Exploration of the Developmental Components Contributing to Elementary School Children's Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare rauding theory (Carver, 1995) to our own evolving model of reading acquisition, which supports stage and phase theories of reading development. The relations among rauding variables--cognitive power, auditory-accuracy level, word-recognition level, comprehension-accuracy level, reading-rate level, and reading-comprehension-rate level-were examined using structural equation modeling. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement subtests were used to operationalize the various constructs. Carver's (1993) model was assessed at each grade in two parts, with overlapping paths allowing cross-validation of some coefficients. For Grades 1 and 2, the fit indices were above. 95, indicating a good model fit. One additional path was supported-from word recognition to reading comprehension rate. The fit indices for Grades 3 and 4 were above. 95, supporting the modified Carver model. Analyses for Grades 5 and 6 produced fit indices above. 90, indicating drops in the level of association among the variables compared to earlier grades. The results of this study offer support to Carver's (1993) rauding theory and further advance the theories that children go through stages or phases of reading development. Although word recognition is a notable component of reading development throughout the elementary grades, its contribution to comprehension begins to lessen at Grades 5 and 6. There is, however, an increase with grade of the influence of cognitive power on reading comprehension, which is greater for crystallized (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised) intelligence than for global (fluid and crystallized) or fluid intelligence.