Verbal Comprehension and Readingin Children with Reading Delay

Abstract

Objective.
This study aims to describe differences between performance in reading tasks and the level of
verbal comprehension in subjects, with and without reading delay, as the relationship between both measures.
Method.
For this purpose, the reading subtests of the Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil (ENI) and the
verbal comprehension index of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) were used. The sample
consisted of 40 children, aged from 7 to 9 years old, in 2nd to 4th grade, from a low socioeconomic strata
school in Cali, and with an intelligence quotient (IQ) which averaged 86 Participants were divided into two
groups; 20 with reading disabilities and 20 who were normal readers, according to the scores obtained in the
ENI reading tasks.
Results.
The results showed differences between the perfomances of both groups of children,
as well as a significant positive correlation between ICV and reading comprehension of the ENI.
Conclusion.
These results are in accordance with the hypothesis that states that oral language development is one of the
most important facilitators of learning in reading acquisition, because while children understand what they say
and what they are told, they will be able to make sense of what they read.