Family background: a predictor of comprehension difficulty in the elementary grades

Abstract

This study examines how family background impacts the comprehension of struggling readers in grades 2-6. Background surveys were administered to parents (N = 51), who also completed cognitive and psychosocial measures. These data, in conjunction with student cognitive and behavioral scores, were used to examine the predictive validity of the family background instrument compared to two socioeconomic measures common to educational research (i.e., Lunch Subsidy, Hollingshead). Correlation and regression analyses examined how the variables composing family background correlate and their relationship to the students’ comprehension score on the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test. Components of family background were significantly related to students’ comprehension scores; and accounted for as much or more variability than either the Hollingshead or lunch subsidy status.