Children with reading difficulties: A six-year follow-up from early primary school to secondary school

Abstract

This paper reports on the stability of learning difficulties from 7-8 to 13-14 years of age, and the factors associated with recovery versus persistence, among children from the Australian Temperament Project, a community-based longitudinal study. Children identified as having reading difficulties (RD) at 7-8 years were re-assessed at 13-14 years of age using school achievement and intelligence tests. Almost half of the children with RDs at 7-8 years had reading difficulties at 13-14 years, almost two thirds had spelling difficulties, and a majority had arithmetic difficulties. When achievement over all three areas was considered, more than 80% of early RD childien had a learning difficulty ..