ability. This study fills a gap by assessing the relationship between language ability and reading comprehension in older children. This study sample included participants in late childhood (n=582) and late adolescence (n=530) who were part of a larger longitudinal twin project. Results suggested significant positive correlations between decoding, vocabulary, language comprehension, and reading comprehension during both late childhood and early adolescence. Decoding and language comprehension explained 48.5% of the variance in reading comprehension in late childhood and 42.7% of the variance in early adolescence. Vocabulary made a unique contribution to reading comprehension above and beyond that made by decoding and language comprehension and significantly explained an additional 9.4% of the variance in late childhood and 17.3% in early adolescence. In late childhood, vocabulary and decoding were similarly important predictors of reading comprehension, while in early adolescence the importance of decoding had faded and vocabulary was the ii most important predictor. Implications of these findings, limitations, and future directions for this research are discussed. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my dissertation committee for giving their time, support, and feedback. You have helped me to grow as a clinician and researcher. I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Kisha Radliff, for her support, patience, and encouragement throughout my graduate studies. Her technical and editorial advice was essential to the completion of this dissertation. I would like to specifically thank Dr. Stephen Petrill. I would not be where I am today personally or professionally without your belief in me. Thank you for introducing me to the wonders and frustrations of scientific research. You have provided immeasurable amounts of opportunity and have supported me in a number of ways throughout this journey and I am especially thankful for your mentorship along the way. Finally, I would like to thank my husband and children for being patient and understanding as I tried to simultaneously balance being a full-time graduate student with a full-time job. It’s been a long tough journey with a lot of sacrifices. I could not have accomplished any of this without the assistance of you all. iv Vita 2002................................................................A.A.B. Telecommunications and Networking, Edison CC 2007................................................................B.A. Speech and Hearing Science, The Ohio State University 2011................................................................M.A. Human Development and Family Science, The Ohio State University 2012 to present ..............................................Graduate Student, Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University Publications Beard, M. E., (2017). Considering specific language impairment (SLI) when assessing learning disabilities. The Ohio School Psychologist, 62 (2). Beard, M.E. (2015). Conceptualizing Problems by focusing on Cultural Context, Bias, and Generalization. In A. H. Miranda (Ed.), Consultation across cultural context: Consultee-centered case studies. New York: NY Routledge Publishers. v Fields of Study Major Field: Graduate Program in Education: Physical Activity and Education Services vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. iv Vita ...................................................................................................................................... v Publications ......................................................................................................................... v Fields of Study ................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................... 1 Research Aims ................................................................................................................. 3 Definition of Terms ......................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 6 Big Ideas of Reading ....................................................................................................... 7 Basic Components of Language .................................................................................... 13 Models of Reading Comprehension: From Past to Present ........................................... 19 Chapter 3: Methods ........................................................................................................... 66 Participants .................................................................................................................... 67 vii Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................................... 69 Constructs and Measurement ........................................................................................ 69 Chapter 4: Results ............................................................................................................. 76 Testing Assumptions for Linear Regression Model ...................................................... 76 Aim 1: Examining the Correlation Between Decoding, Language Comprehension, Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension in Late Childhood and Reading Comprehension in Early Adolescence. ......................................................................... 79 Aim 2: Investigating the Unique and Combined Contribution for the Simple View Variables (Language Comprehension and Decoding) on Reading Comprehension During Late Childhood and Early Adolescence. ........................................................... 84 Aim 3: Examining Whether Vocabulary Adds a Unique Contribution to the Simple View Model During Late Childhood or Early Adolescence. ........................................ 86 Chapter 5: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 92 Aim 1: Correlation Between Study Variables in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence ....................................................................................................................................... 93 Aim 2: Contribution for the Simple View Variables on Reading Comprehension during Late Childhood and Early Adolescence ........................................................................ 94 viii Aim 3: What Vocabulary adds to the Simple View Model during Late Childhood and Early Adolescence ......................................................................................................... 95 General Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 96 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 97 Directions for Future Research ..................................................................................... 98 References ....................................................................................................................... 100 ix List of Tables Table 1. Descriptive Statistics ........................................................................................... 80 Table 2. Pearson Correlations Between Measures of Available Data .............................. 82 Table 3. Simple Regression Analyses for Variables Predicting Reading Comprehension in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence ........................................................................ 85 Table 4. Hierarchical Regression Analyses for Reading Comprehension in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence .................................................................................... 88 x Chapter 1: Introduction Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to examine developmental changes in the components
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