DEVELOPMENT OF READING SKILLS IN FIRST AND SECOND GRADE AND THE MATTHEW EFFECT: RESULTS OF A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Abstract

In this study, children’s reading performances were monitored longitudinally from the first grade to the end of the second grade, and to what extent low reading achievement was observed among children, to what extent the performance observed in the first grade was maintained in the second grade, whether the Matthew effect was observed in their performances, and what type of SES and gender characteristics of children with different levels of reading achievement displayed were examined descriptively. A total of 427 children with typical development participated in the study conducted in 45 schools in Ankara. The reading performances of the children were evaluated four times during the first and second grade using the Literacy Assessment Battery (LAB). The results showed that the proportion of children with low reading performance was 34%, that the low reading performance in the first grade was maintained at a rate of 66.9% in the second grade, the difference between the groups with different levels of reading achievement continued to increase in the following semesters, and thus the Matthew effect occurred. In addition, it was found that children from the low SES had a higher risk of reading difficulties and girls showed a higher rate of lower reading achievement. Results were discussed in detail in terms of literature and practice.