Reading Development in 2nd-Grade Students with Developmental Dyslexia: The Role of Morphological Awareness in First Graders

Objectives: This longitudinal study investigated whether morphological awareness (MA) ability in first-grade children with developmental dyslexia predicts differences in their second-grade reading performance. Methods: Twenty first-grade children with developmental dyslexia were divided into MA-good (N=10) and MA-poor (N=10) groups based on their MA performance. Their reading skills (decoding, text reading fluency, and reading comprehension) were assessed at T1 (first semester of first grade) and T2 (first semester of second grade). Results: There was no significant group difference in decoding ability at T1, but a significant difference was observed at T2. Text reading fluency did not differ significantly between groups at either time point. In reading comprehension, however, a significant interaction effect emerged, with the gap between groups widening by T2. Conclusion: MA ability plays a critical role in the reading development of children with developmental dyslexia, particularly affecting reading comprehension. This underscores the importance of MA skills in early elementary students. Future research should examine the impact of MA on reading performance beyond the second grade.