The measurement properties of the inventory of reading occupations: An assessment tool of children's reading occupations

This dissertation established the initial measurement properties and clinical utility of The Inventory of Reading Occupations (IRO). The IRO is a self-report and interview questionnaire that aims to measure participation in reading occupations of children from kindergarten to third grade. This dissertation was comprised of two studies. The quantitative Rasch analysis of the IRO included administration of the tool to 192 children from kindergarten to third grade from five different states. Results of the Rasch analysis showed the over-all good fit of the IRO in the unidimensionality model of Rasch indicating strong construct and internal validity. The study also determined the ability of the IRO to reliably separate children in a continuum of reading participation, indicating strong test reliability. The qualitative clinical and classroom utility study of the IRO included a survey of 38 parents, occupational therapy practitioners, speech-language pathologists and classroom teachers and interviews of 20 children who completed the IRO. Thematic analysis of the survey results and interviews indicated that the IRO is a potentially useful assessment for clinicians and teachers to help improve children's participation in reading activities for children in grades 1-3. Results also indicated that the current version of the tool is difficult to use for children in kindergarten. Both studies provided insights on how the current version of the IRO can be revised to further strengthen its measurement properties and clinical utility, and be adapted for younger and older groups of children.