Reading Ability Research Articles

Distinct impact modes of polygenic disposition to dyslexia in the adult brain.

Dyslexia is a common and partially heritable condition that affects reading ability. In a study of up to 35,231 adults, we explored the structural brain correlates of genetic disposition to dyslexia. Individual dyslexia-disposing genetic variants showed distinct patterns of association with brain structure. Independent component analysis revealed various brain networks that each had their own genomic profiles related to dyslexia susceptibility. Circuits involved in motor coordination, vision, and language were implicated. Polygenic scores for eight traits genetically correlated with dyslexia, including cognitive, behavioral, and reading-related psychometric measures, showed partial similarities to dyslexia in terms of brain-wide associations. Notably, microstructure of the internal capsule was consistently implicated across all of these genetic dispositions, while lower volume of the motor cortex was more specifically associated with dyslexia genetic disposition alone. These findings reveal genetic and neurobiological features that may contribute to dyslexia and its associations with other traits at the population level.

Supporting In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers in Rethinking Formative Literacy Assessments

Oral reading assessments provide teachers with valuable information about children’s reading abilities, which can then inform instruction. However, the structure of some oral reading assessments (e.g., running records) have been critiqued, especially when they are used to provide students with a prescribed “reading level”. The purpose of the current study was to support in-service teachers (ISTs) and pre-service teachers (PSTs) in implementing a highly supportive oral reading assessment, the Listening to Reading–Watching While Writing Protocol (LTR—WWWP), which guides teachers towards specific instructional targets for individual children instead of a score or level. We were curious about the ISTs’ and PSTs’ perceptions of the protocol, including its affordances and limitations. Data sources were the ISTs’ feedback responses and the researcher fieldnotes after five professional learning sessions, as well as the PSTs’ survey responses after learning about the protocol during literacy method courses. Results revealed that both the ISTs and PSTs found the protocol to be useful, and they appreciated the concrete information it provides regarding multiple components of literacy (e.g., decoding, comprehension monitoring). However, they also noted logistical concerns regarding assessment implementation and selecting authentic texts. Results also revealed misconceptions about the assessment, which subsequently informed revisions of the LTR-WWWP and the related professional learning.

The Impact of Metaphors on Academic Text Comprehension: The Case of Students With Dyslexia.

Metaphor has long been used by scholars to make concepts more comprehensible. However, this use of figurative language has never been investigated in relation to the way students with dyslexia learn from academic texts. This study aims to assess the impact of metaphors on overall academic text comprehension in university students with and without dyslexia. Excerpts from scientific articles containing metaphors were adapted to be presented in two comparable conditions: metaphorical and literal. Legibility indexes were controlled for to guarantee the same difficulty between conditions. Twenty-eight students with dyslexia and thirty students without dyslexia underwent a multiple-choice comprehension task for two texts, one for each condition, and provided evaluations of text perception. A standardised assessment of general reading comprehension and cognitive abilities, such as reading speed, reading accuracy, and working memory was conducted. Data revealed that, when reading ability was controlled for, students with dyslexia presented significantly lower comprehension scores only in texts containing metaphors, despite comparable perceived complexity and increased interest in metaphorical texts. These findings suggest that metaphors used in educational discourse may not be entirely inclusive, as they seem to impose additional cognitive demands on students with dyslexia.

A Cognitive Diagnostic Model of Reading Ability based on China’s Standards of English Language Ability

Traditional English reading assessments in China typically provide a single summative score, without revealing the extent to which students have mastered different aspects of reading comprehension. Cognitive Diagnostic Models (CDMs), as a type of multidimensional latent trait model, offer diagnostic insights by presenting examinees' proficiency levels across a set of predefined skills. Cognitive diagnostic assessments based on these models can deliver multidimensional, fine-grained evaluation results, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional unidimensional score-based assessments. Based on the China's Standards of English Language Ability (CSE), this study constructs a cognitive diagnostic assessment model for English reading. Using college general English reading test papers and the G-DINA model, the English reading abilities of 200 students were diagnosed, and personalized performance reports were generated. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather students' evaluations and suggestions regarding the feedback reports. The results indicate that the cognitive diagnostic model for English reading, constructed according to the CSE, exhibits good model fit and high diagnostic reliability. The personalized performance reports visually and comprehensively present the strengths and weaknesses of the test takers' reading abilities, providing valuable guidance for students' future remedial learning. This study utilizes a multidimensional assessment approach based on cognitive diagnostic models to evaluate the English reading abilities of Chinese university students, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional assessment methods that typically offer only a single score.

