The Relative Contributions of Word Identification Skill and Comprehension-Monitoring Behavior to Reading Comprehension Ability.

Ninety-five fourth-grade children completed measures of reading comprehension, word identification, and several aspects of comprehension-monitoring behavior. Correlations indicated that word identification was the strongest predictor of reading comprehension. However, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that after the effects of word identification were partialed, comprehension-monitoring behavior explained significant additional variability in reading comprehension. Subgroup analysis indicated that the effect of comprehension-monitoring behavior was strongest among those students whose word-analysis skills were less well developed. Results were interpreted as suggesting that comprehension-monitoring strategies can be used to compensate for weaknesses in word-identification skills. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.