Morphology and Reading Skills in Arabic-Speaking Syrian Refugee Children

Abstract

Limited research has been conducted on the literacy skills of Arabic-speaking refugee children. This study investigated the concurrent and longitudinal role(s) of morphological awareness in Arabic word reading and reading comprehension. A total of 75 Syrian refugee children aged 6-13 years resettled in Canada were administered measures of nonverbal reasoning, vocabulary, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, word reading and reading comprehension at two points in time separated by one year. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for age, cognitive abilities (verbal and nonverbal), and phonological awareness indicated that morphological awareness was related to word reading and reading comprehension concurrently and longitudinally. Results are interpreted in the context of the current sample and the orthographic and linguistic features of Arabic. Implications for future research, assessment, and instruction are discussed.