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The role of derivational morphology in the reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking English language learners

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Abstract

This study examined the relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in English among Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) followed from fourth through fifth grade. Students’ ability to decompose derived words while reading was assessed using an experimental task. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the contribution of performance on this task to reading comprehension above and beyond word reading skills, phonological awareness, and breadth of vocabulary knowledge. The relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension was found to strengthen between fourth and fifth grade, and in fifth grade, morphological awareness was found to be a significant predictor of reading comprehension. The findings were robust across two measures of reading comprehension and two methods of scoring the experimental task of morphological awareness, and thus support the inclusion of derivational morphology in a model of the English reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking ELLs.

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Notes

  1. In the correlational analyses reported here and multiple regression analyses that follow, developmental standard scores were used when available (for the WLPB-R measures and Gates-MacGinitie Reading Comprehension test) and raw scores were used when not (for the PPVT, CTOPP Elision, TOWRE Sight Word Efficiency, and test of morphological awareness); using these scores rather than standard scores allows for better longitudinal comparisons in that they are only interval scales that also do not constrain variation to be the same across time.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Grant 1 R03 HD049674-01 awarded to Nonie K. Lesaux, as well as a Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, and in part by a Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean’s Summer Fellowship awarded to Michael J. Kieffer. Some of these findings were presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Francisco, CA) as well as at the 2006 annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Studies in Reading (Vancouver, BC). The authors would like to thank Amy C. Crosson for major contributions to this research, William E. Nagy for his thoughtful insights into an earlier draft of this paper, and Carol Barry, Debbie Beldock, and Carol Osborne for their support of the project. Finally, special thanks to the principals, teachers, and students who participated in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Language & Literacy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Larsen Hall 303, 14 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Michael J. Kieffer & Nonie K. Lesaux

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  1. Michael J. Kieffer
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  2. Nonie K. Lesaux
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Correspondence to Michael J. Kieffer.

Appendix

Appendix

Derivational Morphological Awareness Task (adapted from Carlisle, 2000)

Practice:

  • a. Driver. Children are too young to ____________________________________.

  • b. Improvement. My teacher wants my spelling to _________________________.

  • 1. growth. She wanted her plant to _____________________________________.

  • 2. dryer. Put the wash out to __________________________________________.

  • 3. width. The mouth of the river is very _________________________________.

  • 4. density. The smoke in the room was very ______________________________.

  • 5. discussion. The friends have a lot to __________________________________.

  • 6. famous. The actor would achieve much _______________________________.

  • 7. fifth. The boy counted from one to ___________________________________.

  • 8. strength. The girl was very __________________________________________.

  • 9. decision. The boy found it hard to ____________________________________.

  • 10. popularity. The girl wants to be _____________________________________.

  • 11. runner. How fast can she __________________________________________?

  • 12. availability. The video will soon be __________________________________.

  • 13. glorious. The hero achieved great ___________________________________.

  • 14. originality. That painting is very ____________________________________.

  • 15. courageous. The man showed great __________________________________.

  • 16. admission. How many people will they _______________________________?

  • 17. baker. She put the bread in to _______________________________________.

  • 18. division. The cake is hard to ________________________________________.

  • 19. fourth. Seven minus three equals ____________________________________.

  • 20. continuous. How long will the storm _________________________________?

  • 21. swimmer. The girl loves to _________________________________________.

  • 22. furious. The man was full of ________________________________________.

  • 23. teacher. Mr. Gonzalez likes to _______________________________________.

  • 24. activity. The children are very _______________________________________.

  • 25. possession. How many toys do you ___________________________________?

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Kieffer, M.J., Lesaux, N.K. The role of derivational morphology in the reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking English language learners. Read Writ 21, 783–804 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-007-9092-8

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