Can LASSI Score Profiles Help Identify Postsecondary Students with Underlying Reading Problems?

This study investigated whether scores on the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) could be used to identify postsecondary students who had deficiencies in reading comprehension and vocabulary as measured by the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT). The sample consisted of 110 voluntary respondents from among students entering UNBC. While there were significant correlations between some of the LASSI scales and percentile ranks on the NDRT, the significant LASSI scales could not be used to reliably classify poor readers. Participants who obtained low percentile rankings on vocabulary and comprehension were most often misclassified as average or good readers. Further research is required to obtain an understanding of the relationship between scores on the LASSI scales and levels of reading proficiency.