Reading performance and its developmental trajectories during the first and the second grade

This study examined children’s reading performance and its developmental trajectories during the first and the second grade. Ninety children were tested five times on word reading and reading comprehension. Qualitatively different groups were identified through cluster analysis: Competent, Technical, and Poor Readers. The results showed that the group membership in the Competent and Technical Reader groups was relatively stable across time but less so for the Poor Reader group. Moreover, seven reading paths were identified of which three were comparatively regressive paths. The results emphasize the importance of taking into account individual variation in reading trajectories during the initial phases of reading instruction.