POJOK BACA LASKAR CENDIKIA: INOVASI LITERASI MASYARAKAT DESA BERIRIJARAK

Literacy is a person's ability and skill in processing and understanding information from writing and reading activities. Reading plays an important role in the learning process as a means to absorb knowledge or understand a text. Reading as a cognitive process that seeks to find information in the text. The reading interest and reading ability of students is currently worrying, due to less interesting learning methods and public perceptions that prioritize basic needs such as food and clothing. Beririjarak Village, in East Lombok Regency, faces similar challenges, where early childhood is often involved in agricultural work and limited access to early literacy such as reading and writing before entering school. The objectives of establishing a reading corner include: increasing literacy, especially students' interest in reading. The implementation methods used are observation, interviews and collaboration with the village, as well as conducting socialization to the community and early childhood. The results of the program implementation show an increase in literacy, especially the interest in reading and participation of early childhood in literacy activities. The Reading Corner Program is a significant step in increasing early childhood literacy and providing them with access to learn to read, write, and count outside the school context. Through a comprehensive approach, including socialization and direct practice with early childhood, the Reading Corner program has succeeded in increasing their participation in literacy activities

Auditory Temporal Processing Can Predict Reading Measurements in Neurotypical Adults: Evidence for Cascading Effects of Low-Level Auditory Processing on High-Level Cognitive Ability

ABSTRACT Accurate processing of auditory timing information has been proposed as crucial for the development of various complex cognitive abilities, such as literacy. However, empirical validation of this hypothesis has primarily involved using isochronous stimuli, which do not capture the nonlinearity inherent in the perception of timing in speech and music. Additionally, most work has focused on clinical/developmental populations and assessed timing at slower time scales, limiting our knowledge of this relationship. The current study introduces a perturbation stimulus design aimed at overcoming these limitations. We examined the association between reading abilities and behavioral entrainment to perturbation stimuli and applied a novel curve-fitting technique to analyze participants’ entrainment in response to perturbations. We demonstrate that behavioral entrainment during the post-perturbation time window yields superior predictive value across a wide array of reading measurements compared to entrainment to isochronous stimuli (before the perturbation) in a neurotypical adult population. Our perturbation paradigm effectively reveals individual differences in auditory temporal processing among neurotypical adults, offering a novel approach to investigating the link between auditory temporal processing and literacy skills beyond clinical/developmental contexts. Our novel curve-fitting analysis effectively captures the nonlinear aspects of participants’ entrainment when recovering from tempo perturbations.

The reading seed programme (RSP)'s efficacy in fostering toddlers' reading habits in early childhood literacy

The Reading Seed Programme (RSP), an in-house literacy program inaugurated by Sarawak's State Library (PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak, Malaysia), has the potential to become the country's primary literacy initiative, particularly in terms of fostering a reading culture. The purpose of this paper is to empirically establish the reliability of survey measures as well as the feasibility of this toddler literacy program. The findings revealed that RSP capable enculturates effectively and has a significant positive impact on toddlers' reading ability. Nonetheless, the early childhood reading literacy program must consider each learner's unique learning style, incorporate updates or monitoring systems, improve training, develop a strategic plan outlining RSP outcomes, and clearly communicate the program's attitudinal components in relation to the desired results.

The Influence of Reading Strategies on Comprehension Skills in English Language Learners

Reading ability is a fundamental skill in language mastery, especially in English language learning. However, many students in Indonesia experience difficulties in understanding English texts due to a lack of effective reading strategies. This issue forms the basis of a study to evaluate the impact of reading strategies on improving students' reading comprehension. The aim of this research is to analyze how reading strategies can assist students in understanding English texts. The research employs a descriptive quantitative method, involving 50 students divided into experimental and control groups. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests and analyzed using normality and homogeneity statistical tests, as well as a T-test to measure the effectiveness of reading strategies. The results showed that the experimental group, which used reading strategies, demonstrated a significant improvement in comprehension compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the application of appropriate reading strategies can enhance reading comprehension skills, particularly for students learning English as a foreign language.

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE STUDENTS VOCABULARY MASTERY WITH THEIR READING COMPREHENSION ABILITY IN LEARNING ENGLISH AT SMPIT AJIMUTU GLOBAL INSANI TAMBUN, BEKASI

This study aims to identify and analyze the relationship between vocabulary mastery and reading ability in English language learning at SMPIT Ajimutu Global Insani. Good vocabulary mastery is often considered one of the key factors in improving reading ability, as a strong understanding of vocabulary directly impacts students' ability to interpret texts. This study employs a quantitative method with a correlational approach to measure the extent to which vocabulary mastery influences students' reading ability. Data were collected from 20 students through two types of tests: a vocabulary mastery test and a reading ability test. The analysis results reveal a significant positive correlation between vocabulary mastery and students' reading ability, although this correlation falls within the low category. These findings suggest that vocabulary mastery plays an essential role in enhancing reading ability; however, they also highlight the presence of other contributing factors that affect students' reading performance. Based on these results, it is recommended that vocabulary instruction in the English curriculum at the junior high school level be given greater emphasis to enhance students' overall reading ability.

Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension through Storytelling Frame

Reading is a basic skill that students must master and enjoy. Through reading, students can increase and improve their knowledge. However, reading is a challenging activity. Based on the observation, the author found that Elementary students in SDN 012 had low abilities in reading activities. This low reading ability has an impact on limited student participation in reading activities. Therefore, the author creates a story telling frame and stages of reading activities that can increase student participation in reading activities and improve students' reading skills. There were some stages done by the author. The first was designing a story telling frame, implementing reading activities with students, the second was using a story telling frame with students and teachers and the last was evaluating the story telling frame. The design of storytelling frame used square and round shape stainless in gold color. They were decorated with artificial flowers, dolls and cloth. The story telling frame was designed based on the theme of the story, which is “where is bear?”. There were 20 students who joined the story telling activity using the story telling frame. The pre-test and post-test on students’ reading comprehension revealed that students have better understanding on reading the text by using story telling frame.

EFFECT OF MULTIMODAL LITERACY ON READING ABILITY OF INDONESIAN JAVANESE LEARNERS

Over the past few years, the use of multimodal literacy in education has emerged as an effective educational tool in language instruction worldwide. As a result, language instruction methods have been replaced by conventional instruction with multimodal literacy, which has the potential to enhance learners’ engagement and comprehension of reading, particularly Javanese script. This quasi-experimental study aims to determine the effect of using multimodal literacy on reading ability of Javanese script learners and to find out Javanese learners’ attitudes of using multimodal literacy on their reading ability. The sample included 72 language learners at a senior high school in central Java, Indonesia. The pretest and posttest mean scores in Javanese script reading ability between the control group and the experimental group were analysed. The results indicate that the use of multimodal literacy as an approach effectively enhances the ability and fluency of Javanese script reading in underperforming learners. Additionally, learners reported positive attitudes towards multimodal literacy. This study suggests that multimodal literacy may be integrated into the Javanese language curriculum as it is more relevant to students’ learning preferences, and it is more responsive to diverse learning modes.

Risk of Reading Difficulties in School-age Children Treated for Non-syndromic Craniosynostosis.

We assessed the prevalence of guardian-reported reading difficulties in children treated for non-syndromic craniosynostosis (NSC) and in relation to the location of the closed suture. Additionally, we determined correlations with guardian-reported neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and associations between reported reading ability, sex, timing of surgical intervention, parental education, and heredity of reading difficulties in guardians. Cross-sectional, prospective, population-based study. Tertiary hospital. The cohort included 127 participants (aged 9-10 years) treated for NSC (76 sagittal, 38 metopic, 9 unicoronal, and 1 each of bicoronal, lambdoid, frontosphenoidal, and multisuture NSC). The prevalence of guardian-reported reading difficulties was defined as a score ≥8 out of 14 points on the Short Dyslexia Scale. We determined associations between reported reading ability and reported NDDs through binomial regression analysis. The cohort demonstrated a 14.2% risk of of guardian-reported reading difficulties, with sagittal, metopic, and unicoronal NSCs exhibiting respective prevalences of 10.5%, 18.4%, and 23.1%. NDDs were reported in 22% of participants and significantly associated with reading difficulties. The results indicated that participants with sagittal NSC showed the lowest risk of reading difficulties. Additionally, we found that NDDs represent significant risk factors for guardian-reported reading difficulties across the patient cohort. These findings underscore the need for targeted screening and support, especially for patients with metopic and unicoronal NSC, to guide clinical and educational decisions.

Analisis Hubungan Kemampuan Membaca Al-Qur’an dengan Pemahaman Ilmu Tajwid Mahasiswa PAI UIN Imam Bonjol Padang

This study aims to examine the relationship between the ability to read the Qur'an and the understanding of Tajweed among Islamic Religious Education (PAI) students at UIN Imam Bonjol Padang. A good ability to read the Qur'an is expected to show a deep understanding of the science of tajweed, which includes the rules and regulations of reading in accordance with the provisions of the laws of tajweed. This study uses a quantitative approach with a correlational method to analyze the relationship between the two variables with a sample of 20 people from 150 populations by sampling with random sampling. The data were obtained by distributing questionnaires about the ability to read the Qur'an and understanding the science of Tajweed. The correlation analysis technique is used to see if there is a significant relationship between reading ability and understanding of Tajweed. The results showed that there is a significant positive correlation between the ability to read the Qur'an of PAI students of UIN Imam Bonjol Padang and the understanding of Tajweed. Based on the results of test analysis conducted on SPSS 20, the sig Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) of 0.921> 0.05. Thus, in accordance with the basis of decision in the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test, it can be concluded that the data are normally distributed. Thus, the assumption or requirement of normality in the regression model is met.

