Word Recognition and Spelling Processes in Specific Reading Disabled and Garden-variety Poor Readers

Abstract

This study presents evidence relevant to the distinction between specific reading disability and non-specific or garden-variety reading difficulties. Within the context of a large scale longitudinal study of reading acquisition, regression techniques were used to define psychometrically extreme groups of specific and non-specific poor readers. Poor readers with IQs in the average to above average range and low IQ poor readers matched on age, sex and word recognition were administered a variety of word recognition and spelling measures. No significant differences were found on 25 out of 26 measures. The only statistically reliable difference emerged on the proportion of reading errors in which a real word was substituted for a regular high frequency word (MUST—‘most’). Overall, these data, together with the existing evidence, support the null hypothesis of no qualitative differences between specific and garden-variety poor readers.