The Word Complexity of Primary‐Level Texts

Differences Between First and Third Grade in Widely Used Curricula

Datos Bibliográficos

ID10722011
AutoresDevin M Kearns (0000-0001-9703-0932, University of Connecticut Storrs USA, autor de correspondencia), Elfrieda H Hiebert (0000-0002-2864-7549, TextProject Santa Cruz California USA)
Año2022
Volumen57
Número1
Páginas255-285
Fecha de publicación2022-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReading Research Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0034-0553 • E-ISSN: 1936-2722
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/rrq.429
OpenAlexW3184308405
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas75

The Common Core State Standards emphasize the need for U.S. students to read complex texts. As a result, the level of word complexity for primary‐level texts is important, particularly the dimensions of and changes in complexity between first grade and the important third‐grade high‐stakes testing year. In this study, we addressed word complexity in these grades by examining its dimensions and differences in the texts in three widely used U.S. reading programs. Fourteen measures of word complexity were computed, and exploratory factor analysis established that four dimensions—orthography, length, familiarity, and morphology—characterized word complexity. As expected, the third‐grade texts have more complex words than the first‐grade texts have in the four dimensions, with the greatest differences in length and familiarity. More surprisingly, the words in the first‐grade texts increase in complexity over the year, but overall, the words in the third‐grade texts do not. Polysyllabic words are common in texts in both grades, comprising 48% of unique words in first‐grade texts and 65% in third‐grade texts. Polymorphemic words comprise 13% of unique first‐grade words and 19% of third‐grade words (for derived words, 3% and 6%, respectively, of all words). Results show that word complexity changes markedly between grades as expected, not only in length and familiarity but also in syllabic and morphemic structure. Implications for instruction and future word complexity analyses are discussed

Linguistics · Morpheme · Natural language processing · Sentence · Syllabic verse · Word (group theory) · Word lists by frequency · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Computer Science · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development · Text Readability and Simplification