The Relationship between Wide Reading and Listening Comprehension of Written Language

This study was the first to examine the relationship between wide reading and listening comprehension in the first language. It answered two questions concerning this relationship. First, higher levels of wide reading were associated with stronger listening comprehension ability. Second, there was indirect evidence to suggest that wide readers may be increasing their listening comprehension ability. One hundred and twenty fourth graders were measured on general language ability, estimated amount of wide reading, and reading-related language ability. A hierarchical regression logic was used to isolate the relationship between wide reading and reading-related language development. Further research that more directly investigates the relationship between wide reading and reading-related language development is called for. Few, if any, reading theorists or researchers would question the importance of oral language facility for learning to read. The use of the language-experience approach, the insistence on natural language patterns in the books to which emerging and beginning readers are exposed, even the practice of reading books aloud to young children, all assume that orality usually serves as the foundation on which reading is built. Another common educational practice that assumes a relationship between language and reading development has been the use of a measure of listening comprehension as part of a reading assessment. Two of the major standardized diagnostic reading tests include measures of listening comprehension (Durrell