The aim of this study was to examine the language skills of students with and without reading difficulties (RD) comparatively. For this purpose, a comparative descriptive research methodology was utilised with a participant group comprised of 52 elementary school 3rd grade students with and without RD. The results of this study revealed that students with difficulties in reading fluency were less successful in phonological processing than their peers with no difficulty in reading fluency. Also, students who had difficulties in reading comprehension were less successful than their peers with no difficulties in oral language assessments. In summary, it was recognised that students who experienced difficulties in reading also possessed difficulties in language skills. As a result, the assessment of both reading skills and language skills is critical for the identification of RD as well as for conducting appropriate intervention programs to address these difficulties.
Key words: Reading difficulty, reading fluency, reading comprehension, phonological processing skills, oral language skills
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