A DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL FOR SPEED OF READING IN GRADES THREE THROUGH SIX.

THE DEVELOPMENTAL HYPOTHESIS OF THE SUBSTRATA-FACTOR THEORY WAS TESTED BY DETERMINING WHETHER SUBSTRATA FACTORS AT SUCCESSIVELY HIGHER GRADE LEVELS HAVE SYSTEMATIC CHANGES IN MAGNITUDE AND/OR ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION. A BATTERY OF TESTS WAS ADMINISTERED TO 927 STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 6 FROM 6 SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA. THE TESTS MEASURED MENTAL ABILITY, LISTENING COMPREHENSION, LINGUISTIC MEANING, WORD RECOGNITION, AND VISUAL AND AUDITORY PERCEPTION. THE RESULTING CORRELATION MATRICES CONFIRMED THE HYPOTHESIS. THE STATISTICALLY DETERMINED STRUCTURE OF SUBSTRATA FACTORS AT EACH GRADE LEVEL WAS FORMED INTO A DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL OF AN AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL'S GENERAL WORKING SYSTEM FOR ATTAINING SPEED OF READING. THEORETICAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS WERE DRAWN FROM THE RESULTS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY, FIGURES, AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN "READING RESEARCH QUARTERLY," VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1, FALL 1965. (BK)