Gough and Tunmer’s Simple View of Reading suggests that

reading comprehension (RC) is the product of decoding skill (D) and oral language comprehension (LC)[1]. This study investigates the contentious claim that the Simple View requires enrichment through addition of an independent vocabulary factor [2,3]. In the context of the Simple View, vocabulary is just one aspect of LC, and so of equal import to comprehension of print or speech, as with all other aspects of LC. The question under examination here is whether the role of vocabulary should be modeled as distinct from general language comprehension ability, as assessed by measures of listening comprehension. The question is important, because of the influence that the Simple View continues to have on theoretical proposals regarding the cognitive processes involved in reading and reading skill differences. It is essential to test the assumptions of the Simple View precisely because of its influence. I. Purpose PARTICIPANTS Participant sample was drawn from low-literacy young adults (N=286; age=16-25y), and includes a wider range of such abilities than would typically be found in university students [2]. All received multiple tests of vocabulary, nonword reading, word reading, listening and reading comprehension. Raw scores for these variables are summarized in Table 1