Abstract
A cognitive developmental view of learning to read was tested with 100 Year 4 children by examining the relationship of conceptual reasoning (multiple seriation and perceptual regulations), oral language (vocabulary and grammatic prediction) and reading (word recognition and comprehension). Regression analysis showed that multiple seriation and perceptual regulations, though related, are distinct in their contributions to the variance in reading.
Backward regression indicated that reasoning contributed to the variance in reading independently of the influence of oral language. Qualitative aspects of student responses suggest ways in which reading involves the reasoning tasks studied. The findings, by suggesting the importance of non-language mental structuring activity for children's reading, indicate that language learning explanations of reading may not be sufficient. The study calls for longitudinal follow-up to examine the dynamic of developmental change over the extended period needed for learning to read.