Developmental patterns of receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension from age 4 to 14: A sequential latent growth model design

Early vocabulary knowledge is one of the best-known predictors of childhood reading comprehension. However, whether growth in receptive vocabulary predicts later growth in reading comprehension has had less attention. This study used two representative samples of Australian children (N = 4983 and N = 4570) to examine developmental patterns in early receptive vocabulary (age 4 through 8) and in later reading comprehension (age 8 through 14). Univariate latent growth models demonstrated negative correlations between intercept and slope factors for receptive vocabulary and reading in both samples, suggesting that children making the most progress in each domain were those who started with relatively poorer skills. Receptive vocabulary at age 4 positively predicted reading at age 8 but negatively predicted reading trajectories, indicating that children with stronger receptive vocabulary in preschool made the least progress on reading comprehension four to ten years later. Receptive vocabulary growth was unrelated to reading comprehension growth from age 8 to 14.

Educational relevance statement: This study examined the links between receptive vocabulary development in the first three years of school, and reading comprehension growth in the middle years. Despite strong links between these two aspects of literacy, the rate of growth in early receptive vocabulary was not related to how fast children's reading developed from age 8 to 14 years. Reading comprehension may therefore be better supported via instruction of subject-specific vocabulary, background knowledge building, or teaching reading comprehension strategies, rather than relying exclusively on broadening students' receptive vocabulary.