Assessment Of Reading Ability Research Articles

Item Types: Their Effect on the Sensitivity of Multiple-Choice Cloze Tests

To evaluate the sensitivity of multiple-choice cloze (MCC) tests that use different types of items—syntactic, semantic, and connective—to assess reading ability, 170 English as a foreign language (EFL) students in a vocational college in Taiwan were recruited. The students were divided into two groups (level A and level B) based on their scores on 4 classroom reading comprehension tests. Both groups then took 9 MCC tests that included a total of 50 cloze questions. Connective items were most sensitive for assessing reading ability. Research results and pedagogical applications are discussed.

On the complex geometry of individuality and growth: Cook’s 1914 “Curves of Life” and reading measurement

Growth in reading ability varies across individuals in terms of starting points, velocities, and decelerations. Reading assessments vary in the texts they include, the questions asked about those texts, and in the way responses are scored. Complex conceptual and operational challenges must be addressed if we are to coherently assess reading ability, so that learning outcomes are comparable within students over time, across classrooms, and across formative, interim, and accountability assessments. A philosophical and historical context in which to situate the problems emerges via analogies from scientific, aesthetic, and democratic values. In a work now over 100 years old, Cook’s study of the geometry of proportions in art, architecture, and nature focuses more on individual variation than on average general patterns. Cook anticipates the point made by Kuhn and Rasch that the goal of research is the discovery of anomalies—not the discovery of scientific laws. Bluecher extends Cook’s points by drawing an analogy between the beauty of individual variations in the Parthenon’s pillars and the democratic resilience of unique citizen soldiers in Pericles’ Athenian army. Lessons for how to approach reading measurement follow from the beauty and strength of stochastically integrated variations and uniformities in architectural, natural, and democratic principles.

Computer-based assessment of reading ability and subtypes of readers with reading comprehension difficulties: a study in French children from G2 to G9

Reading difficulties in school are very challenging for teachers due to many different reader subtypes in one and the same class. Moreover, there are few easy-to-use tools enabling teachers to assess reading ability. According to the Simple View of Reading (Hoover and Gough in Reading and Writing, 2(2), 127–160, 1990), efficient reading comprehension is the result of an interaction between word reading (through three word representation levels: orthographic, phonological, and semantic) and comprehension (through three processing types: literal, text-connecting, and gap-filling inferences). Difficulties in one of these components, or in both, should lead to difficulties in reading comprehension and bring about different reader subtypes. This study aims, first, to examine the validity of the tool and, second, to explore performance reading patterns of children with reading difficulties. A population of 485 typically developing French children from grade 2 to grade 9 was tested using three computerized tasks that recorded accuracy and speed: lexical quality to examine the three levels of word representation; silent reading and listening comprehension to examine both literal and inferential processing. Results showed the appropriateness of the tool but also identified a number of limits. It was possible with the results to detect 76 children with reading comprehension difficulties and to divide them into 5 clusters essentially according to their word reading performances. The results are discussed in relation to the theoretical frameworks used to build the tool.

Exploring Reading Ability Diagnostic Assessment Using Eye Tracking Methodology

The aim of this study was to develop reading ability test using eye-tracking technology. This study was to analysis and categorize the reading ability assessment constructs and eye movement variables to detect reading disability or reading problem. Reading ability assessment constructs were decoding and reading comprehension. Decoding construcs had three subconstrucs: 1) phonemic awareness, 2) word recogntion, 3) reading fluency. Reading comrehension construcs had three subconstrucs: 1) literal comrehension, 2) Inferencial comprehension, 3) critical comprehension. Reader s eye movement were measured to diagnose and detect reading problems using eye-tracker technology. When decoding ability is measured, reader(subject) see print stimuli, then read aloud and eye-tracker measure eye-voice span, fixation of correct target(ex. letter or word) in presented text. When reading comprehension ability is measured, reader(subject) read questions and reading passage(or text), then they reread to find correct answer. At this time, eye-tracker measured reader(subject) s fixations, saccadesin, regressions in AOI(Area of Interest) which involved important informantion or evidences to judge correct answers.

