The reading performance of a group of fourth graders, judged by the teacher, as having normal development was investigated. A measure of efficient performance - low error rates and fast vocal reaction-times for correct responses to words (of varying familiarity, regularity and length) and non-words (formed with the same orthographic structure and length of the words) - was obtained and used as a basis for the identification of inefficiencies among the subjects whose results were outside the main range. Within these subjects there was an example of phonological dyslexia and many cases presenting impairments affecting both lexical and non-lexical processes with a bias to the phonological pattern. The discrepancy between the assessment of the teacher and the cognitive assessment conducted is discussed.
Efficient reading performance; dyslexia
