Word reading difficulties in a dual-script language: the role of working memory, phonological and morphological awareness

This study investigated predictors of vowelized and unvowelized word reading efficiency among third-grade students with reading difficulties, focusing on two primary goals. First, we examined the contributions of WM, PA, and MA in predicting reading efficiency. Second, we explored how WM interacts with PA and MA in both vowelized and unvowelized in predicting word reading efficiency. A group of 232 students was assessed on these skills and their word reading efficiency for both types of scripts was analyzed. The findings revealed that WM was significantly associated with reading efficiency in both vowelized and unvowelized scripts. PA contributed specifically to vowelized word reading efficiency, while MA was a key factor in unvowelized word reading efficiency. Furthermore, the contributions of WM and PA to vowelized reading, and WM and MA to unvowelized reading were found to be multiplicative, meaning that proficiency in both domains is essential for efficient word reading. These results emphasize that the role of WM, PA, and MA in word reading efficiency among children with reading difficulties varies across scripts.