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The Role of Morphology and Short Vowelization in Reading Arabic among Normal and Dyslexic Readers in Grades 3, 6, 9, and 12

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research volume 36, pages 89–106 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was an investigation of several Arabic reading measures among dyslexics and normal Arabic readers across different ages (grades 3, 6, 9, and 12): the role of morphology, short vowelization (phonological and syntactic skills), spelling, reading isolated words, and reading comprehension. The results of the one-way ANOVAs indicated clear differences between the dyslexic readers and the normal readers on all reading measures. However, the stepwise regression analysis revealed consistent “orthographic” results: morphology (identification and/or production) and spelling were generally the most powerful predictors of both reading accuracy and reading comprehension among dyslexic and normal readers across these different age groups. The results are discussed in terms of the characteristics of the Arabic orthography and the heavy reliance of readers at all levels and ages on “orthographic” factors in reading.

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  1. Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, 31905, Israel

    Salim Abu-Rabia

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  1. Salim Abu-Rabia
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Correspondence to Salim Abu-Rabia.

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Abu-Rabia, S. The Role of Morphology and Short Vowelization in Reading Arabic among Normal and Dyslexic Readers in Grades 3, 6, 9, and 12. J Psycholinguist Res 36, 89–106 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-006-9035-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-006-9035-6

Keywords

  • Arabic morphology
  • Short vowelization
  • Normal readers
  • Dyslexic readers
  • Arabic orthography