COGNITIVE-PROCESSES AS PREDICTORS OF WORD RECOGNITION AND RESIDING COMPREHENSION IN LEARNING-DISABLED AND SKILLED READERS - REVISITING THE SPECIFICITY HYPOTHESIS

This study examines how cognitive processes interrelate as well as pre dict learning-disabled (LD) readers' word recognition and reading comp rehension performance. Correlations between phonological, orthographic , semantic, metacognitive, and working memory measures with reading pe rformance were examined in LD and skilled readers ages 8 to 12 years. important results were (a) LD readers were deficient on all cognitive processes compared with skilled readers, but these differences do not reflect IQ scores; (b) reading ability group differences emerged on a component composed primarily of working memory measures (referred to a s ''g'') as well as unique components, suggesting;that these differenc es emerge on both general and specific (modular) processes; (c) g best predicts reading comprehension for both groups; and (d) phonological awareness best predicts skilled readers' pseudoword reading, whereas g best predicts LD readers' pseudoword performance. Overall, LD readers ' information professing difficulties were described within a general working memory model that views such children as having difficulty acc essing and coordinating both general and specific processes. Results s uggest that the cognitive processes that contribute to reading deficit s are best understood in the context of their combination with other o perations rather than in isolation.