Exploring the Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Sustained Attention on Reading Outcomes
Open Access
- Author:
- Alvarado, Charles
- Graduate Program:
- Educational Psychology (MS)
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 28, 2022
- Committee Members:
- Carlomagno Del Carmen Panlilio, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Peggy Noel Van Meter, Committee Member
Matthew McCrudden, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies - Keywords:
- Sustained Attention
Reading Comprehension
Achievement
Childhood Adversity - Abstract:
- Background: While researchers have identified childhood adversity as a risk factor for many poor reading outcomes and compromised attentional abilities, the mechanism that describes how childhood adversity affects the relationship between reading and attention remains unclear. Objective: To examine the role of sustained attention in predicting early (five years old) and later (nine years old) reading outcomes within a context of childhood adversity. Method: Three waves of data (ages 3, 5, and 9) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) was resourced for these analyses. Using a series of hierarchical regressions, three reading outcomes were examined among a longitudinal subsample of young children: 1. reading comprehension at age nine (i.e., Woodcock-Johnson Passage Comprehension), and 2. reading achievement at age five and 3. reading achievement at age nine, as measured using two constructed scales based on teachers’ evaluations of student performance. In the first block, child and parent-level factors were inserted. In the second block, sustained attention was entered. In the final block total ACE scores and behavior scores were added. Results: The results revealed: 1) sustained attention was a significant predictor of reading comprehension at age nine and reading achievement at age five and age nine above and over the effects of the any child- or parent-level factor, 2) male students performed worse on all reading outcomes than female students, 3) parent-level factors such as mother’s education, race/ethnicity, and income predicted reading comprehension scores 4) childhood adversity was not a unique predictor of any early or later reading outcomes. Conclusion: In this study, sustained attention was identified as a unique component of all reading outcomes. This result emphasizes the need to implement practices that foster attentional development in schools and trauma-informed practices to improve reading outcomes.