Reading Attainment Research Articles

Does Early Childhood Education Matter on Reading Achievement Among Arab Countries

Our research focuses on the impact of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the reading achievement of pupils in primary schools in MENA countries. The study employed the international data from PIRLS 2016 to identify the effect of early literacy practices on later reading attainment. Leveraging data from the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, we utilize ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and quantile regression to estimate education production functions for each country individually. This approach enables us to assess how coefficients on explanatory variables vary across the spectrum of test scores. The results show that in MENA countries, early childhood education, which develops pupils’ skills acquisition before formal schooling, improves their reading performance. In sum, The Early childhood education effect can be reinforced through government policy and family background. In addition, we recommend a universal access to early childhood education., concentration of early childhood services in the private sector makes the programs confined only to wealthy people who can afford them, especially people living in urban cities and improve the quality of early education by implementing appropriate curricula and modern teaching.

The level of predictability of past reading attainment and self-perception and behavioural measures on children’s reading achievement

This longitudinal study used regression path models to predict the influence on students’ reading comprehension ability of three self-perception variables (reading self-concept; reading/English effort; academic self-handicapping); three teacher rating behaviour variables (attentive behaviour; sociable behaviour; and settled behaviour) and past reading comprehension. As part of the study, a 12-item reading/English effort scale was developed, and its psychometrics characteristics reported ( N = 254) The participants were Australian primary school students, followed from Years 3 and 4 to Years 5 and 6 ( n = 127). The first path model identified that attending behaviours, low levels of self-handicapping, and reading self-concept were the main predictors of reading achievement. Reading achievement was reassessed two years on, with this path model including past reading attainment. In this model past reading achievement and self-handicapping predicted reading achievement. This research reiterates: the relevance of social-emotional and cognitive variables in education; the need to teach reading across the school years; and the need to enhance students’ sense of control and certainty over their learning.

Reading for pleasure: scrutinising the evidence base – benefits, tensions and recommendations

Compelling international evidence illustrates the potential of reading for pleasure for enhancing student reading achievement along with other learning and wellbeing outcomes. Yet profound challenges exist for nations seeking to encompass attention to students’ volitional reading. In this paper we critically review the growing research evidence in this area by drawing systematically on cognitive psychological studies of reading attainment and motivation, educational studies of classroom practice, and the work of literary scholars and medical professionals. We consider and critique the methodologies deployed and read between the lines, exposing contradictions and complexities across this interdisciplinary field before considering the demands of operationalising this agenda in education. Through a dual focus on England and Australia, where, exemplifying international trends, young people’s voluntary reading continues to decline, we examine difficulties and dilemmas which play out in policy and practice contexts. Our points of commonality and comparison surface key issues for consideration in countries working to reconcile the push and pull of performativity and reading for pleasure agendas in order to nurture children’s volitional reading. To conclude, we examine ways forward for research, policy and practice which deserve increased global attention, and offer future-focused recommendations to advance this significant social justice agenda.

An experimental comparison of additional training in phoneme awareness, letter-sound knowledge and decoding for struggling beginner readers.

