A Novel Battery of Graded Word and Non-Word Reading Tests to Identify Sub-Lexical Dyslexia in Kannada

Abstract

Background: Sub-lexical dyslexia is characterized by difficulty in reading non-words relative to true words. Identification of this impairment requires tests assessing word and non-word reading performances. No such tests are available in Kannada, a South-Indian language. Objectives: a) to develop and validate: Graded word and Graded non-word reading tests in Kannada b) to standardize the tests by administering on 100 children each from Grades III to VII and to establish grade-wise criteria to identify sub-lexical dyslexia. Methods: The Graded Word Reading Test was developed separately for Grades III-VII by compiling 30 words each from Kannada textbook of the specific grade. The Graded Nonword Reading Test was developed by creating 70 randomized non-words. It was then given to 10 Kannada teachers to opine on the pronounceability and suitability of items for target Grades. The test battery was later administered on 25 children with good oral reading skills and subsequently standardized on a cross-section of 500 children from four Kannada-medium schools. This data was used to establish Grade-specific criteria for reading words and non-words in Kannada. Results: The Graded-word and non-word reading test demonstrated good content and face validity. A total of 44 (8.8%) children were identified to have sub-lexical dyslexia across Grades. Conclusion: This novel test battery is first of its kind which also ‘quantifies’ the ‘relative performances’ on word and nonword reading to identify sub-lexical dyslexia in Kannada from Grades III to VII.