A Study of the Relationship Between Speed of Retrieval of Verbal Information and Patterns of Oral Reading Errors

Abstract

Do children with learning problems, who vary in speed of verbal retrieval, tend to use reading strategies differerzt from those of normal readers? This study explored one aspect of that question by examining the relutionship between speed of retrieval of verbal information and patterns of oral reading responses in a population of 91 children with learning problems in grades 2 through 5. A Naming Task required the rapid naming of colors, numbers, upper and lower case letters, and common objects. An oral reading selection was analyzed using categories from the Reading Miscue Inventory. The findings suggest that rapid and slow retrievers develop oral reading strategies similar to normal readers, and that children with learning problems can and do use graphophonic, svtuaotic, and semantic cues. Implications for the re-evaluation of special programs designed for children with learning problems are discussed.