TY - JOUR

T1 - Decoding and reading comprehension

T2 - a meta-analysis to identify which reader and assessment characteristics influence the strength of the relationship in English

AU - Garcia, J. Ricardo

AU - Cain, Kate

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Review of Educational Research, 84 (1), 2014, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2014 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Review of Educational Research page: http://rer.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/

PY - 2014/3

Y1 - 2014/3

N2 - The twofold purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the relative importance of decoding skills to reading comprehension in reading development and to identify which reader characteristics and reading assessment characteristics contribute to differences in the decoding and reading comprehension correlation. A meta-analysis of 110 studies found a sizeable average corrected correlation (rc = .74). Two reader characteristics (age and listening comprehension level) were significant moderators of the relationship. Several assessment characteristics were significant moderators, particularly for young readers: the way that decoding was measured and, with respect to the reading comprehension assessment, text genre, whether or not help was provided with decoding, and whether or not the texts were read aloud. Age and measure of decoding arose as the strongest moderators. We discuss the implications for assessment and the diagnosis of reading difficulties.

AB - The twofold purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the relative importance of decoding skills to reading comprehension in reading development and to identify which reader characteristics and reading assessment characteristics contribute to differences in the decoding and reading comprehension correlation. A meta-analysis of 110 studies found a sizeable average corrected correlation (rc = .74). Two reader characteristics (age and listening comprehension level) were significant moderators of the relationship. Several assessment characteristics were significant moderators, particularly for young readers: the way that decoding was measured and, with respect to the reading comprehension assessment, text genre, whether or not help was provided with decoding, and whether or not the texts were read aloud. Age and measure of decoding arose as the strongest moderators. We discuss the implications for assessment and the diagnosis of reading difficulties.

KW - decoding

KW - word recognition

KW - reading skill

KW - reading development

KW - reading comprehension

U2 - 10.3102/0034654313499616

DO - 10.3102/0034654313499616

M3 - Journal article

VL - 84

SP - 74

EP - 111

JO - Review of Educational Research

JF - Review of Educational Research

SN - 0034-6543

IS - 1

ER -