Despite evidence that synthetic phonics teaching has increased reading attainments, a sizable minority of children struggle to acquire phonics skills and teachers lack clear principles for deciding what types of additional support are most beneficial. Synthetic phonics teaches children to read using a decoding strategy to translate letters into sounds and blend them (e.g., c-a-t = "k - ae - t" = "cat"). To use a decoding strategy, children require letter-sound knowledge (LSK) and the ability to blend sound units (phonological awareness; PA). Training on PA has been shown to benefit struggling beginning readers. However, teachers in English primary schools do not routinely check PA. Instead, struggling beginner readers usually receive additional LSK support. Until now, there has been no systematic comparison of the effectiveness of training on each component of the decoding process. Should additional support for struggling readers focus on improving PA, or on supplementary LSK and/or decoding instruction? We aim to increase understanding of the roles of LSK and PA in children's acquisition of phonics skills and uncover which types of additional training are most likely to be effective for struggling beginner readers. We will compare training on each of these components, using a carefully controlled experimental design. We will identify reception-age children at risk of reading difficulties (target n = 225) and randomly allocate them to either PA, LSK or decoding (DEC) training. We will test whether training type influences post-test performance on word reading and whether any effects depend on participants' pre-test PA and/or LSK. Two hundred and twenty-two participants completed the training. Planned analyses showed no effects of condition on word reading. However, exploratory analyses indicated that the advantage of trained over untrained words was significantly greater for the PA and DEC conditions. There was also a significantly greater improvement in PA for the DEC condition. Overall, our findings suggest a potential advantage of training that includes blending skills, particularly when decoding words that had been included in training. Future research is needed to develop a programme of training on blending skills combined with direct vocabulary instruction for struggling beginner readers.

Where you live matters: visualizing environmental effects on reading attainment.

The way in which socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the etiology of reading attainment has been explored many times, with past work often finding that genetic influences are suppressed under conditions of socioeconomic deprivation and more fully realized under conditions of socioeconomic advantage: a gene-SES interaction. Additionally, past work has pointed toward the presence of gene-location interactions, with the relative influence of genes and environment varying across geographic regions of the same country/state. This study investigates the extent to which SES and geographical location interact to moderate the genetic and environmental components of reading attainment. Utilizing data from 2,135 twin pairs in Florida (mean age 13.82 years, range 10.71-17.77), the study operationalized reading attainment as reading comprehension scores from a statewide test and SES as household income. We applied a spatial twin analysis procedure to investigate how twin genetic and environmental estimates vary by geographic location. We then expanded this analysis to explore how the moderating role of SES on said genetic and environmental influences also varied by geographic location. A gene-SES interaction was found, with heritability of reading being suppressed in lower- (23%) versus higher-SES homes (78%). The magnitude of the moderating parameters were not consistent by location, however, and ranged from -0.10 to 0.10 for the moderating effect on genetic influences, and from -0.30 to 0.05 for the moderating effect on environmental influences. For smaller areas and those with less socioeconomic variability, the magnitude of the genetic moderating parameter was high, giving rise to more fully realized genetic influences on reading there. SES significantly influences reading variability. However, a child's home location matters in both the overall etiology and how strongly SES moderates said etiologies. These results point toward the presence of multiple significant environmental factors that simultaneously, and inseparably, influence the underlying etiology of reading attainment.

Home learning environments and family socioeconomic status: Implications on early learning attainments in Tanzania

This study examined the mediating roles of home learning environments and SES on early learning attainments of naturalised refugees in Tanzania using concurrent embedded mixed design. Data were collected by EGRA and EGMA, questionnaire and interviews. The sample were 400 grade one and grade two children (aged 70–86 months), 120 parents, eight teachers and four school principals. Findings indicated comparable early math and reading attainments of children from naturalised refugees/citizens and those of more advantaged urban majority. Family SES and HLE predicted early learning attainments while parental beliefs and expectations influenced it. There were gender divides in learning attainments across groups. These findings have policy, research and practice implications.

Disciplinary dialogues: Exploring the association between classroom dialogue and learning outcomes within and between subjects in English primary schools

There is a large literature on the types of classroom dialogue that are theorised to be productive for learning; however, there is very little evidence for whether these forms of dialogue are more common, applicable or impactful in certain subjects. This mixed-methods study explored how dialogue unfolds in different curriculum contexts. Classroom dialogue was examined through naturalistic observations of English, mathematics and science lessons involving children aged 10–11 in primary schools in England. The Cambridge Dialogue Analysis Scheme (Vrikki, Wheatley, Howe, Hennessy, & Mercer, 2019) was used to investigate the frequency of key dialogue features in 72 lessons. Statistical analysis identified that reasoned dialogue is more frequent in mathematics and both English and mathematics have a proclivity towards more elaborated dialogue (clarifying/building on ideas) in comparison to science. Furthermore, relationships between student attainment and subject dialogues were examined in 63 lessons through multi-level modelling, revealing that elaboration of own and others' ideas (in conjunction with reference to the wider context) in English was associated with student attainment in reading and spelling, punctuation and grammar. No other significant associations between subject dialogues and student attainment emerged. The findings have highlighted that teacher professional development on dialogue should be sensitive to the disciplinary context.

