ERIC Number: ED120713
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1976
Pages: 30
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Study of the Syntactic Competence of Adult Beginning Readers.
Cox, Judy Richardson
In this study, a test of syntactic complexity was developed to be administered to adult beginning readers. The purpose of the test was to determine syntactic competence in the reading of these adults as compared with literate adults. The test was developed on the basis of a review of the literature related to acquisition of syntax, complexity of relative clauses, and order of difficulty of sentence transformation. The test was administered to 21 Adult Basic Education (ABE) students and to 21 college students. The findings proved the hypothesis that the syntactic capability of adult beginning readers would be less advanced than that of literate adults. Complex items were generally more difficult than simple items. It was concluded that the test instrument constructed, with some modifications, could prove to be a good diagnostic instrument for determining reading syntax needs of ABE students. The results of the study provide further research clues for constructing more suitable readability formulas. (Author/TS)
Descriptors: Adult Basic Education, Beginning Reading, Literacy Education, Measurement Instruments, Readability, Readability Formulas, Reading Diagnosis, Reading Research, Research Methodology, Syntax
Theses only--University Microfilms, P. O. Box 1764, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 (Order No. 76-9230, MFilm $7.50, Xerography $15.00)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Reading Association (21st, Anaheim, California, May 1976); Based on author's Ph.D. theses, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
