The Role of Morphology in Reading Development

This chapter addresses the role of morphology in reading development. We first explain how morphology contributes to the development of reading, and highlight critical research questions. We then outline differences between the most common tasks used in the literature. Based on the available empirical evidence, theoretical models of reading development are evaluated. Then the effects of inter-individual and cross-linguistic differences on morphological processing are discussed. We finish the chapter by presenting the evidence on the effects of morphological instruction and intervention studies on reading, and by highlighting challenges for future research.