Numeracy and literacy attainment of children exposed to maternal incarceration and other adversities: A linked data study

Parental incarceration has been associated with educational disadvantages for children, such as lower educational attainment, increased grade retention, and truancy and suspensions. However, children exposed to parental incarceration often experience other adversities that are also associated with educational disadvantage; the contribution of these co-occurring adversities has not been considered in previous research. This study aimed to investigate the educational outcomes of children exposed to (a) maternal incarceration alone and (b) maternal incarceration plus other adversities (i.e., maternal mental illness and/or child protective services [CPS] contact). We used linked administrative data for a sample of children whose mothers were incarcerated during the children's childhood (i.e., from the time of mother's pregnancy through the child's 18th birthday; n = 3828) and a comparison group of children whose mothers had not been incarcerated (n = 9570). Multivariate multinomial logistic regressions examined the association between exposure to the three adversities (i.e., maternal incarceration, maternal mental illness, and child CPS contact) and above or below average reading and numeracy attainment in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9. At all grade levels, children exposed to maternal incarceration alone and those exposed to maternal incarceration plus other adversities had increased odds of below average numeracy and reading attainment and decreased odds of above average numeracy and reading attainment compared to children without any of the recorded exposures. Children exposed to maternal incarceration and CPS contact and those exposed to all three adversities had increased odds of below average reading and numeracy attainment compared to children exposed to maternal incarceration alone. The findings highlight the complex needs of children of incarcerated mothers that must be considered when designing and delivering educational support programs. These children would benefit from the implementation of multi-tiered, trauma-informed educational and clinical services.

Pedagogical Impact of teachers on reading Preparedness and reading Attainment among Scheduled tribe Children: Insights from Field observations

Pedagogical Impact of teachers on reading Preparedness and reading Attainment among Scheduled tribe Children: Insights from Field observations

Indirect Effects of Early Shared Reading and Access to Books on Reading Vocabulary in Middle Childhood

ABSTRACT Purpose This study investigated the effects of early shared reading and access to books on reading vocabulary in middle childhood and the pathways associated with later reading success. Method Path analysis of data from four waves of a national longitudinal study of children (N = 7,751) was used to investigate direct and indirect effects of early home literacy practices at age 3 on reading attainment at age 9, controlling for demographic and family characteristics. Children were aged 3, 5, 7, and 9 years at each respective wave of data collection, and 49.1% of the sample were girls. The majority of caregivers in the study were White (94.3%). Results Early shared reading and availability of books predicted higher reading scores at age 9, controlling for covariates at age 3. Sixty-four percent of the association between early shared reading and reading attainment in middle childhood was explained by several paths incorporating language and literacy variables at age 5 and reading for pleasure at age 7. The association between books at age 3 and vocabulary at age 9 was fully accounted for through an increase in the number of books at age 5 and greater likelihood of reading for pleasure at age 7. Conclusion Both early shared reading and availability of books predicted reading attainment in middle childhood though through different pathways. The findings support reading interventions that provide books and shared reading opportunities in early childhood.

