title: Assessing reading comprehension with narrative and expository texts: Dimensionality and relationship with fluency, vocabulary and memory.
abstract: Reading comprehension assessment should rely on valid instruments that enable adequate conclusions to be taken regarding students' reading comprehension performance. In this article, two studies were conducted to collect validity evidence for the vertically scaled forms of two Tests of Reading Comprehension for Portuguese elementary school students in the second to fourth grades, one with narrative texts (TRC-n) and another with expository ones (TRC-e). Two samples of 950 and 990 students participated in Study 1, the study of the dimensionality of the TRC-n and TRC-e forms, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence of an acceptable fit for the one-factor solution for all test forms. Study 2 included 218 students to collect criterion-related validity. The scores obtained in each of the test forms were significantly correlated with the ones obtained in other reading comprehension measures and with the results obtained in oral reading fluency, vocabulary and working memory tests. Evidence suggests that the test forms are valid measures of reading comprehension.
authors: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Santos
authors: Institute of Education, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Cadime
authors: Institute of Education, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors: Fernanda L
authors: FL
authors: Viana
authors: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors: Séli
authors: S
authors: Chaves-Sousa
authors: University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Portugal.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Gayo
authors: Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Maia
authors: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors: Iolanda
authors: I
authors: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014825:Vocabulary
keywords: Reading comprehension; confirmatory factorial analysis; expository texts; narrative texts; reading assessment; validity