AN ANALYSIS OF THE LINGUISTIC AND READING COMPREHENSION ABILITIES OF SEVERELY READING DISABLED SCHOOL AGED CHILDRE

This study utilized standardized testing procedures to identify the reading comprehension and verbal language characteristics of a group of fourth and fifth grade disabled readers. A screening process was used to narrow the original subject group of thirty-one children to a study group of twelve children with normal vision, hearing, intelligence, and visual perception. Reading comprehension was assessed with a standardized test of reading comprehension. Verbal language was assessed with a standardized test of verbal language.;Descriptive, correlational, and inferential statistical procedures were utilized to analyze the data. Graphic comparisons of individual verbal language scores of the study group to the verbal language test norms isolated a language disorder subgroup of eight children. Pearson Product-Moment correlations between the sixteen reading comprehension and verbal language variables resulted in two significant negative correlations. Spearman rho correlations between the same sixteen reading and language variables for the language disorder subgroup yielded three significant positive coefficients and two significant negative coefficients. Reading comprehension in general was found to be significantly related to performance in verbal expression, specifically syntax. When the reading comprehension and verbal language mean scores of the study group were compared to the projected appropriate means on the reading comprehension and verbal language tests, statistically significant differences were found.;These results were discussed in light of the single and multiple causation theories of reading disabilities. Implications of the results for diagnosis and intervention with upper elementary grade reading disabled children were also discussed.