ИСТИНА

The results of the study of the cognitive resources of learning to read in school age children with different mental development trajectories – with mild mental retardation (F70; ICD-10) and typical development are presented. The focus is on cognitive characteristics – the processing speed, working memory and non-verbal intelligence, as well as a number of indicators of reading performance – the pace and method of reading, the number of errors, the degree of understanding of the meaning of the text. Total sample included 220 schoolchildren (66.4% boys) with mild mental retardation from public special school (N=110, mean age = 11.26 years, SD = 2.43, range 7.16 – 17.08) and matched schoolchildren with typical development controlling age, sex, family socio-economic status. To assess the processing speed and working memory, the computerized tests ‘Choice Reaction Time’ and ‘Corsi Block’ were used. Non-verbal intelligence was measured using ‘Raven's Progressive Matrices’. Reading skills were assessed by testing in accordance with the Federal State Standard. ANOVA, mediation and multiple regression analysis were used. The results revealed that age-related changes in the success of reading during compulsory schooling are characterized by a nonlinear pattern in children with typical development and a linear pattern in children with mild mental retardation. The differences between schoolchildren with typical and atypical development in reading speed increase from Grades 1 to 7, and then from Grades 7 to 9 may decrease. The regression analysis confirmed the differences in the direct effects of the influence of non-verbal intelligence, information processing speed and visuospatial working memory on the reading speed. These differences in effects depend on the type of mental development and the level of schooling. Mediation analysis showed that no more than 17% of the differences in the success of reading between schoolchildren with typical and atypical development can explain by cognitive functioning.