The PASS to superior reading performance

ABSTRACT

Although the role of cognitive processes, such as planning, attention, simultaneous, and successive (PASS) processing in reading ability has been examined in samples of typically developing children and children with reading difficulties, it remains unclear if these processes also contribute to superior reading performance. Thus, in this study we examined (a) which PASS processes differentiate superior readers from average readers and (b) what is the individual profile of the superior readers. Thirty-six children with superior reading performance (standard score in Broad Reading equal to or higher than 130) and 43 average readers (standard score in Broad Reading between 85 and 115) were assessed on measures of general intelligence, planning, attention, simultaneous, and successive processing. The results of multivariate analyses indicated that the superior readers performed significantly better than the average readers only in simultaneous and successive processing. However, the superior readers exhibited diverse individual profiles of cognitive assets. The psychoeducational implications of these findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• PASS theory
• reading
• giftedness
• intelligence
• information processing

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the children of New Horizons, Suzuki Charter School and Sir Alexander McKenzie for participating in our study as well as their teachers for accommodating us in their school.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. To attend an enrichment program children must be tested and coded as gifted. Testing is usually conducted by a certified psychologist.

2. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age (t(77) = −0.006) and gender (χ²(df = 1) = .053).

3. We used FSIQ-2 as a covariate because the two groups differed significantly on general intelligence, F(1, 77) = 21.22, p < .001.