The relationship between lead levels and reading acquisition in Spanish speakers, evidence from Uruguayan schoolers.

To investigate the cross-sectional association between blood lead levels (BLL), and pre-reading and reading abilities in first-grade children from Montevideo, Uruguay. Of 357 school children (age 67-105 months) enrolled into the study, 287(43 % girls) had a BLL measure and an assessment of pre-reading and reading abilities based on five tests (Verbal comprehension, Sound blending, Letter word identification, Sentence reading fluency, and Passage comprehension) from the Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz. Separate generalized linear models (GLM) were conducted on the relationship between BLL and each test score separately, adjusting for sex, maternal education, household assets, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory score, season, test administrator, blood lead testing method, and school clusters. The mean BLL was 4.0 ± 2.2 µg/dL, with no differences between the sexes. BLL was associated with a poorer vocabulary knowledge (β [95 % CI]): -0.20 [-0.39, 0.01]. For all the tests, children with BLLs ≥5 µg/dL tended to exhibit poorer performance than children with lower BLLs, but these associations were not statistically significant. When stratified by sex, some evidence of differential associations between BLLs and reading abilities emerged: BLLs were associated with higher phonological awareness in girls (0.32 [0.15, 0.48]) but not boys, and with lower reading comprehension in boys (-0.54 [-1.20, 0.13]) but not girls. Also, lead exposure (BLL ≥ 5 µg/dL) was more strongly and negatively associated with phonological awareness (-1.22 [-1.57, -0.86]) in boys than girls. In this study of first-grade children learning to read in Spanish, we found an inverse association between lead exposure and vocabulary scores, as well as tendency toward lower performance on pre-reading and reading measures among children with BLLs ≥5 µg/dL. Pre-reading and reading abilities are relevant to literacy acquisition; further research is required to confirm these links in larger studies, and to investigate differences between boys and girls, and according to key sociodemographic characteristics.

Music Educational Resources Integration, Teaching Strategies, and Innovative Approaches in Chinese Art Colleges and Universities

This study assessed the level of tolerance of ambiguity of non-English majors to cope with complex, incomplete, uncertain, and unknown context in English reading, which significantly influenced their reading strategies and ability. The study employed a quantitative research method, and three survey questionnaires were used to identify tolerance of ambiguity, reading strategies and ability of 400 non-English major students from HUAT majoring in automotive engineering and in economics and management. The findings revealed a significant correlation between high tolerance of ambiguity and the use of effective reading strategies, such as prediction, inference, and summarization. Students with higher tolerance levels were found to be more adept at navigating ambiguous texts and extracting meaning from complex English materials. Moreover, these students demonstrated superior reading comprehension skills compared to their peers with lower tolerance levels. The study concluded that fostering tolerance of ambiguity should be an integral part of English language teaching for non-English majors. Teachers were encouraged to incorporate activities that enhanced students’ ability to handle ambiguity, thereby improving their reading strategies and overall English reading ability. This research contributed to the field of second language acquisition by providing empirical evidence of the role of tolerance of ambiguity in English reading ability among non-English major students in Chinese colleges. Based on the findings, an enhancement program was proposed to help Chinese non-English majors deal with reading ambiguity, help them better use in reading strategies and promote their reading ability in EFL reading learning.

Tolerance of Ambiguity, Reading Strategies and Ability of Chinese College Non-English Majors

This study assessed the level of tolerance of ambiguity of non-English majors to cope with complex, incomplete, uncertain, and unknown context in English reading, which significantly influenced their reading strategies and ability. The study employed a quantitative research method, and three survey questionnaires were used to identify tolerance of ambiguity, reading strategies and ability of 400 non-English major students from HUAT majoring in automotive engineering and in economics and management. The findings revealed a significant correlation between high tolerance of ambiguity and the use of effective reading strategies, such as prediction, inference, and summarization. Students with higher tolerance levels were found to be more adept at navigating ambiguous texts and extracting meaning from complex English materials. Moreover, these students demonstrated superior reading comprehension skills compared to their peers with lower tolerance levels. The study concluded that fostering tolerance of ambiguity should be an integral part of English language teaching for non-English majors. Teachers were encouraged to incorporate activities that enhanced students’ ability to handle ambiguity, thereby improving their reading strategies and overall English reading ability. This research contributed to the field of second language acquisition by providing empirical evidence of the role of tolerance of ambiguity in English reading ability among non-English major students in Chinese colleges. Based on the findings, an enhancement program was proposed to help Chinese non-English majors deal with reading ambiguity, help them better use in reading strategies and promote their reading ability in EFL reading learning.

