Some Correlates of Reading Retardation

Abstract

A battery of perceptual, visual-motor and intellectual tests was administered to 71 boys and 71 girls as preschoolers. This was the entire enrollment for Grade 1 in a suburban elementary school. Chronological ages at the time of testing ranged from 5.5 to 6.5 yr. The intention was to provide a psychometric description of preschool children who subsequently might have difficulty in acquiring reading skills, with a view to early intervention by means of corrective techniques and appropriate programs. Several variables correlated significantly with reading skills as determined by a standardized reading test at the end of the first year. Reading retardation did not appear to be related to any specific single variable. The Stanford-Binet mental age, a more global measure, seemed most efficient as a predictor of future academic progress. Success in the first year is inversely correlated with the number of developmental deficiencies identified by testing.