A Comparison of Intellectually Superior Preschool Accelerated Readers and Nonreaders: Four Years Later

Abstract

This study examined the reading/written language abilities of a group of intellectually superior eight- and nine-year-old students who had been identified as Accelerated Readers and Nonreaders at the age of four years. All subjects had previously participated in a study that examined specific factors in a supportive home environment related to the early development of accelerated reading abilities. During the origmaistudy, all Accelerated Readers read at a mid-first- to fifth-grade level; verbally produced vowel and consonant sounds when shown corresponding letters, and performed well when involved in inventive spelling activities. Nonreaders read no words and exhibited limited knowledge of letter-sound correspondences. When retested at the age of eight and nine years, the Accelerated Readers scored significantly higher than the Nonreaders on subtests measuring word attack and dictation: However, no significant differences were found on subtests measuring word recognition or comprehension. A review of school-based data indicated that the majority of the subjects in the two groups had been provided the same type of basal reading instruction upon entry into elementary school despite significant differences in their reading capabilities at the age of four years.