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Investigating profiles of lexical quality in preschool and their contribution to first grade reading

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Abstract

This longitudinal study investigated profiles of lexical quality domains in preschool children and the extent to which profile membership predicted reading comprehension in first grade. A latent profile analysis was conducted to classify 420 preschool children on lexical quality domains, including orthography, phonology, morphosyntax, and vocabulary. Regression analysis was used to determine whether profile membership was associated with first grade outcomes across reading comprehension and its components (i.e., listening comprehension and word recognition). Results revealed five profiles of lexical quality which were predictive of all three outcomes in first grade. Children in low lexical quality profiles performed more poorly on the outcome measures than children in the higher lexical quality profiles. Additionally, profile membership did differentially predict later reading outcomes. These results suggest that lexical quality profiles are associated with reading and therefore may offer a means of early identification of children who are susceptible to future reading difficulties.

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Notes

  1. Given this high correlation, we tested a two-factor confirmatory factor analysis with reading (all measures) and listening comprehension. Model fit was worse than for the three-factor model; thus we retained the three factors.

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Acknowledgments

We are deeply grateful to the numerous staff, research associates, school administrators, teachers, children, and families who participated. Key personnel at study sites include: Lisa Baldwin-Skinner, Lauren Barnes, Garey Berry, Beau Bevens, Jennifer Bostic, Shara Brinkley, Janet Capps, Beth Chandler, Lori Chleborad, Willa Cree, Dawn Davis, Jaclyn Dynia, Michel Eltschinger, Kelly Farquharson, Tamarine Foreman, Rashaun Geter, Sara Gilliam, Cindy Honnens, Miki Herman, Jaime Kubik, Trudy Kuo, Gustavo Lujan, Junko Maekawa, Carol Mesa, Denise Meyer, Maria Moratto, Kimberly Murphy, Marcie Mutters, Amy Pratt, Trevor Rey, Amber Sherman, Shannon Tierney, Stephanie Williams, and Gloria Yeomans-Maldonado.

Funding

This work was supported by grant # R305F100002 of the Institute of Education Sciences’ Reading for Understanding Initiative.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Teaching and Learning and Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, 175 East 7th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA

    Kimberly A. Murphy

  2. Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Emerson College, Boston, MA, USA

    Kelly Farquharson

Authors
  1. Kimberly A. Murphy
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Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC)

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kimberly A. Murphy.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Please see the “Appendix” section for LARRC project sites and investigator details.

Appendix

Appendix

This paper was prepared by a Task Force of the Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC) consisting of Kimberly A. Murphy (Convener), Kate Cain, Hugh Catts, Laura Justice, Richard Lomax, and Jill Pentimonti, along with Kelly Farquharson. LARRC project sites and investigators are as follows:

  • Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): Laura M. Justice (Site PI), Richard Lomax, Ann O’Connell, Jill Pentimonti1, Stephen A. Petrill2, Shayne B. Piasta

  • Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ): Shelley Gray (Site PI), Maria Adelaida Restrepo.

  • Lancaster University (Lancaster, UK): Kate Cain (Site PI).

  • University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS): Hugh Catts3 (Site PI), Mindy Bridges, Diane Nielsen.

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Lincoln, NE): Tiffany Hogan4 (Site PI), Jim Bovaird, J. Ron Nelson.5

  1. 1.

    Jill Pentimonti is now at American Institutes for Research.

  2. 2.

    Stephen A. Petrill was a LARRC co-investigator from 2010-2013.

  3. 3.

    Hugh Catts is now at Florida State University.

  4. 4.

    Tiffany Hogan is now at MGH Institute of Health Professions.

  5. 5.

    J. Ron Nelson was a LARRC co-investigator from 2010-2012.

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Murphy, K.A., Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC). & Farquharson, K. Investigating profiles of lexical quality in preschool and their contribution to first grade reading. Read Writ 29, 1745–1770 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-016-9651-y

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