Developmental variation in predictors of reading comprehension amongst Maltese students

Abstract

This study examined cognitive and language skills that are predictive of reading comprehension in Maltese in typically developing students of different ages. A structured random sample of three different grade groups of Maltese state school students, aged between 9 and 12 years participated in this study. This sample was representative of the population. They were administered a Maltese Reading Comprehension test together with three word-level tests (Non-Word Reading, Digit Span, and Rapid Naming), and three understanding-level tests (Jumbled Sentences, Listening Comprehension, and Ravens Progressive Matrices). Statistical analyses indicated that Reading Comprehension scores were primarily related to scores on listening comprehension and syntactic awareness (Jumbled Sentences). However, the youngest students showed greater influence of word-level processes on reading comprehension in contrast to their older peers.