Self-correction Rates in Oral Reading: Indices of efficient reading or artefact of text difficulty?

Significant differences in self-correction rates between good and poor readers are a well-established finding. However, previous research has failed to control text difficulty. Self-correction rates among good and poor readers were compared in a reading level design which controlled text difficulty. No significant differences were found between the groups when reading identical passages at equivalent error rates. Furthermore, self-correction rates correlated with reading accuracy but not with reading comprehension. It is argued that prior reports of significant differences in self-correction rates between good and poor readers do not substantiate the claim that self-correction behaviours tap factors that play a causal role in promoting reading acquisition.