Reading Demands Research Articles

Reading Habits of Undergraduates and their Academic Performances: Issues and Perspectives

Reading is an indispensable tool of learning. Every course of study is accomplished partly through reading. Lecturers in the University usually have high expectations of a students‟ ability to cope with the demands of reading. However, reading as a practice and an art has tended to diminish. The general expectations of these students‟ reading ability have not been met. Students have a key role to play for them to succeed academically. Required information, skill and more information can be acquired through reading. This study examined the reading habits of undergraduates and their academic performance. A total number of two hundred (200) undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and Anambra State University were randomly selected from four faculties as research subjects. The subjects were exposed to a reading test, while some students were interviewed so as to elicit useful information on their reading habits and how it affects their performance. Result revealed poor reading habit and negative attitude towards reading which resulted in their abysmal performance as evident in the reading test conducted. This study shows also that many students read only to pass their examination and not for pleasure and acquiring knowledge. This was arrived at through reading test, structured interview and questionnaire administered to the selected undergraduate students. Issues and perspectives towards the pedagogy of reading and how students can defeat this apathy and improve their reading skills and efficiency is the crux of this study. Based on the findings, few recommendations for improved reading among our undergraduates were made.

Reading Deliriously

This short piece argues that the demands of reading globally should change how we approach conversations about the ethical reading of minoritarian literature. Rather than assume a stable relationship between the imagined reader as subject and the text as object, we should consider how texts now participate in multiple cultures that trouble the boundaries between domestic and foreign, “us” and “them.” Reading deliriously outlines an approach to reading that values transnational circuits of comparison and aggregation for the way they might reconstruct the imagined reader as a navigator of world literary space rather than a protocitizen of world community. Instead of focusing on molding better citizens through reading, this piece calls for an ethics of global reading that reconsiders and expands the number of cultural systems and traditions from which the possibilities for belonging might emerge.

Reconsidering Academic Language in Practice: The Demands of Spanish Expository Reading and Students' Bilingual Resources

Efforts to improve educational outcomes for English learners often focus on “academic language,” but unfortunately the field lacks a clear, agreed-upon definition of the concept. This article reports on a design research study that focused on students' engagement in one academic practice over several months: reading and discussing expository science texts in Spanish. By looking closely at one practice, the research provides a grounded perspective on academic language and the bilingual resources that English learners bring to academic tasks.

Using E-Z Reader to simulate eye movements in nonreading tasks: A unified framework for understanding the eye–mind link.

Nonreading tasks that share some (but not all) of the task demands of reading have often been used to make inferences about how cognition influences when the eyes move during reading. In this article, we use variants of the E-Z Reader model of eye-movement control in reading to simulate eye-movement behavior in several of these tasks, including z-string reading, target-word search, and visual search of Landolt Cs arranged in both linear and circular arrays. These simulations demonstrate that a single computational framework is sufficient to simulate eye movements in both reading and nonreading tasks but also suggest that there are task-specific differences in both saccadic targeting (i.e., decisions about where to move the eyes) and the coupling between saccadic programming and the movement of attention (i.e., decisions about when to move the eyes). These findings suggest that some aspects of the eye-mind link are flexible and can be configured in a manner that supports efficient task performance.

Reading Demands of Commercial Patient Educational Materials

Commercial information products often have patient education handouts built into their systems. How readable are they to the average patient? This study attempts to answer this question by sampling and scoring handouts from three different producers. The patient education handouts from MD Consult, Micromedex Care Notes, and ADAM were analyzed and scored using the average of three reading level formulas. The results indicate that most handouts are above the average reading level of most patients, with Micromedex Care Notes scoring the best in this study.

Assessment of Children’s Public Health Insurance Program Enrollment Applications: A Health Literacy Perspective

Introduction More than half of uninsured children in the United States qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Application readability and other complex features may be barriers to enrollment for some of these families. The purpose of this study was to conduct a literary assessment of state-issued English- and Spanish-language Medicaid/CHIP Internet-based enrollment applications, including an evaluation of reading demands, layout characteristics, and document complexity. Method In May 2010, we downloaded all currently available English-language (n = 50) and Spanish-language (n = 39) Internet-based, state-issued Medicaid/CHIP enrollment applications. We estimated the reading demands of each CHIP enrollment application “Signature” page using the Lexile Analyzer. We assessed layout characteristics using the User-Friendliness Tool and we evaluated document complexity using the PMOSE/IKIRSCH scale. Results On average, Medicaid/CHIP enrollment application “Signature” pages were written at a high school reading level (English language = 12th- to 13th-grade reading level; Spanish language = 10th- to 11th-grade reading level). Five Medicaid/CHIP enrollment applications (5.6%) consistently used a 12-point or larger font size throughout. Most Medicaid/CHIP enrollment applications (n = 83; 93.3%) needed “some” or “much” improvement in the amount of white space. Document complexity ranged from level 3 (moderate) to level 5 (very high), with the majority of Medicaid/CHIP enrollment applications ranked at level 4 (high). Discussion Revisions are required in almost all state Medicaid/CHIP enrollment applications to achieve consistency and to meet standard low-literacy guidelines (e.g., written at a 6th grade or lower reading level and using a font of 12 points or larger). Additionally, to increase access to Medicaid/CHIP for eligible Hispanic children, all states should provide an online Spanish-language version of the Medicaid/CHIP enrollment application.

