PREVALENCE OF READING FAILURE IN BOYS COMPARED WITH GIRLS

The hypothesis that proportionately more boys than girls experience re ading failure was tested on a sample of 708 children using both test-i dentified and teacher-identified criteria. Test-identified reading fai lure was defined by low scores on standardized reading achievement tes ts given at the end of first and third grade. For Severely Reading Dis abled (total reading score at the 10th percentile or lower), the ratio of boys to girls was 1.4:1 at first grade and 1.3:1 at third. At both grades equal proportions of boys and girls were represented in the Re ading Disabled category (total reading score between the 11th and 30th percentile). Teacher-identified reading failure criteria consisted of enrollment in LD and Chapter One (remedial reading) programs at first and third grades. Teacher-identified ratios of boys to girls in LD we re 2:1 at both first and third grade, exceeding the test-identified ra tios, while identification for Chapter One services did not show a gen der difference.