Teach Effectively!

Disadvantaged children who read poorly appear to be likely to develop internalizing behavior problems during the later elementary years, according to a study reported in Child Development by Brian Ackerman (University of Delaware, US) and colleagues. Although it is not the case when they are younger, by the time they reach fifth grade, children from lower socio-economic situations who have reading problems are more likely than their peers to have their teachers report that they have withdrawn behavior, somatic complaints, and anxious-depressed behavior.

This longitudinal study of 105 economically disadvantaged children examined the relation between reading problems and internalizing behavior in 3rd- and 5th-grade assessments (8- to 12-year olds). The variable-cen- tered results showed that reading problems predicted change in internalizing behavior in the context of child and family predictors. The person-centered results showed that children with reading problems in both grades had higher internalizing scores in 5th grade but not in 3rd grade than children with reading problems in 3rd grade or no problems. Child-reported negative emotion experiences varied similarly across grade. The results tie reading problems to emotional distress in school and support conclusions about the direction of effects and the internalization of academic difficulty for disadvantaged children.

This is just one more reason to teach it right from the beginning.

Ackerman, B. P., Izard, C. E., Kobak, R., Brown, E. D., & Smith, C. (2007). Relation between reading problems and internalizing behavior in school for preadolescent children from economically disadvantaged families. Child Development, 78, 581-596.

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