title: Profile of reading accuracy acquisition of students from elementary school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the profile of reading accuracy acquisition of children from the elementary school, considering word extension and syllabic structure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study counted on 29 children from the third grade and 28 from the fourth grade of the Brazilian elementary school, with mean age of 8:5 and 9:3 years, respectively, who did not present learning disorders. All participants underwent oral reading assessment through texts according to each school level. The texts were analyzed considering the range of word length and syllabic structure. The performance of the students was analyzed according to the accuracy percentage concerning word length and syllabic structure. All data underwent statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We noticed that the variability in the percentage increased due to the number of syllables, with more incidences of error in students from the third year. Furthermore, data pointed out greater accuracy of students from the fourth year with regard to word length and syllabic structure. Analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated interaction effect between both groups and the studied variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed evidence that word length is a strong factor to reading accuracy acquisition in Brazilian Portuguese. In addition, words with syllabic structure different from the pattern commonly seen in the Portuguese language are more difficult to be read by children of lower schooling levels.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aparecido José Couto
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Silvia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cárnio
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy Department, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Haydée Fiszbein
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Wertzner
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D011932:Reading; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students