Automated Scoring of Students’ Small‐Group Discussions to Assess Reading Ability

AbstractWe explored the feasibility of using automated scoring to assess upper‐elementary students’ reading ability through analysis of transcripts of students’ small‐group discussions about texts. Participants included 35 fourth‐grade students across two classrooms that engaged in a literacy intervention called Quality Talk. During the course of one school year, data were collected at 10 time points for a total of 327 student‐text encounters, with a different text discussed at each time point. To explore the possibility of automated scoring, we considered which quantitative discourse variables (e.g., variables to measure language sophistication and latent semantic analysis variables) were the strongest predictors of scores on a multiple‐choice and constructed‐response reading comprehension test. Convergent validity evidence was collected by comparing automatically calculated quantitative discourse features to scores on a reading fluency test. After examining a variety of discourse features using multilevel modeling, results showed that measures of word rareness and word diversity were the most promising variables to use in automated scoring of students’ discussions.

Assessing Reading Ability for Psychological Testing in Forensic Assessments: An Investigation with the WRAT-4 and MMPI-2-RF

ABSTRACTThis study examined the association between two measures of WRAT-4 reading ability—Word Reading and Sentence Comprehension—and two well-validated measures of inconsistent responding—MMPI-2-RF Variable Response Inconsistency (VRIN-r) and True Response Inconsistency (TRIN-r) among 136 forensic inpatients (90 men, 46 women). It was hypothesized that WRAT-4 Sentence Comprehension would demonstrate stronger associations with VRIN-r than WRAT-4 Word Reading. It was also hypothesized that there may be a minimal association between Sentence Comprehension and TRIN-r. Although WRAT-4 Word Reading was not significantly correlated with VRIN-r (rs = −.17, p = .07) or TRIN-r (rs = −.10, p = .31), Sentence Comprehension was significantly correlated with VRIN-r (rs = −.27, p = .01). A hierarchical regression predicting VRIN-r scores indicated that WRAT-4 Sentence Comprehension significantly accounted for an additional 5.4% of the variance in VRIN-r scores after accounting for self-reported education level and Word Reading (p = .03). However, Word Reading did not significantly account for any additional variance in VRIN-r after accounting for Education and Sentence Comprehension (incremental R2 = .001, p = .74). These results suggest that Sentence Comprehension (rather than Word Reading) should be assessed prior to administering psychological testing, especially in forensic settings.

Attentional Bias in Children with Asthma with and without Anxiety Disorders.

Children with asthma have a high prevalence of anxiety disorders, however, very little is known about the mechanisms that confer vulnerability for anxiety in this population. This study investigated whether children with asthma and anxiety disorders display attentional biases towards threatening stimuli, similar to what has been seen in children with anxiety disorders more generally. We also examined the relationships between attentional biases and anxiety symptomatology and asthma control for children with asthma. Ninety-three children, aged 8-13, took part in the study and were recruited into one of four conditions (asthma/anxiety, asthma, anxiety, control). Asthma was medically confirmed and anxiety was assessed through clinical interview. We used self- and parent-report questionnaires to measure child asthma (ATAQ) and anxiety (SCAS, CASI) variables. Participants completed a visual dot-probe task designed to measure attentional bias towards two types of stimuli: asthma related words and general threat words, as well as tasks to assess reading ability and attentional control. Results showed that attentional biases did not differ between the groups, although children with anxiety disorders displayed poorer attentional control. A significant correlation was found between poor asthma control and an attentional bias of asthma stimuli. While we found no evidence that anxiety disorders in children with asthma were associated with threat- or asthma-related attentional biases, preliminary evidence suggested that children with poor asthma control displayed biases towards asthma-specific stimuli. Future research is needed to explore whether these attentional biases are adaptive.

A longitudinal investigation of the relationship between crowding and reading: A neurodegenerative approach

We have previously documented two patients (FOL and CLA) with posterior cortical atrophy who achieved accurate and rapid reading despite deficits in ten measures of visual processing, with two notable exceptions: (1) a measure of visual acuity, (2) a measure of visual crowding. Subsequent longitudinal investigation of these patients was carried out, involving annual tests of early visual, visuoperceptual and visuospatial processing and assessment of reading ability. Follow-up assessments identified the evolution of a particular early visual processing deficit, excessive visual crowding; this deficit has been previously implicated in forms of dyslexia. Consistent with the link between crowding and reading dysfunction, follow-up assessments also revealed deterioration in both patients' reading ability. The current findings demonstrate a neurodegenerative approach towards understanding the relationship between visual crowding and the reading system, and suggest possible mechanisms for how excessive crowding may disrupt word recognition.