Promoting foundational linguistic skills for reading development in young Chinese language learners: A 1‐year intervention study

BackgroundUsing a 1‐year longitudinal design, we evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention programme to improve reading attainments among Chinese‐as‐a‐second‐language (CSL) learners. Using the simple view of reading as a theoretical framework, the intervention focused on students' orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension to facilitate reading comprehension.MethodA total of 186 Grade 4 CSL students (mean age = 9.22, SD = 0.56) participated in the study and were grouped into the treatment (N = 96) and control (N = 90) groups. A range of Chinese language and literacy skills were assessed before and after the intervention.ResultsThe path analysis showed that the intervention significantly affected orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension directly and reading comprehension indirectly through the three componential skills after controlling for nonverbal reasoning, vocabulary and autoregressors.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that orthographic knowledge, word reading and listening comprehension may be promising targets for instructing young CSL learners.

Thinking outside the phonological box: Combining repeated reading and action video games to develop reading fluency in year 7 children with dyslexia

AimsChildren’s reading attainments in England continue to cause concern despite a national agenda focusing on the development of phonological skills. There is also a lack of guidance regarding how to support children who continue to struggle despite early support, including children with dyslexia and those in secondary education. Italian research groups found that playing action video games (AVGs) improved word and pseudo-word reading speed for children with dyslexia through increasing visual attention. The current study aims to build on this research, exploring whether AVGs boost the effects of a reading fluency intervention, Repeated Reading (RR). The effectiveness of RR alone is also analysed. Effects of the intervention on a range of measures are considered.MethodA single case experimental design (SCED) with alternating interventions, RR-alone and RR-plus-AVGs, was employed with eight Year 7 children with dyslexia in a UK special school.FindingsAll children demonstrated reading gains from the combined intervention, RR and AVGs. RR-alone was effective for two children and AVGs boosted the effects of RR for five children. Six children increased their reading comprehension. Children enjoyed playing AVGs. RR was viewed positively by teachers and viewed by children as improving their reading.LimitationsConfidence in results was reduced by variability and some effect sizes not reaching significance. The special school setting for children with dyslexia may affect generalisability to mainstream schools or to struggling readers without dyslexia.ConclusionsImplications for educational psychologists’ practice are discussed, particularly how to proceed, with what appears to be a promising intervention.

Using Multimodal Virtual Instruction to Build Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge of Dyslexia

Increasing awareness about screening and instructional interventions for students with dyslexia is a necessary component of P-12 teacher preparation. Disparities in reading achievement for students with disabilities, including those with dyslexia, is evidenced in lower literacy testing scores as well as lower high school graduation rates for those with documented disabilities when compared to typical developing peers. Preservice teachers, however, continue to struggle with understanding, identifying, and providing targeted literacy instruction to remediate reading challenges for students with dyslexia. Emerging data on the impact of the COVID-19 school closures on lags in student’s reading attainment, further solidifies the need for teacher preparation programs to prepare preservice teachers to implement best practices for supporting students with dyslexia. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine the impact of asynchronous online learning modules on preservice teacher’s knowledge of dyslexia. Results indicate that preservice teachers who learn via online sources such as podcasts, infographics, and educational games, statistically increase their knowledge of dyslexia and confidence to work with students. Recommendations for programmatic change and inclusion of online learning about dyslexia for teacher preparation programs are suggested.

HARK! Hands up who really loves their classroom reading program? TRI this: three approaches to reading instruction

There is unequivocal evidence that student engagement in reading for enjoyment has many wide-ranging and long-term benefits. Yet, obstacles are mounting in terms of complexities, constraints and contentions. In light of growing concerns around students’ reading attainment and the place of contemporary children’s literature, as well as the imminent release of the Australian Curriculum: English Version 9.0, this article is well-timed to elucidate reading instruction. As educators prepare for the revised curriculum, it is important to examine reading demands, student entitlements and classroom practices. In this article, I consider and categorise curriculum content for coherence and cohesion. I outline different facets of reading instruction. I emphasise the vitalness of student engagement in reading for enjoyment (RfE) and the need for a dedicated RfE program. With reference to Dewey’s (1934) theory of aesthetic experience, Maxwell’s (1974) definitions of reading and Kalantzis’ et al. (2016) Learning by design model, I address complications and impediments. I situate RfE as one of three different but concurrent approaches to the teaching of reading. I position children’s literature at the heart of reading instruction. I aim to expand understanding around reading instruction with improved outcomes for students and teachers alike. In the spirit of promoting high-quality children’s literature, I employ playful palimpsests from prized picture book Hark. It’s me Ruby Lee! (Shanahan & Binny, 2017). I draw on literary devices from children’s literature to encourage its classroom usage. My hope is that this article not only advocates enjoyable reading experience, but also constitutes one.

