Reading and linguistic comprehension: A systematic review

Reading is a fundamental activity for the development of linguistic comprehension. To the aim of investigating the relationship between reading practice and comprehension, a systematic review of the literature was conducted, taking into account empirical research studies. The totality of the studies found positive effects on comprehension. The results also revealed that this area of study is mostly focused on the primary school age group. Indeed, it is nearly always related to other aspects of language development but also to the promotion of a positive attitude towards reading, motivation, socialization, emotional skills and understanding of reality. Little heed seems to be paid to the optimal way of reading. The results suggest the need for a greater reflection on this practice and a more precise identification of how to implement reading aloud in order to identify concrete actions to support reading, both in scholastic and extra-scholastic contexts.