Assessment of Arabic phonological awareness and its relation to word reading ability

Phonological awareness (PA) is one of the most important components in the development of normal reading ability. It refers to the ability to detect and manipulate the sound structure of words independently of their meaning. The current study aimed to assess Arabic PA skills and the relation to word reading abilities in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children. The designed assessment was applied to 80 typically developing children, divided into two subgroups ranging in age from 5 years 6 months to 8 years 6 months. The design of assessment involved six PA tasks covering three levels: rhyme awareness, syllabic awareness, and phonemic awareness, as well as the assessment of reading abilities that include real word and nonsense word reading tasks. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation), Student’s t tests, and Pearson correlation coefficient tests were used to analyze the data. The reliability of the test was proven using the test–retest procedure. Validity of the test was estimated through internal consistency validity. The results revealed that the Arabic PA assessment test (APAAT) proved to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing Arabic reading skills. Findings from the study provided important insights into the developmental patterns of Arabic PA. In addition, the findings revealed a strong relationship between phonological awareness skills and the proficiency in word reading abilities in Arabic school-aged children.

Effects of Cooperative Learning Methods in German Language Arts on Reading Ability and Social Behavior of High School Students

This study examined the implementation and outcomes of cooperative learning methods in daily school life. In the context of an intervention wait-list control group research design lasting over two years, a group of Austrian students was taught using mainly cooperative learning methods in German language arts. In addition to standardized tests, self and peer report questionnaires assessed reading ability and aspects of social behavior before and after the intervention. Focus group interviews of teachers were used to investigate the implementation of cooperative learning methods in daily class life. The participants were nineteen teachers and 294 fifth and sixth graders from eight different schools at the secondary level. The results show that teachers prefer relatively specific cooperative learning methods. The results also illustrate that students who used cooperative learning methods in German language classes developed significantly better in reading comprehension than the students in the wait-list control group. However, concerning the reports of social behavior, most differences between the two groups failed to reach statistical significance.

Early identification or broken promises? A comparison of literacy assessment performance in 112 Swedish third graders

The national standardised literacy assessment (NSLA) for Swedish Language was introduced in 2009 as a grade-three compulsory assessment and includes the assessment of reading ability. It was introduced as a measure of relatively early identification of reading difficulties among nine-years old students. The primary objective of this study was to examine whether the NSLA is able to identify students with word decoding problems from a sample of third graders (N = 112; n = 57 girls; n = 55 boys) attending six schools in a Swedish municipality. Eleven students (10%) performed below the cut-off value for word decoding ability in students of this age group. Only three of these students were identified as not achieving the goals posed by the NSLA. In contrast, eight students with low word decoding ability managed to meet the NSLA requirements. Gender differences were observed, since all of the students who passed the NSLA, notwithstanding having low performance in WD, were boys. Although the NSLA was specifically introduced at this level to identify weakness in reading at an early stage, the results of this study indicate that approximately three quarters of students with poor word decoding ability may remain unidentified by the NSLA. These findings call into question the validity of the NSLA in recognising pupils in need of additional support in reading.

The Relationship Between Parent Report of Adaptive Behavior and Direct Assessment of Reading Ability in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study was designed to shed light on the profile of reading ability in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A key aim was to examine the relationship between parent report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of reading ability in these children. The authors investigated children's reading ability using the Wide Range Achievement Test—Fourth Edition (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006) and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability—Third Edition (Neale, 2007). Parent report data was collected using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005). Participants were 21 children with ASD (6-11 years) and their primary caregivers. Direct assessment of children's reading ability showed that some children with ASD have difficulty learning to read and exhibit particular weaknesses in comprehension. The results revealed positive relationships between Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales scores in the Adaptive Communication domain and direct assessment of children's reading ability across 3 measures of reading (word-level accuracy, passage-level accuracy, and passage-level comprehension). Although literacy levels vary among children with ASD, some clearly struggle with reading. There is a significant relationship between parent self-report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of children's reading ability.

The feature of high reading ability in high-functioning pervasive developmental disorders of childhood: Analysis of the K-ABC and WISC-3rd assessment

We aimed to examine whether children with high-functioning pervasive developmental disorders (HFPDD) have higher reading ability and how their reading ability relates to other cognitive components. Our participants were a HFPDD group (N=35) and a non-PDD clinical group (N=25). We assessed reading ability with the “Reading/Decoding” and “Reading/Understanding” subtests of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) Japanese version. To investigate the relationship with other cognitive components, we calculated correlation coefficients between the each subtest and the other K-ABC and WISC-3rd subtests scores. Analysis with a general linear model revealed significantly higher standard scores on the two subtests of the HFPDD group than the non-PDD. Pearson's correlation coefficients showed different patterns between the two groups (the two subtests significantly related to “Word order” and, “Mazes” in the HFPDD group). These results suggest that HFPDD children have higher reading ability, but read words like symbols without adapting for inferring and comprehending contexts through semantic application of the words.