Neuropsychological abilities underpinning academic attainment in children born extremely preterm

ABSTRACT Children born extremely preterm (EP) have poorer academic attainment than their term-born peers. There is a need to identify the specific cognitive mechanisms that are associated with poor academic attainment in preterm populations to inform the development of intervention strategies. A parallel mediation analysis was conducted with cross-sectional data from 152 EP children (< 27 weeks of gestation) and 120 term-born controls who were assessed at age 11. Mathematics and reading attainment was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 2nd Edition. Controlling for sex and socio-economic status we evaluated the following mediators: verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, verbal processing speed, attention, and visuospatial processing. These were assessed using subtests from the standardized NEPSY-II test and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-5th Edition. Verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, visuospatial processing and verbal processing speed, but not attention, were significant independent mediators between EP birth and attainment in reading. No direct relationship between EP birth and reading attainment remained in the mediated model. All five neuropsychological variables mediated the relationship between EP birth and attainment in mathematics, but a direct effect of EP birth on mathematics remained in the mediated model. Together, all five neuropsychological abilities indirectly explained 44% of the variance in reading and 52% of the variance in mathematics. Visuospatial processing was the strongest mediator of both mathematics and reading. Components of executive function, especially visuospatial processing, are important predictors of academic attainment. Interventions to improve visuospatial skills could be trialed in EP populations.

Where are the children’s voices and choices in educational settings’ early reading policies? A reflection on early reading provision for under-threes

ABSTRACT This paper outlines the findings of an empirical research study exploring how early years settings support under-threes with their early reading development in England. The data was collected through a mixed methodological approach of a survey (n = 60 respondents), five semi-structured interviews and two focus group workshops to explore the experiences of Early Years Educators (EYEs) working with under-threes, analysed using Schreier’s (2012) thematic analysis of coding maps. The main purpose of this research study was to find out what EYEs do with under-threes to support early reading and why. This paper seeks to acknowledge where children’s voices and their choices are included in educational settings’ early reading policies, and at what point. The data provides some original insights, especially for the under-threes in this study. The data suggests that when it comes to under-threes and early reading, there is no space for their voices to be included, alongside the wider neoliberal reading attainment agenda. This small-scale study offers a distinct contribution to the field of research into early reading with the emphasis on under-threes. This research may be utilised to review ethical pedagogical approaches to early reading policy development and to reflect further on provision for under-threes.

Is Bilingual Education Sustainable?

We present cross-sectional research to verify whether learning to read in Italian (the participants’ mother language and majority language) is delayed when simultaneously learning to read in English (a second language not spoken in the country). Available evidence considering the specific combination of bilingual orthographies being acquired suggests that there should not be adverse effects on the Italian literacy outcomes of Italian–English immersion students. To verify this hypothesis, the Italian reading performance of three groups of bilinguals educated in 50:50 Italian–English immersion programs in Grades 1, 3 and 5 were compared to that of three control groups of Italian monolingual peers attending mainstream monolingual Italian schools. The second aim was to examine the impact of an Italian–English immersion program on English language and literacy skills. To pursue this goal, we examined the English performance of the bilingual group across Grades 1, 3, and 5. Finally, we aimed to verify whether the language and reading attainments exhibited by the bilingual children in Italian were correlated to their English performance. The results show that bilingual children were not less proficient in Italian than monolingual children; improvement in English was observed across all grades, and performance in Italian was correlated with performance in English.

