Evaluating current deficit theories of poor reading: role of phonological processing, naming speed, balance automaticity, rapid verbal perception and working memory.
To clarify the nature of cognitive deficits experienced by poor readers, 9-10-yr.-old poor readers were matched against 9 chronological age and 9 younger reading age-matched controls screened and selected from regular classrooms. Poor readers performed significantly more poorly than chronological age-matched peers on digit naming speed, spoonerisms, and nonsense word reading. Poor readers were also significantly poorer than reading age-matched controls on nonword reading but were significantly better than reading age-matched controls on postural stability. Analyses of effect sizes were consistent with these findings, showing strong effects for digit naming speed, spoonerisms, and nonword reading. However, effect size analysis also suggested that poor readers experienced moderate difficulties with balance automatisation but did not show verbal speech perception deficits relative to either control
Savage
Robert
R
Faculty of Educational and Counseling Psychology, McGill University, 3700 McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1Y2. robert.savage@mcgill.ca
Frederickson
Norah
N
Goodwin
Roz
R
Patni
Ulla
U
Smith
Nicola
N
Tuersley
Louise
L
D002648:Child; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D010700:Phonetics; D004856:Postural Balance; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D012016:Reference Values; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception; D014477:Underachievement