Reading Abilities of 9 – 17-Year-
Olds with Williams Syndrome:
Impact of Reading Method
-
1
University of Louisville, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, United States
Purpose: Williams syndrome (WS) is characterized by a specific cognitive profile including relative strengths in verbal shortterm memory and language and considerable weakness in visuospatial construction. Although there have been many studies of the language abilities of children with WS, very few studies have focused on reading ability. Furthermore, the age range included in each study has been very broad, analyses were often based on age equivalents rather than standard scores making interpretation of the findings problematic, and information regarding reading instruction methods was not included. The purpose of the present study was to consider the impact of reading method on the reading abilities of 9 – 17-year-olds with WS.
Methods: Participants were 44 children with WS aged 8.93 – 17.71 years (mean: 12.49 years, SD: 2.61 years). Children completed the Differential Ability Scales-II (DAS-II) School Age version and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II (WIAT-II) Reading subtests. Mean DAS-II GCA (similar to IQ) was 63.14 (SD: 11.58, range: 39 – 98). Mean WIAT-II Reading standard scores were: Word Reading: 73.00 (SD: 20.58, range: 40 – 112), Pseudoword Decoding: 78.75 (SD: 15.83, range: 40 – 113), Reading Comprehension: 64.61 (SD: 18.97, range: 40 – 102), Reading Composite: 67.27 (SD: 18.84, range: 40 – 102).
Results: To consider the impact of reading method on the reading abilities of children with WS, participants were divided into two groups based on primary reading approach, which was determined from the child’s IEP, parental report, and when necessary discussion with the child’s teacher. 24 children were classified as using primarily a phonics approach and 20 as using primarily a sightword approach. The DAS-II manual provides predicted WIAT-II standard scores based on the child’s DAS-II GCA. Using this information, discrepancy scores (obtained WIAT-II standard score minus predicted WIAT-II standard score) were calculated for each child for each Reading subtest and the Reading Composite and used as the dependent variable in a series of t tests. Discrepancy score means and standard deviations are shown in Table 1. Significant and large differences favoring the Phonics group were found for all measures: Word Reading: t(42) = 9.36, p <.001; Pseudoword Reading: t(42) = 6.84, p < .001; Reading Comprehension: t(42) = 6.27, p < .005; Reading Composite: t(42) = 9.01, p < .001. Eight of the 20 children in the Sight-word group earned a raw score of 0 on Pseudoword Decoding.
Discussion: In summary, results indicated a very wide range of reading ability for children with WS relative to their age peers in the general population. Similarly to the general population, IQ was strongly related to reading ability. Reading method had a major impact on reading ability; children who were taught to read with phonics on average read at or above the level expected for their GCA. In contrast, children taught to read using a sight-word approach on average read well below the level expected for their GCA. Theoretical and applied implications will be discussed.
Conference:
12th International Professional Conference on Williams Syndrome, Garden Grove,CA, United States, 13 Jul - 14 Jul, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Multidisciplinary Poster Session
Citation:
Becerra
AM,
John
AE,
Peregrine
E and
Mervis
CB
(2009). Reading Abilities of 9 – 17-Year-
Olds with Williams Syndrome:
Impact of Reading Method.
Conference Abstract:
12th International Professional Conference on Williams Syndrome.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.07.030
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Received:
30 Apr 2009;
Published Online:
30 Apr 2009.
*
Correspondence:
A. M Becerra, University of Louisville, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Louisville, United States, angela.becerra@louisville.edu