The effects of morphological instruction on literacy skills: A systematic review of the literature

Bowers, P.N. & Kirby, J.R. (2010). The effects of morphological instruction on literacy skills: A systematic review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 80 (2), 144-179.


Instruction in morphological features of words may be a promising avenue for building literacy skills, particularly with "less able" readers. That is a refreshing idea, in light of the recent over-emphasis on phonological processing to the exclusion of other aspects of reading.

Two especially intriguing ideas surfaced here: One was the idea that dyslexic readers might access morphological knowledge as a compensatory mechanism, when phonological processing does not work for them. The idea of capitalizing on readers' strengths is resonant for me, as is the need for readers to have strategies that work for them. That need not be the same skill set for all readers, as long as it works for them. The second intriguing idea was the notion that it may be beneficial to build morphological knowledge with much younger children than has been favored in the past. Once again, my own recent experience in a first grade classroom leads me to agree with that notion.

As is typical in meta-analyses these days, the number of studies was limited (N=22). Still, this was a good review of current knowledge on its topic.