Home environmental and behavioral risk indices for reading achievement

The goal of this study was to identify home environmental and temperament/behavior variables that best predict standardized reading comprehension scores among school-aged children. Data from 269 children aged 9–16 (M=12.08; SD=1.62) were used in discriminant function analyses to create the Home and Behavior indices. Family income was controlled in each index. The final Home and Behavior models each classified around 75% of cases correctly (reading comprehension at grade level vs. not). Each index was then used to predict other outcomes related to reading. Results showed that Home and/or Behavior accounted for 4–7% of the variance in reading fluency and spelling and 20–35% of the variance in parent-rated problems in math, social anxiety, and other dimensions. These metrics show promise as environmental and temperament/behavior risk scores that could be used to predict and potentially screen for further assessment of reading related problems. •Single metrics that capture risk in behavior and the environment could help identify problems in achievement•Home environment and behavior indices were created to reflect combinations of salient variables•Home and Behavior indices accounted for 4-7% of the variance in achievement scores after controlling for prior year scores