| Abstract: | Recent research has indicated that the frequently noted relationship between spatial skills and reading comprehension may be the result of a functional dependency, rather than an instance of “third variable causation.” The current study was an attempt to test this hypothesis experimentally within the context of a remedial reading program for rural, low-SES adolescents. Comparisons of Gates-McGinitie reading test scores of an experimental group drilled on map-graph interpretation tasks, in addition to reading, and control group receiving only reading instruction significantly favored the experimental group. The results thus suggested that spatial skills operate causally on subsequent verbal acquisitions, and may be central to the amelioration of reading deficits among low-SES children. |
