Long-Term Effects of Orthographic Depth on Literacy Performance: Reading Comprehension Difficulties Across Languages

• In Event: Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Language Instruction and Assessment

Abstract

Despite educators' and researchers' persistent efforts, many students continue to struggle with reading grade-level text (Snow, 2002). Although orthographic depth has been found to affect the early reading process (Seymour, Aro, & Erskine, 2003), little is known about the influence of this language characteristic beyond the third grade. Subsets of data from the 2006 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the 2009 Program for International Study Assessment (PISA) were employed to determine whether reading in a deep language presents long-term challenges for poor readers. Results from multilevel analyses suggest that the poorest 10% to 25% of readers of deep orthographies may be continually challenged by the greater degree of ambiguity in their script.

Author

• Nicola McClung, University of San Francisco