SILENT READING-COMPREHENSION AND PHONOLOG ICAL PROCESSING - A PERSISTING RELATIONSHIP

A longitudinal research on learning of reading is reported, carried ou t in ten second-grade classes of children in schools of low socio-econ omic level, from second to eighth primary school grade. The aim was to determine the evolution of their learning. Children were re-assessed six times in reading performance. Phonological processing and its rela tionship to reading comprehension was studied as well. Final assessmen ts evidenced a subgroup of children who persisted in severe leading de lay during the whole period. Children in another subgroup overcame the ir initial decoding difficulties, nevertheless showing a delay in read ing comprehension later, as compared to normal readers. Phonological p rocessing assessed in second grade had a moderate and predictive corre lation with reading comprehension during all the years of the follow-u p and discriminated children showing the best achievement in 7(th). gr ade.