Abstract
This paper reports a study conducted with French first-grade and second-grade children (mean age: 6;8 and 7;8 respectively). The first aim was to re-examine the Gough and Tunmer’s (1986) Simple View in assessing the specific contribution of decoding ability and language comprehension to reading comprehension. The second one was to analyse the difficulties of children in reading comprehension. Reading and listening comprehension were assessed using both visual and auditory version of the same test. Decoding ability was assessed by means of a nonword reading test. On the basis of reading comprehension scores, skilled and less skilled comprehenders were contrasted, and then two groups of less skilled comprehenders were differentiated on the basis of the decoding scores.
Hierarchical regression analyses computed on the whole sample showed that listening comprehension was a more powerful predictor than decoding ability in first- and second-grade children. In both grades, the pattern of performance in less skilled comprehenders showed a relative independence between decoding and reading comprehension. The good decoders’ group and the poor decoders’ group showed similar poor performance in reading comprehension and poor performance in listening comprehension. However, their difficulties could stem from different sources. Some instructional recommendations were formulated taking into account individual differences in decoding and spoken language abilities, as soon as the first months of formal reading acquisition.
Résumé
Cet article décrit une étude conduite avec des enfants français de première année d’école primaire (CP, âge moyen: 6 ans 8) et de deuxième année (CEl, âge moyen: 7 ans 8). Le premier objectif était d’examiner le modèle de Gough et Tunmer (1986) en évaluant les contributions spécifiques du décodage et de la compréhension de l’oral dans la compréhension de l’écrit. Le second était d’analyser les difficultés des enfants faibles compreneurs de l’écrit. La compréhension de l’écrit et de l’oral a été évaluée à l’aide d’un test utilisé en versions écrite et orale. Le décodage a été mesuré par un test de lecture de nonmots. Sur la base des scores de compréhension de l’écrit, deux groupes de bons et de faibles compreneurs ont été sélectionnés, puis deux sousgroupes de faibles compreneurs ont été différenciés sur leur niveau de décodage.
Les deux analyses de régression hiérarchique effectuées sur les échantillons complets de chaque âge montrent que la compréhension de l’oral est un prédicteur plus puissant que le décodage pour les enfants de première année et pour ceux de deuxième année. Pour ces deux années, les profils de performances des faibles compreneurs montrent une relative indépendance entre le décodage et la compréhension de l’écrit. Les bons et les faibles décodeurs n’atteignent que de médiocres performances en compréhension de l’écrit et de l’oral, leurs difficultés provenant probablement de différentes sources. Des recommandations sont formulées prenant en compte les différences individuelles dans le décodage et la compréhension de l’oral, observées dès les premiers mois d’apprentissage de l’écrit.
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Megherbi, H., Seigneuric, A. & Ehrlich, MF. Reading comprehension in French 1st and 2nd grade children: Contribution of decoding and language comprehension. Eur J Psychol Educ 21, 135–147 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173573
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173573