Early oral language comprehension, task orientation, and foundational reading skills as predictors of Grade 3 reading comprehension

Lepola, J., Lynch, J., Kiuru, N., Laakkonen, E., & Niemi, P. (2016). Early oral language comprehension, task orientation, and foundational reading skills as predictors of Grade 3 reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 51(4), 373-390.

This research study reminded me of the beautiful and often perplexing complexity of the reading process. As we get better and better at peeling away the layers of factors that go into that process, we keep discovering more layers.

This longitudinal study from Finland looked at how various literacy skills observed at age 4 or so predicted literacy skills of the same children in Grade 3. Though it is always interesting to look at such predictors, there are many studies that do so, looking usually at predictors like letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language comprehension. What made this study stand out from others is the way that in addition to studying those usual predictors, the researchers also examined a less commonly studied predictor of reading comprehension, “task orientation”.

Task orientation is defined here as “an umbrella term for a child’s tendency to accept challenging aspects of a learning task. This, in turn, is observed as approaching, exploring, and mastering behaviors” (p. 374). At age 4, children (n=90) were rated by their teachers on their “behavior, attention, and emotional expressions” (p. 378) while completing tasks. In Grade 3, teachers rated the same students’ task orientation using a motivational questionnaire appropriate for that age student.

Task orientation seems to be an important predictor of children’s oral language comprehension skills, which in turn predict reading comprehension skills. It makes sense that the way a child approaches a task and a text would potentially make a difference in her or his mastery of that task and comprehension of that text. It is good to see researchers accounting for motivational factors that predict reading achievement, even though such factors may be more difficult to observe and assess than some of the factors that are usually and more easily assessed (e.g., correct words per minute or story elements mentioned when retelling).

Now I’m wondering, where do we go from here? If we can pinpoint task orientation behaviors that relate to later oral and reading comprehension, can we find ways to identify children who may not be displaying strengths? If early identification is possible, could we design interventions to help those children have a better chance at success in comprehending texts? Teachers already know that learning to read is not just about learning skills; motivation also plays an important role. Without that, we can’t accomplish much. But how do we make that motivation happen?

As a postscript, I really appreciated the clarity and coverage of this article. In addition to looking at a predictor of reading comprehension that needed to be studied more, the article provided a concise review of what we know about the various other predictors. The clear descriptions of how each predictor was assessed were also helpful. The study shows how each factor was operationalized and how data were gathered in a logical and grounded way. The article would be a good resource for a course in literacy research or literacy assessment.