Does Background Knowledge Contribute to the Simple View of Reading for Struggling Adult Readers?

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

Abstract

Research with adolescents and undergraduates demonstrates that background knowledge is a predictor of reading comprehension. Using the Simple View of Reading (SVR) framework, we investigated whether background knowledge contributes to reading comprehension in adults who read between the 3rd and 8th grade levels. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that background knowledge should be treated as a unidimensional construct for this population. Structural equation modeling revealed that after controlling for decoding and listening comprehension, background knowledge exhibited a direct effect on reading comprehension, uniquely explaining 4.8% of the reading comprehension variance. Additionally, significant indirect effects via decoding and listening comprehension suggest that the relationship between background knowledge and reading comprehension is mediated by the SVR component skills.

Authors

• Amani Talwar, Georgia State University

• Elizabeth Tighe, Georgia State University

• Daphne Greenberg, Georgia State University