The key parameters of design research and analysis of the Chinese reading visual acuity chart

Reading is a visual function human being used to understand environmental events based on writing materials. This study investigated the feasibility of reading visual acuity chart in assessment of reading ability by analysis of the key factors involved in the design of the visual acuity chart. The reading level was determined as grade 3 primary school with Song as the font and 30 characters included in the sentences. Each of the sentences consisted of 27 commonly-used Chinese characters (9 characters between any two punctuations) and 3 punctuations. There were no contextual clues between the 80 sentences selected. The characters had 13 different sizes with an increment of 0.1 log unit (e.g.1.2589) and 2.5 pt was determined as the critical threshold. Readable test for visual target was followed as (1) 29 candidates with a raw or corrected visual acuity (VA)of at least 1.0 were selected to read 80 selected sentences with the size of characters of 2.5 pt at a distance of 40 cm, (2) the time used for reading with the number of characters wrongly read was recorded, (3) 39 sentences were selected as visual targets based on reading speed, effective reading position and total number of character strokes, (4) The 39 selected sentences were then randomly divided into 3 groups with no significant difference among the groups in the 3 factors listed at (3) with paired t-test. This reading visual chart was at level of Grade 3 primary school with a total stroke number of 165-210(Mean 185 ± 10), 13 font sizes a 0.1 log unit increment, a song pattern and 2.5 pt as the critical threshold. All candidates achieved 100% correct in reading test under 2.5 pt with an effective reading speed as 120.65-162 wpm (Mean 142.93 ± 11.80) and effective reading position as 36.03-61.48(Mean 48.85 ± 6.81). The reading test for the 3 groups of sentences showed effective reading speed as (142.49 ± 12.14) wpm,(142.86 ± 12.55) wpm and (143.44 ± 11.63) wpm respectively(t1-2 = -0.899, t2-3 = -1.295, t1-3 = -1.435). The reading position was 48.55 ± 6.69, 48.99 ± 7.49 and 49.00 ± 6.76, respectively(t1-2 = -1.019, t2-3 = -0.019, t1-3 = -0.816). The total number of character strokes was 185.54 ± 7.55, 187.69 ± 13.76 and 182.62 ± 8.17, respectively(t1-2 = 0.191, t2-3 = 1.385, t1-3 = 1.686). A practical design of the Chinese reading visual chart should consider size, increment, legibility in selection of reading sentences. Reading visual acuity, critical threshold and effective reading speed could be used to express the reading visual function.

The Role of Reading Rate in the Informal Assessment of Reading Ability

This article, which focuses on oral reading rate, reports findings from a large assessment study in rural North Carolina. Students in grades 2 to 6 were assessed on the following measures: isolated word recognition (timed and untimed); oral reading accuracy, reading rate, and reading comprehension. Overall, the results (1) support traditional “instructional-level” criteria in reading diagnosis (e.g., word recognition-timed = 75%; oral reading accuracy = 95%); (2) provide tentative oral reading rate minimums for each grade level, 2 through 6; and (3) suggest that a word recognition-in-isolation measure, if timed (½ second), is an excellent predictor of oral reading rate or fluency. Practical implications accompany each of these findings.

The Immediate and Delayed Effect of Dynamic Assessment on EFL Reading Ability

Dynamic assessment rooted in sociolinguistic theory of Vygotsky has a long history in applied linguistics but has recently been the hot topic of EFL studies. The present study aimed at investigating the difference between applying dynamic and non-dynamic assessment of EFL reading comprehension ability and examining its immediate and delayed effect. 197 Iranian university students participated in this study. The design of the study was quasi-experimental and several t-tests were used for answering the research questions. The results of the study indicated a significant difference between dynamic and non-dynamic assessment of reading ability in favor of dynamic assessment. Also a beneficial effect of dynamic assessment for EFL readers was found and the effect didn’t fade away over time. This beneficial immediate and delayed effect on EFL reading ability can have useful implications for EFL learners, teachers and testers.

