Predicting Reading Fluency Groups Using Decision Trees in 6-Year-Old Children: Focusing on Language, Early Literacy, Speech Sound Ability, Gender, Age, and SES

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the level of Korean reading fluency and individual variables related to reading in children before the age of 6, and whether it is useful for the model to which individual variables are applied to predict the level of reading fluency. Methods: In this study, 343 6-year-old subjects of PSKC (Panel Study on Korean Children) in this study, DTA was conducted using the CHAID algorithm. Results: As a result of examining individual variables for general (gender, monthly age), SES, speech, and cognitive language measurement variables (level of speech sound disorder, word error index in sentence repetition), academic and cognitive skill (language and literacy, attention deficit); the measurement variables showed significant differences depending on the reading fluency group. In addition, seven variables significantly affected reading fluency (Reads first-grade books independently when evaluated by a mother, age, gender, word error index in sentence repetition, level of speech sound disorder, and reading all the consonants and vowels of Hangul when evaluated by a homeroom teacher, making rhyme words when evaluated by a homeroom teacher). Conclusion: The reading fluency DTA model can be applied as a model for selecting subjects who need additional reading guidance by classifying the reading fluency of those who are scheduled to enter elementary school. In addition to reading and phonological recognition of children’s individual and environmental factors already known in previous studies; the maternal educational level, gender, and age, consonants & vowels, reading ability, and word error index in sentence repetition were included.