Vocabulary — Building Blocks of Comprehension?

This paper describes an investigation designed to probe the causal ordering between vocabulary and comprehension skills of primary grade pupils. Five causal methods were used to analyze a set of reading data obtained in a panel situation from second- and third-graders. The results suggest that the two reading components are probably causally related and that vocabulary is likely to be the predominant causal factor. There is strong evidence that the causal links are congruent. Similar patterns of results were obtained from the second- and third-grade samples included in the study. Considerable convergent validity was obtained through the use of the five causal methods.