| This study investigated the assertion, made by K. Goodman in a report of his 1965 study, that children make increasing use of cues outside of words in reading in general and in word recognition in particular. A subsequent study by T. Nicholson (1991) using similar methodology failed to establish the effect.;Since the original Goodman data did not utilize inferential statistical techniques, a frequency table was reconstructed and the original Goodman data was subjected to analysis by means of the chi-square test. No significant improvement was noted between grades for subjects in grades 1, 2, and 3. However, when grade 2 was omitted, significant improvement was noted for use on context in grade 3 over grade 1 (p $<$.05).;In a second phase of the study, subjects in grades 1, 2 and 3 (N = 42) were given word lists followed by the same words in passage form. Using the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, statistical significance in the use of context was not found.;It was concluded that an interactive view of the reading process best accounted for the data obtained in this study. It was suggested that Gardner's multiple intelligences theory might account for individual differences in reading styles. |
