Morphology: Is it a means by which teachers can foster literacy development in older primary students with literacy learning difficulties?

Abstract

This article details findings from research that involved a targeted literacy intervention developed for use with students with literacy learning difficulties (LLD). We discuss changes in the literacy skills of two groups of students with LLD over the course of the intervention that included explicit instruction in morphological awareness. Thirty-six students with LLD, from Years 4 to 6 participated in the two studies, which were held over one school year. Analyses indicated that in both studies students made significant gains in measures of literacy that included reading accuracy and reading comprehension. These findings suggest that teachers should consider how a focus on morphology and its associated derivational complexities, could benefit the literacy development of students with LLD.