Sumstega: summarisation-based steganography methodology

The demand for reading while no one has time to read everything has fuelled the necessity for automatic summarisation systems in business, science, World Wide Web, education, news, etc. Thus, the popular use of summaries by a wide variety of people creates a high volume of traffic for accessing and generating summaries. Such huge traffic makes an adversary's job impractical to investigate all of them and allows communicating parties to establish a secure covert channel to transmit steganographic covers. This renders summaries an attractive steganographic carrier. Therefore, summarisation-based steganography methodology (Sumstega), presented in this paper, takes advantage of the automatic summarisation techniques to generate summary-cover. Sumstega neither hides data in a noise nor produces noise. Instead, Sumstega manipulates the parameters and factors of automatic summarisation techniques in order to embed data without noise, which retains adequate rooms for concealing data. The validation demonstrates the capability of achieving the steganographic goal.

Ask, Understand, Remember: A Brief Measure of Patient Communication Self-Efficacy Within Clinical Encounters

Patients' ability to effectively communicate with their health care providers is an essential aspect of proper self-care, especially for those with chronic conditions. We wanted to develop and validate a brief, reliable measure of patient communication self-efficacy within clinical encounters. Consecutively recruited patients (n = 330) with diagnosed hypertension from seven primary care clinics in Chicago, Illinois, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Shreveport, Louisiana completed an in-person interview including chronic disease self-efficacy, hypertension knowledge, health literacy assessments, and items modified from the Communication and Attitudinal Self-Efficacy (CASE) – Cancer scale. Six items from the CASE were candidates for a new scale due to their focus on the patient-provider relationship. Using principal components analysis with varimax rotation, four items strongly loaded onto one factor (Eigenvalue = 2.33; proportion of variance explained = 58%) with a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.75. The measure, referred to as the Ask, Understand, Remember Assesment, (AURA) was moderately correlated with the total score from an existing chronic disease management self-efficacy scale (r = 0.31) and disease knowledge (beta coefficient = 0.2, 95% Confidence Interval 0.04 − 0.3, p = .03). Patients with low health literacy had lower scores on the AURA than those with marginal or adequate health literacy (p < .05). The AURA demonstrated high internal consistency and was correlated with both hypertension knowledge and a chronic disease self-efficacy scale. The AURA is brief, valid, has low reading demands, and is an appropriate tool for use among patients with chronic illness. It may also be useful in identifying and assisting patients who are at risk for errors or non-adherence with self-care behaviors.

A Common Left Occipito-Temporal Dysfunction in Developmental Dyslexia and Acquired Letter-By-Letter Reading?

BackgroundWe used fMRI to examine functional brain abnormalities of German-speaking dyslexics who suffer from slow effortful reading but not from a reading accuracy problem. Similar to acquired cases of letter-by-letter reading, the developmental cases exhibited an abnormal strong effect of length (i.e., number of letters) on response time for words and pseudowords.ResultsCorresponding to lesions of left occipito-temporal (OT) regions in acquired cases, we found a dysfunction of this region in our developmental cases who failed to exhibit responsiveness of left OT regions to the length of words and pseudowords. This abnormality in the left OT cortex was accompanied by absent responsiveness to increased sublexical reading demands in phonological inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) regions. Interestingly, there was no abnormality in the left superior temporal cortex which—corresponding to the onological deficit explanation—is considered to be the prime locus of the reading difficulties of developmental dyslexia cases.ConclusionsThe present functional imaging results suggest that developmental dyslexia similar to acquired letter-by-letter reading is due to a primary dysfunction of left OT regions.

Eye movement correlates of acquired central dyslexia

Based on recent progress in theory and measurement techniques, the analysis of eye movements has become one of the major methodological tools in experimental reading research. Our work uses this approach to advance the understanding of impaired information processing in acquired central dyslexia of stroke patients with aphasia. Up to now there has been no research attempting to analyze both word-based viewing time measures and local fixation patterns in dyslexic readers. The goal of the study was to find out whether specific eye movement parameters reflect pathologically preferred segmental reading in contrast to lexical reading.We compared oral reading of single words of normal controls (n=11) with six aphasic participants (two cases of deep, surface and residual dyslexia each). Participants were asked to read aloud lines of target words differing in length and frequency. Segmental reading was characterized by deviant spatial distribution of saccadic landing positions with initial fixations located mainly at the beginning of the word, while lexical readers showed the normative ‘preferred landing positions’ left to the center of the words. Contrary to expectation, word length did not distinguish between segmental and lexical readers, while word frequency showed the expected effect for lexical readers only. Their mean fixation duration was already prolonged during first pass reading reflecting their attempts of immediate access to lexical information. After first pass reading, re-reading time was significantly increased in all participants with acquired central dyslexia due to their exceedingly higher monitoring demands for oral reading.

