Exploring the Independent and Interactive Effects of Metalinguistic Skills on Decoding With Struggling Adult Readers

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: Adult Literacy and Adult Education Posters

Abstract

This study investigates the shared, independent, and interactive effects of metalinguistic skills (phonological awareness [PA], morphological awareness [MA], orthographic knowledge [OK]) to decoding with struggling adult readers. Controlling for vocabulary knowledge, a second-order latent factor of metalinguistic awareness accounted for unique variance (62.5%) in adults’ decoding skills. Two-way interactions between the metalinguistic skills (PA x MA, MA x OK, PA x OK) revealed unique interactive contributions of these skills to decoding controlling for the metalinguistic skill main effects and vocabulary knowledge. In particular, high levels of MA are critical to decoding irrespective of high or low PA and OK. These results indicate the importance as well as complexity of the nature of metalinguistic skills underlying decoding for struggling adult readers.

Authors

• Mary Fernandes, Georgia State University

• Elizabeth Tighe, Georgia State University