Evaluation of Reading Performances of Students with Reading Problems for the Risk of Learning Disabilities

In this study, the frequency of third grade students who have not acquired the grade level reading skills were examined and their reading skills were evaluated in terms of the risk for having learning disabilities. The study was carried out with 112 students in 38 classrooms. Teachers were asked to list the students with reading problems in their classrooms. Identified students were asked to read a grade level text. Students reading fluency and accuracy were analyzed. Students in the study were assigned to one of the reading levels (frustration, instruction, and independent) based on the number of words read correctly in the text. Results showed that about 13% of students in participating classrooms were reported to have difficulty in reading. Reading fluency rates in all three reading levels were much lower than the reading fluency norms identified for third graders. Syllable repetition and incorrect reading were the most frequently made reading errors. Reading performances of participating students suggest that their reading difficulties are more likely resulted from the underlying learning disabilities. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed.