An Early Reading Assessment Battery for Multilingual Learners in Malaysia

Dynamic tests as a language-free method for assessing reading in a multilingual setting

It is difficult to assess reading ability or diagnose dyslexia in Malaysia due to its complex linguistic background of simultaneous multilingualism and multiliteracy. Low scores on traditional reading tests could be explained by language and contextual factors rather than indicating reading difficulty. One method shown to be less sensitive to specific language factors is the Dynamic Testing paradigm (Elbro et al., 2012). Fifty-nine Malaysian adult readers of English and Bahasa Melayu and/or Chinese were recruited and their performances on the dynamic test assessed. Scores on the Dynamic Test significantly predicted potential reading difficulty as measured by the Adult Reading History Questionnaire (Lefly & Pennington, 2000) but not reading proficiency measured by a Lexical Decision Task (LDT). Participants were then grouped by language of first literacy: alphabetic (English and Bahasa Melayu) or morphosyllabic (Chinese). No significant differences were found between those reading morphosyllabic versus alphabetic orthographies for the Dynamic Test. The Dynamic Test was a significant predictor of potential reading difficulty in the alphabetic group only. Thus, it was concluded that the dynamic format could be a suitable assessment tool for multilinguals, but that further research is required to determine its utility, especially in non-alphabetic languages.

The Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Children With Reading Disabilities in a Multiethnic City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the risk factors for reading disabilities (RDs) among children. Based on these studies, factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and the home literacy environment have been widely found to be associated with children who have RDs. However, children from a multiethnic city are seldom investigated. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of RDs and the potential environmental risk factors in Shihezi, Xinjiang, where people of multiple ethnicities, including Han and ethnic minority children, live and study together. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Shihezi. A two-stage sampling strategy was applied to randomly select six primary schools in the city. In total, 6,539 students in grades two to six participated in this study. There were 6,065 valid questionnaires obtained for further analyses. We used the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children and the Pupil Rating Scale to screen for the children with RDs. The χ² test and multivariate logistic regression were employed to reveal the potential risk factors of RDs. The prevalence of children with RDs was 3.38% in Shihezi City and was significantly different between Han (3.28%) and Uighur (7.42%) children (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of RDs between Han and Hui children. Among these children with RDs, the gender ratio of boys to girls was nearly 2:1. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that gender (P < 0.01), learning habits (P < 0.01), and the home literacy environment (P < 0.01) were associated with RD. The results may be useful in the early identification and intervention of children with RDs, especially among ethnic minorities.