Writing as a craft: Re-considering teacher subject content knowledge for teaching writing

ABSTRACT The importance of teacher subject knowledge as key professional knowledge has been emphasised in successive studies over the past thirty years, yet there are very few empirical studies which address either content or pedagogical knowledge for teaching writing. At the same time, in a number of international jurisdictions, writing attainment lags behind reading attainment. This article addresses these concerns by considering what might constitute subject content knowledge for writing, and thus what might inform pedagogical interventions to improve achievements in writing. The article draws on an Arts Council-funded project in England, Teachers as Writers, a collaborative research project with the creative writing charity, Arvon. Drawing on qualitative data from nine professional writers, the article analyses how the writers communicated an understanding of writing as ‘the craft of what we do’ and articulated their craft knowledge during their encounters with teachers. The article proposes that subject content knowledge for writing might more helpfully be considered as craft knowledge, rather than as a body of factual knowledge, and presents a framework of five thematic themes through which to conceptualise this craft knowledge. These themes offer a way of thinking about craft knowledge as both text-oriented and writer-oriented.

Cognitive Dimensions of Learning in Children With Problems in Attention, Learning, and Memory.

A data-driven, transdiagnostic approach was used to identify the cognitive dimensions linked with learning in a mixed group of 805 children aged 5 to 18 years recognised as having problems in attention, learning and memory by a health or education practitioner. Assessments included phonological processing, information processing speed, short-term and working memory, and executive functions, and attainments in word reading, spelling, and maths. Data reduction methods identified three dimensions of phonological processing, processing speed and executive function for the sample as a whole. This model was comparable for children with and without ADHD. The severity of learning difficulties in literacy was linked with phonological processing skills, and in maths with executive control. Associations between cognition and learning were similar across younger and older children and individuals with and without ADHD, although stronger links between learning-related problems and both executive skills and processing speed were observed in children with ADHD. The results establish clear domain-specific cognitive pathways to learning that distinguish individuals in the heterogeneous population of children struggling to learn.

Neurocognitive Predictors of Response to Intervention With GraphoGame Rime

This study explores the neurocognitive predictors of response to intervention with GraphoGame Rime (GG Rime), an adaptive software game designed to aid the learning of English phonics. A cohort of 398 children (aged 6–7 years) who had participated in a recent randomised controlled trial (RCT) of GG Rime in the United Kingdom were studied. Half were randomly assigned to play GG Rime and the other half were assigned to Business As Usual (BAU). A series of pretests were given prior to the intervention to all participants, designed to measure phonological awareness skills, executive function (EF) skills and the ability to synchronise finger tapping to a rhythmic beat. Rhythmic synchronisation has been linked to reading readiness and early reading attainment, and is related to phonological awareness. Individual differences prior to the intervention in all three types of measure were significantly associated with progression through the game. Gender was also important for progression through the game, with boys progressing significantly further than girls. Vocabulary was not a predictor of progression through the game. Playing time, rhythmic synchronisation, phonological skills and EF skills did not differ by gender. Once playing time and non-verbal cognitive ability were controlled, phonological awareness, EF, rhythmic synchronisation and gender all remained significant predictors of progression through the game. In further analyses comparing these predictors, their interactions and controlling for the autoregressor of prior responsiveness to phonics instruction, phoneme awareness and EF skills were the strongest unique predictors. Analyses with the whole cohort (analysing BAU and GG children independently) showed that all neurocognitive measures contributed to progress in reading and spelling over the school year. We conclude that individual differences in phonological skills and EF skills predict which children will benefit most from computer assisted reading interventions like GG Rime. Further, boys respond better to this computerised intervention than girls. Accordingly, to be maximally beneficial to poor readers, the supplementary use of GG Rime in addition to ongoing classroom literacy instruction could be especially targeted to boys, but should be accompanied by a focus on developing both oral phonological awareness and EF skills.