Examining the Structural Validity of a Morphology Task With Struggling Adult Readers

• In Event: Adult Literacy and Adult Education Posters

Abstract

Previous research suggests that morphological awareness (MA) contributes to the reading comprehension of struggling adult readers. Many MA tasks assess the ability to append derivational affixes onto words (e.g., transform “teach” to “teacher”). Derivational morphology tasks often contain items that vary according to linguistic features. The current study investigated the structural validity of items in a derivational morphology task. Specifically, this study examined whether performance of struggling adult readers on a derivational morphology task represented two different skills: transformation of words containing phonological shifts (music musician) versus no phonological shifts (farmfarmer). Results indicated that responding to items with and without phonological shifts constituted different skills. Implications for these findings and suggestions for future assessment and research will be discussed.

Authors

• Gal Kaldes, Georgia State University

• Elizabeth Tighe, Georgia State University