Analisis Kemampuan Membaca Permulaan Kelas III di SDN Pedesaan dan Perkotaan

Reading at the beginning of elementary education is an important stage in the learning process of early grade students. This reading ability is an essential basis for developing more complex literacy skills in the future. The aim of this research is to analyze the comparison of two elementary schools in improving students' reading skills located in villages and urban areas, then the obstacles/difficulties experienced by students in understanding reading. This research is descriptive qualitative research with a case study approach. Data collection techniques used interviews, EGRA tests, and observation. Based on the research results, it shows that reading ability in rural SDNs is lower than in urban SDNs. Difficulties experienced by elementary school students in rural and urban areas include; 1) difficulty reading vowels 2) reading words that have no meaning, 3) difficulty reading a sentence, 4) difficulty remembering words that have been spelled. Based on reading ability, there are 2 Factors, namely inhibiting factors and supporting factors. Supporting factors include; 1) interest in reading, 2) motivation, and 3) learning methods and media. Meanwhile, inhibiting factors are physiological factors and family factors.

Phonics Reading Method to Overcome Beginning Reading Difficulties on Elementary School Student in Surabaya

Reading is an important skill for students when learning activities at school because they have to understand concepts and theories from reading activities. One of the problems about beginning reading difficulties was experienced by MNE, an 8 years old grade 1 elementary school student. MNE has difficulty in reading at first, the client still finds it difficult to distinguish between letters or pronounces letter incorrectly, one of which is the letter b which reads p, g which reads j, f which reads v. MNE still don't know several letters such as the letters w, y, x, and q. The method used in this research is a qualitative approach with a case study method to strengthen the diagnosis of MNE based on existing symptoms. The assessments used were observation, interview, intelligence test, and EGRA reading ability test. The intervention using the phonic reading method for 4 sessions in 10 days. The results of the intervention showed an increase in the client’s reading ability to recognize letters well. Client’s motivation to read also increases by trying to read all things that he sees with validation from the people around him

The Use of SQ3R Technique to Improve Reading Ability at Tenth-Grade Students of MA Thohir Yasin

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the SQ3R technique in improving the reading ability of tenth-grade students at MA Thohir Yasin, with a focus on measuring reading skills before and after the implementation of the technique. A pre-experimental design using one group pre-test and post-tests was used in this study. The sample of this study was the X2 class which consisted of 20 students. The Data were collected from students’ pre-tests and post-tests using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using SPSS version 22 for Windows. After submitting the data to a paired sample t-test, it was found that there was a significant difference in the mean score between the pre-test and the post-test, t(df=19) = -11,258 at p=0.000 which meant that the alternative hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis was rejected. Thus, technique SQ3R significantly improved the reading ability of tenth-grade students of MA Thohir Yasin. Based on the research findings, the SQ3R technique has been shown to considerably increase students' reading skills, therefore English teachers should incorporate this technique into their reading education.

The longitudinal interplay of mothers’ and fathers’ literacy teaching and Chinese preschool children’s literacy interest and word reading abilities

AbstractThis study examined the longitudinal interplay of fathers’ and mothers’ literacy teaching and children’s word reading skills and interest in literacy. A total of 194 second-year kindergarten (K2) children and their fathers and mothers in Hong Kong participated. At the three time points from K2 to K3 (i.e., the third year in kindergarten), fathers and mothers independently reported the frequency of their own literacy teaching activities. Mothers reported their children’s interest in literacy-related activities. The children were individually assessed on Chinese word reading. The results from cross-lagged panel analysis showed that the children’s prior literacy interest was associated with later frequency of parental literacy teaching, but not the other way around. No significant relations were observed between the children’s word-reading skills and the literacy teaching provided by their mothers or by their fathers. Additionally, it was the children’s earlier word reading skills that predicted their later development of literacy interest, but not vice versa. Thus, the parents seemed to adjust their home literacy teaching flexibly in response to their perceptions of their children’s literacy interest. The findings also underscore the potential importance of word reading abilities in fostering children’s literacy interest.