FACTORS AFFECTING CHILDRENS READING OF RIMES - READING-ABILITY, WORD-FREQUENCY, AND RIME-NEIGHBORHOOD SIZE

Beginning readers were studied in 2 experiments to examine the influen ce of reading ability, word frequency, and rime-neighborhood size (the number of single-syllable words with the same rime) on word and nonwo rd recognition. Forty 1st and 2nd graders read 53 words and 27 nonword s containing rimes from different-size neighborhoods. Children reading at or below a 2nd-grade level were less affected by rime-neighborhood size than children reading at or above a 3rd-grade level. Rimes from large neighborhoods were read correctly more often in lists and storie s than rimes from moderate or small neighborhoods, particularly in low -frequency words. As children learn to read, they become increasingly sensitive to rime-neighborhood size.