The development of first graders' reading skill as a function of pre-school motivational orientation and phonemic awareness

This study examined the development of reading skill during the first school year. The predictors were pre-school motivational orientations, coping tendencies, knowledge of the alphabet and phonemic awareness. From 151 pre-school children (6 years of age) rated by pre-school teachers on motivational orientations, 32 non-readers were allocated according to their dominating motivational disposition to one of the following extreme groups: task orientation, social dependence, ego-defensive, and multiple non-task-oriented. Each group included 8 children. The subjects' phonemic awareness and knowledge of the alphabet were assessed. Coping strategies were observed in pre-school during a play-like construction task comprising three induced pressure episodes. At the end of the first grade the children were assessed on word reading skill and again on motivational orientation. Both group comparisons and idiographic analyses were made. Results indicated that pre-school phonemic awareness was associated with first grade word reading skill. Rated task orientation in pre-school enhanced significantly the prediction of fluent word reading. Task-oriented children showed significantly better word reading skill than ego-defensive or multiple non-task-oriented children. Ego-defensive and multiple non-task-oriented subjects showed significantly less task oriented, and more ego-defensive, coping behaviour under pressure than task-oriented subjects. This finding suggests greater vulnerability of ego-defensive and multiple non-task-oriented children which may contribute to diverging reading careers. Idiographic analyses indicated parallel developmental changes in reading skill, motivational orientations and coping patterns confirming the role of motivation in the formation of an individual's reading career.RésuméLes auteurs étudient le développement de la compétence en lecture pendant la première année d'école primaire (7 ans). Les facteurs prédictifs retenus ont été les orientations de la motivation, l'engagement dans la situation, la connaissance de l'alphabet et la conscience phonologique à l'école maternelle. Parmi les 151 enfants de 6 ans évalués par leurs maîtresse sur les orientations de leur motivations, 32 non-lecteurs ont été sélectionnés afin de constituer quatre groupes contrastés de huit enfants chacun selon leurs dispositions dominantes: 1) orientation vers la tâche, 2) dépendance sociale, 3) défense de soi, 4) non orientation vers la tâche. La conscience phonologique et la connaissance de l'alphabet ont été évaluées. Les stratégies d'engagement (coping) ont été caractérisées à partir d'observations à l'école maternelle pendant un jeu de construction (LEGO) comprenant trois épisodes avec des stimulations pressantes de la part de l'expérimenteur. A la fin de la première année primaire, on a évalué la compétence en lecture des enfants et de nouveau les orientations de leur motivation. Les résultats indiquent l'existence d'une liaison entre la conscience phonologique à 6 ans et la compétence à déchiffrer en fin de première année primaire. Le déchiffrage des enfants du groupe “orienté vers la tâche” a été bien meilleur que celui des enfants du groupe “défensif” et “non orienté vers la tâche”. Les enfants de ces deux derniers groupes ont fait preuve de beaucoup moins d'orientation vers la tâche et de davantage de conduites de défense dans leurs stratégies d'adaptation. Ces constats suggèrent l'existence d'une grande vulnérabilité des sujets appartenant aux groupes défensifs et non orientés vers la tâche, vulnérabilité qui peut perturber leur appentissage de la lecture. Les analyses idiographiques ont indiqué l'existence de changements développementaux parallèles en déchiffrage, orientation de la motivation et stratégie d'adaptation, confirmant ainsi le rôle de la motivation dans le déroulement de la carrière de l'apprenti lecteur.

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