An effective reading comprehension measurement demands robust psychometric tools that allow teachers and researchers to evaluate the educational practices and track changes in students’ performance. In this study, we illustrate how Rasch model can be used to attend such demands and improve reading comprehension measurement. We discuss the construction of two reading comprehension tests: TRC-n, with narrative texts, and TRC-e, with expository texts. Three vertically scaled forms were generated for each test (TRC-n-2, TRC-n-3, TRC-n-4; TRC-e-2, TRC-e-3 and TRC-e-4), each meant to assess Portuguese students in second, third and fourth grade of elementary school. The tests were constructed according to a nonequivalent groups with anchor test design and data were analyzed using the Rasch model. The results provided evidence for good psychometric qualities for each test form, including unidimensionality and local independence and adequate reliability. A critical view of this study and future researches are discussed.

Cognitive development encompasses the mental processes involved in acquiring, organizing, and utilizing knowledge

Neste artigo apresenta-se o programa Aprender a compreender torna mais fácil o saber, destinado a alunos do 3º e 4º anos de escolaridade, que tem como objetivo principal o desenvolvimento das competências de compreensão da leitura, de estratégias de leitura e de metacompreensão. O programa foi implementado com 1.142 alunos do 4º ano de escolaridade. Na avaliação dos resultados, recorreu-se a um design de grupo único com pré e pós-teste. Os resultados indicaram a presença de diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os dois momentos de avaliação, e os resultados obtidos por esses alunos no exame de língua portuguesa de 2012 mostraram que: a percentagem de alunos que obtêm a classificação A e B é superior à média nacional; a percentagem dos que obtêm D e E é inferior à média nacional. Apontam-se como linhas de investigação futura a replicação do estudo com a inclusão de um grupo de controlo e a avaliação da perceção dos professores sobre o programa e a sua eficácia.

Students with reading disabilities form a heterogeneous group: some struggle with accurate and fast reading (dysfluent readers), others with comprehension (poor comprehenders), and some face challenges in both areas (poor readers). Research has indicated a link between executive functioning skills and reading performance; yet, further studies are necessary to fully understand the executive profiles in various types of reading disabilities. The goal of this study was to examine differences in executive functioning among three types of reading disabilities, comparing their performance with that of children without difficulties in either skill (typical readers). Ninety-one students from schools in Portugal participated in the study. The results reveal specific deficits in naming speed and cognitive flexibility in poor readers and dysfluent readers compared to the other groups. Additionally, poor readers exhibited significantly slower processing speed and lower working memory. However, no significant differences were observed in planning. Discriminant function analysis results indicated that the examined executive functions are better at discriminating groups with fluency deficits than those with comprehension difficulties. In conclusion, these results suggest distinct deficit patterns in executive functioning skills across different types of reading disabilities. Taking into account these findings is crucial for effective assessment and intervention with these children.