A standardisation of the BAS Word Reading Test on a sample of ten - year six - month old Maltese pupils

Abstract

The British Ability Scales II Word Reading Test was administered to a sample of 230 Maltese pupils aged ten and a half years to determine their competence in reading single words in English. The sample constituted equally balanced numbers of boys and girls, all of which came from Year 6 of the state school system. Item analysis for the test items was carried out to evaluate each item facility and discrimination index for each word in the Maltese setting. As expected, this led to the identification of items which had good discrimination and facility indices and others which did not for the age at which this measure was administered. Norms for the age of ten years and six months were generated. Gender differences between the attainments of boys and girls were considered. Some geographic differences in attainment were also evident. Derived Maltese norms were compared with the published UK norms.