The Change of Text Comprehension Based on Age

Abstract

This paper examines the changes in the quantitative and qualitative factors of text comprehension among upper-grade students. The speech comprehension test, which forms the backbone of the research (based on Mária Gósy’s GMP12 text comprehension test), aims to demonstrate the level of difference and direction of development in spoken language comprehension between fifth and eighth grade children. The research was conducted at the Idős Kovács Gyula Elementary School in Stara Moravica, with a total of 23 children participating in the anonymous study. After listening to a text, the participants were required to fill in a questionnaire focusing on the content of the text and unfamiliar words. The responses received in the questionnaire were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on the data, it can be concluded that the eighth grade performed significantly better than the fifth grade, largely due to the difference in the level of vocabulary development.