Long-term reading performance in patients with bilateral dual-optic accommodating intraocular lenses

To evaluate reading ability in patients who had cataract surgery with binocular implantation of a dual-optic accommodating intraocular lens (IOL) over a 2-year period. Department of Ophthalmology, Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Salucoop EPS-ServiOftalmos, Bogota, Colombia. Prospective case series. This study assessed reading ability 1 year and 2 years after bilateral implantation of the Synchrony IOL accommodating IOL using standardized Spanish reading charts based on MNRead charts. Testing was performed with distance correction and without near addition (40 cm). Patients read aloud sentences with a print size ranging from 1.0 to 0.0 logMAR. Responses were audio taped and analyzed offline to obtain reading speed (words per minute [wpm]), reading acuity (logMAR), and critical print size (logMAR). Mixed-model analysis of variance with time (1 year and 2 years) and print size (1.0 to 0.0 logMAR; 11 levels) as factors showed statistically significantly better reading speed at 2 years, with significant differences at print sizes from 0.3 to 0.1 logMAR (P<.01). Mean reading acuity (0.07 logMAR versus 0.15 logMAR) (P<.01, paired t test) and critical print size (0.28 logMAR versus 0.48 logMAR) were also statistically significantly better at 2 years than at 1 year (both P<.01, paired t test). There was no significant difference in reading speed at 0.4 logMAR (newspaper print or 20/50 Snellen equivalent) between 1 year (180.5 wpm) and 2 years (184.2 wpm) (P = .90, paired t test). The dual-optic accommodating IOL provided stable or improved reading ability over a 2-year period.

Parental Perceptions of Children's Reading Ability

AbstractParents play a key role in seeking support when their child is experiencing problems with spoken and/or written language. A key question is whether parents are able to identify the nature and extent of their child's difficulties. Here, we assessed children's text-level reading ability and parents' perceptions of these children's reading ability. Results showed that although the 10 children we assessed presented with a range of spoken and written language difficulties, parents significantly overestimated their child's reading performance (in terms of accuracy, comprehension and fluency). This is a striking finding and, to our knowledge, has not been reported previously in the literature. It suggests the need for a comprehensive assessment of reading ability when children present with suspected spoken and/or written language difficulties; at initial assessment, parents may not be accurate reporters of their child's reading ability. It is likely that parents of children with spoken and written langua...

Opposing effects of age and reading ability on pseudoword priming

Repetition priming refers to the facilitation of stimulus processing due to prior processing of the same or similar stimulus, and is one of the most primitive ways in which experience and practice can affect performance. Previous studies have produced contradictory results regarding the stability of repetition priming across development. Drawing on models of word priming that suggest decreased priming with increased reading ability, the present experiment investigated the possibility that null effects of age in priming are due to opposing effects of age and reading ability on priming magnitude. Forty-eight participants between 7 and 22 years old read aloud primed and unprimed pseudowords, after completing a reading ability assessment. In line with predictions, the magnitude of priming for pseudowords increased with increased age when reading ability was controlled, and decreased with increased reading ability when age was controlled. Moreover, neither the age nor ability effect was significant when tested without the other. Results were not influenced by explicit memory for primed pseudowords. Thus, the present experiment provides evidence for developmental increases in word priming, as well as a potential explanation for the lack of developmental effects in previous studies.

Reading impairment and visual processing deficits in schizophrenia

Individuals with schizophrenia show magnocellular visual pathway abnormalities similar to those described in dyslexia, predicting that reading disturbance should be a common concomitant of schizophrenia. To date, however, reading deficits have not been well established, and, in fact, reading is often thought to be normal in schizophrenia based upon results of tests such as the WRAT, which evaluate single word reading. This study evaluated “real world” reading ability in schizophrenia, relative to functioning of the magnocellular visual pathway. Standardized psychoeducational reading tests and contrast sensitivity measures were administered to 19 patients and 10 controls. Analyses of between group differences were further refined by classification of participants into reading vs. non-reading impaired groups using a priori and derived theoretical models. Patients with schizophrenia, as a group, showed highly significant impairments in reading ( p < 0.04– p < 0.001), with particular deficits on tests of rate, comprehension and phonological awareness. Between 21% and 63% of patients met criteria for dyslexia depending upon diagnostic model vs. 0–20% of the controls. The degree of deficit correlated significantly with independent measures of magnocellular dysfunction. Reading impairment in schizophrenia reaches the level of dyslexia and is associated with compromised magnocellular processing as hypothesized. Findings related to symptoms, functioning and recommendations for reading ability assessment are discussed.