Effect of Conceptual Tempo on Kindergarten Reading Readiness

The present study examined the relationship between cognitive style and reading readiness in 104 kindergarteners prior to and after exposure to a treatment designed to modify conceptual impulsivity. Correlations were also obtained between errors and latencies on the Matching Familiar Figures Test and performance on the Metropolitan Readiness Test. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant differences between impulsive and reflective children on the Metropolitan. Errors on the Matching Familiar Figures Test negatively correlated with performance on the Metropolitan while response latency was positively correlated. No treatment effect was evidenced on either dependent measure although selected pre- vs posttest differences were observed. The results were discussed in terms of the existing literature and educational implications.

Conceptual Tempo as a Predictor of First-Grade Reading Achievement

The primary purposes of this study were to (1) ascertain the effects of kindergarten conceptual tempo classification on middle of first-grade reading performance; (2) compare the results obtained by the traditional Matching Familiar Figures Test double median split classification procedure with results obtained by computing a linear score for each child which combined his MFF standard scores for latency and errors. Regardless of the classification procedure, conceptual tempo did not significantly influence reading achievement at the .05 level. When equated for kindergarten reading readiness scores, significant vocabulary and comprehension differences were not found for tempo, sex, or interaction. It was concluded that the conceptual tempo of kindergartners does not appear of utility in predicting their middle of first-grade reading performance.