THE DEVELOPMENT OF FIRST-GRADERS READING SKILL AS A FUNCTION OF PRESCHOOL MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATION AND PHONEMIC AWARENESS

This study examined the development of reading skill during the first school year. The predictors were pre-school motivational orientations, coping tendencies, knowledge of the alphabet and phonemic awareness. From 151 pre-school children (6 years of age) rated by pre-school teac hers on motivational orientations, 32 non-readers were allocated accor ding to their dominating motivational disposition to one of the follow ing extreme groups. task orientation, social dependence, ego-defensive , and multiple non-task-oriented. Each group included 8 children. The subjects' phonemic awareness and knowledge of the alphabet were assess ed. Coping strategies were observed in pre-school during a play-like c onstruction task comprising three induced pressure episodes. At the en d of the first grade the children were assessed on word reading skill and again on motivational orientation. Both group comparisons and idio graphic analyses were made, Results indicated that pre-school phonemic awareness was associated with first grade word reading skill. Rated t ask orientation in pre-school enhanced significantly the prediction of fluent word reading Task-oriented children showed significantly bette r word reading skill than ego-defensive or multiple non-task-oriented children. Ego-defensive and multiple non-task-oriented subjects showed significantly less task oriented, and move ego-defensive, coping beha viour under pressure than task-oriented subjects. This finding suggest s greater vulnerability of ego-defensive and multiple non-task-oriente d children which may contribute to diverging reading careers. Idiograp hic analyses indicated parallel developmental changes in reading skill , motivational orientations and coping patterns confirming the role of motivation in the formation of an individual's reading career.