Exploration of the Structure of Selected Reading Readiness Tests.

A variety of factor analysis techniques were employed to explore the structure of five reading readiness instruments (Gates Reading Readiness Test, Developmental Tests of Visual Perception, Metropolitan Readiness Tests, Specially Constructed Readiness Test by Olson, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) as predictor variables of performance on the Stanford Achievement Test - Primary I, a commonly-used achievement test in reading at the first grade level. The identification of abilities that might underlie various readiness measures was of particular interest. The six instruments were administered to 218 first grade children representing a stratified sample of the socioeconomic make-up of three elementary schools in a southeastern city of 45,000 people. Four major factors were isolated: Verbal-Conceptual, Auditory-Visual Association, Specific Readiness, and Specific Perceptual Organization. These results are discussed in terms of previous reading readiness research. It is concluded that there continues to be a need for investigations of reading readiness constructs with the goal of further isolating those factors which seem most critical to specific reading behaviors at particular points in the developmental sequence. (PR)