Effects of levels of complexity and learning to read

Includes bibliographical references (pages 38-43)The study investigates the relationship between the levels of complexity of reading material and learning to read. Forty-five kindergarten children from Big Springs Elementary School in Simi Valley were tested to determine which level of visual complexity would aid children in learning to read. Three current beginning reading series were selected as examples of varying degrees of complexity. Children were randomly selected for initial instruction on one of the three series and then randomly Rotated through the other three series for transferability. The variables of time, error, and ability were considered significant in the assessment of the appropriate levels of visual complexity. There does appear to be a tendency towards a positive relationship between the levels of complexity and learning to read. Distar, the least complex materia1, seems to be the material in which the children take the least amount of time to learn, as well as make the fewest number of errors in learning to read. The Bill Martin Series, the most complex level of visual stimuli, seems to be the one in which the children take the least amount of time and made the fewest number of errors in being able to transfer the materials. Data support the discriminability theory in that the Harper Row Series (mid level of complexity) consistently required more time to learn, required more time to transfer, and resulted in more errors in learning to read as well as in transferring. Although, not all of the differences reached the .05 level of significance, there were consistently positive trends to support a relationship between visual complexity and learning to read