Developing an Arabic Reading Screening Test for ages 5-9 years “Arabic Reading Screening Test” (ARS

Abstract

Reading is using printed information to function in society, to achieve one’s goal and to develop one’s knowledge and potential. No other skill taught in school and learned by school children is more important than reading. It is the gate to gather knowledge. In the reading performance there are three types of procedures. The first one is a procedure for pronouncing words and non-words using the most common mapping between letters and sounds. The second is a procedure for mapping familiar written words directly into their corresponding phonological (sounds) forms. The last one is a procedure for mapping word directly onto its meaning. The three procedures are needed for making sounds in appropriate matching between outer stimulus (words) and inner storage (visual and phonological lexicon) in minds. Difficulty of reading is the most common complaint in learning disability children. Learning disability is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of efficient reading ('dyslexia'), writing ('dysgraphia') and/ or mathematical ('dyscalculia') abilities despite conventional instruction, intact senses, normal intelligence, proper motivation and adequate sociocultural opportunity.

Assessment of reading has been an issue to discuss through the past years. Among the tests assessing Arabic reading abilities, the ARST will be considered the only whole test that screen and assess the child’s reading abilities.The Arabic reading test (Abou El-Ella et al.,2004) and Awaad test (Awaad, 1995) were constructed to assess the reading abilities in children ranged from 9-10 years and 10-12 years respectively. Even the EGRA test assesses the children in grade 1, 2 and 3. So, the idea to design an ARST to be objective screening tool that can be used to give information about