Group Stability and Reading Profiles of Students With Dyslexia: A Double-Deficit Perspective

This study examined the Double-Deficit Hypothesis (DDH) by classifying students with dyslexia into four distinct groups, comparing group differences on text-level reading tasks, and examining group stability across one school year (fall to spring). Elementary students ( N = 109) were administered measures of reading fluency, reading comprehension, and phonological processing across the school year. DDH group membership was determined by the presence of phonological awareness deficits (PD), naming speed deficits (NSD), double-deficits (DD) in both skills, or no deficits for typically developing (TD) readers. The McNemar test was used to determine the stability of DDH group membership. Analysis of covariance was used to compare DDH groups on text-level reading tasks at each time point after controlling for gender. Overall, reading profiles across the fall DDH groups were congruent with DDH theory, but instability was found in the reading patterns and group membership across time. Nearly half (47.71%) of participants changed DDH groups across the school year and reading skill differences between the single-deficit groups dissipated in the spring. Results provide partial support for the DDH subgroups. More research is needed to understand the utility of the DDH subtypes for future assessment and intervention practices.

Systematically Mapping Connection between Rapid Automatized Naming Task and Reading Performance: A Meta-analysis of Correlational Data

Introduction. This meta-analytical study of primary research on early literacy explores and summarizes patterns of correlation between performance on Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) task and measures of specific reading skills. This is the first large-scale meta-analysis intended to verify claims of the double-deficit hypothesis of relative independence of naming speed and phonological awareness factors in developmental dyslexia and to systematically map specific connection between RAN performance and various literacy competencies. Method. Two-hundred-forty-one primary studies identified through systematic searches of related empirical literature yielded 1551 effect sizes of two types – cross-sectional (correlations at the same time) and longitudinal (when measures of RAN and reading were considerably separated in time), reflecting RAN-to-reading correlations for seven independent outcome types. Results. The overall weighted average effect sizes were: r+ = 314, k = 1254 and r+ = 343, k = 297, respectively. Subsequent moderator variable analyses further explored RAN-to-reading associations dependent on RAN type, particular reading skills, age of learners and other factors. Among the strongest and most consistent in both sub-collections were correlation between symbolic RAN and reading speed and between non-symbolic RAN and reading comprehension, whereas both RAN types were strongly associated with decoding skills and reading composite measures. Discussion. Patterns of RAN-to-reading correlation provided insufficient support for the double-deficit hypothesis, but were suggestive of perceiving RAN as a measure of “pre-reading” skills, an “equal among equals” correlate of reading performance. The study also emphasizes the important role of both automatic and controlled cognitive processes for successful RAN task performance in its connection to reading competency.

Phonological awareness and quick naming of developmental dyslexia in Sekolah Dasar Inklusif Pantara, Jakarta

The weak phonological awareness and slow reaction time in word identification is a disorder that dyslexic people have in reading (Wolf and Bowers, 1999). Therefore, this study will investigate the ability of phonological awareness (phonological awareness), rapid naming (Rapid Naming) and reading ability of people with dyslexia. The subjects consisted of 4 children aged 7-8 years of dyslexia in Pantara Inclusive Elementary School, Jakarta. The four dyslexic children were compared to the control group (20 children from Kwitang 8 PSKD Pancoran Mas, Depok, who had the same age and gender as dyslexic children). The research used quantitative method with case study control design. The study was conducted with three experiments, namely: reading test, counting the number of silabel, and fast-track test. The first experiment consisted of 100 words (simple words, digraphs, diphthongs, and consonant clusters). The second experiment consisted of 48 words (24 words with illustrations and 24 words with trisilabik). All words are from the 10,000 words that have the highest frequency in the Indonesian linguistic corpus (Indonesianwac). The third test is 50 RAN letters (Pennington et al., 2001). Results showed that persons with dyslexia had a lower ability than the control group on all three tests. Dyslexic children tend to perform sound recovery, eliminate phonemes and swap words with nonwords and slow reaction times. Based on the results obtained, 2 dyslexic children data support double deficit hypothesis Wolf and Bowers (1999) because dyslexic children show phonological deficits and rapid naming deficits.