Perfetti, C. and Hogaboam, T. (1975). Relationship between single word decoding and reading comprehension skill. Journal of Educational Psychology, 67, 4, 461-469.
•Research Question: How do higher skilled and lower skilled readers compare on the decoding of words that they know the meanings of and how do they compare on the decoding of words that they do not know the meanings of?
•Methods: There were four independent variables(IV) in this study: student grade level, skilled and unskilled readers, word type – high frequency, low frequency, and pseudowords (non-words). The dependent variable (DV) in the study was the vocalization of words and non-words. Words were shown in random order by a projector onto a screen. When the word was flashed onto the screen a timer would start when the student began to vocalize their response and then the word would disappear. The timer would stop when the student stopped speaking. Students were encouraged to respond quickly. After the student read the words, a multiple-choice test was administered to test knowledge of the words in a set. This multiple-choice test gave researchers information about a student’s word knowledge.
•Findings: The experiment showed researchers that higher skilled readers were able to read all types of words and non-words quicker than lower skilled readers. High frequency words were recognized in the least amount of time, followed next by lower frequency words, and finally by pseudowords (non-words), which had the longest response time by either set of students.
Great job Sarah.
ReplyDeleteThere were three independent variables (IVs) in the study: reading level (skilled vs. less skilled readers), grade level (3rd vs. 5th), and word type (high- vs. low-frequency and pseudowords).
In the main findings you should also note that the skilled and less skilled readers differed the most on the low-frequency and pseudowords. The groups were not different in their naming of the high-frequency words. The main implication of this finding is that less skilled readers tend to use high-frequency words sight words in the absence of strong decoding skills.
You did not write instructional implications of these findings. What should we do as teachers in light of the findings from this study?
~Dr. Ari