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Developmental Perspectives in Written Language and Literacy: In honor of Ludo Verhoeven
Edited by Eliane Segers and Paul van den Broek
[Not in series 206] 2017
► pp. 69–84

The role of metalinguistic and socio-cognitive factors in reading skill

| Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Canada
| Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Canada
| Department of Secondary Education and Youth Services, Queens College, City University of New York, USA

We present here a review of recent research on the role of metalinguistic and socio-cognitive factors in reading skill. We first review research on how morphological awareness and orthographic processing impact the acquisition of reading skill. We show that the first might account for change over time, and the second may not. We then turn to our new studies examining the interplay between these two factors in reading development. In each of these domains, we test predictions of theories of reading development. Finally, we turn to research on a very different set of variables, which we term socio-cognitive. We explore the factors that support academic outcomes for university students with a history of reading difficulties, including the role of a range of coping strategies and support services. Together, we hope that this review inspires new inquiry into understanding the factors that underlie successful reading acquisition.

Keywords: morphology, orthography, students with a history of reading difficulties
Article outline
  • 1.The role of morphological awareness in children’s reading development
    • 1.1Practical implications
  • 2.The role of orthographic processing in children’s reading development
    • 2.1Practical implications
  • 3.The interaction between morphological and orthographic factors in children’s reading development
  • 4.Socio-cognitive factors affecting the success of university students with a history of reading difficulty
    • 4.1Practical implications and next steps
  • 5.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 21 December 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/z.206.05dea
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