Empiricism versus connoisseurship: Establishing the appropriacy of texts in tests of academic reading

Providers of tests of languages for academic purposes generally claim to provide evidence on the extent to which students are likely to be able to cope with the future demands of reading in specified real-life contexts. Such claims need to be supported by evidence that the texts employed in the test reflect salient features of the texts the test takers will encounter in the target situation as well as demonstrating the comparability of the cognitive processing demands of accompanying test tasks with target reading activities. This paper will focus on the issue of text comparability. For reasons of practicality, evidence relating to text characteristics is generally based on the expert judgement of individual test writers, arrived at through a holistic interpretation of test specifications. However, advances in automated textual analysis and a better understanding of the value of pooled qualitative judgement have now made it feasible to provide more quantitative approaches focusing analytically on a wide range of individual characteristics. This paper will employ these techniques to explore the comparability of texts used in a test of academic reading comprehension and key texts used by first-year undergraduates at a British university. It offers a principled means for test providers and test users to evaluate this aspect of test validity.

‘They're telling me what I already know instead of what I don't know’: dyslexic pupils' experiences of withdrawal tuition during the later primary years

This article reports findings from a qualitative case study whose main focus was on how four 10–11‐year‐old dyslexic pupils coped with the demands of classroom reading during their final two years (Years 5–6) at a primary school in the north of England. Data were also collected on more general issues associated with the pupils' experiences of small‐group withdrawal tuition, and it is this evidence that is drawn on here. Although there were some benefits in terms of improved self‐esteem and overall confidence levels, problems with the sessions were revealed. The work on basic literacy skills lacked challenge as it was not well matched to learning needs and disaffection was created due to missing class lessons. Because of their literacy difficulties these dyslexic pupils were inevitably marginalised within the classroom community of learners, and I argue that attending withdrawal sessions added to their exclusionary experience of school.

Making Sense Of Pedometer Instructions

Physical activity (PA) is one of the most cost effective means maintaining health and fitness, while minimizing the cost burden of chronic illness. Pedometers are both a convenient and minimally invasive method of measuring PA. Well designed and reading level appropriate instructions accompanying pedometers are paramount in assuring accurate and reliable PA assessments. Unfortunately, disparities between reading demands of typical instructional materials and the actual literacy skills of American adults are well documented in the literature. PURPOSE: To evaluate readability and related features of English-language instructions accompanying pedometers, including reading grade level, dimensions, text point size, use of illustrations, layout/formatting characteristics, and emphasis of key points (e.g., recommendation of 10 000 steps per day). METHODS: We identified and purchased fifteen (n=15) pedometers currently available in the US. Reading grade level was calculated using Flesch Reading Ease (FRE). Text point size was determined by measuring the distance from the ascent line to the descent line with a C-Thru Ruler. Total number of illustrations was tallied. Illustration dimensions were measured to the nearest millimeter. We also assessed layout features using the established User-Friendliness Tool (UFT). RESULTS: FRE scores ranged from 8th to 11th grade, while text point size averaged 6.9±1.9 (range=4-11). Pedometer instructions averaged 8.7±9.0 (range=0-36) illustrations, most about the size of a US quarter. While most pedometer instructions avoided use of specialty fonts (n=12; 80.0%), most used a minimal amount of white space, making directions difficult to read. Just 4 (26.7%) sets of instructions highlighted the widely established target goal of 10 000 steps per day. CONSLUSION: Pedometer manufacturers should increase the size of instructions, thereby allowing for larger text size and illustrations, and increasing the amount of white space. Making these relatively small formatting changes would ensure that those electing to use a pedometer are able to understand and follow accompanying instructions.

Are State Medicaid Application Enrollment Forms Readable?

We sought to assess readability and layout characteristics of state-issued Medicaid enrollment applications. We attempted to locate Internet-based Medicaid enrollment applications from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Readability of each Medicaid enrollment application "Signature" page was calculated using McLaughlin's Simplified Measure of Gobbledygoop formula, while layout characteristics were assessed utilizing criteria included in the User-Friendliness Tool. Readability of Medicaid enrollment application Signature pages ranged from 11th to 18th grade level (M+/-SD=15.5+/-1.5). Most (66%) applications did not use a recommended font size (> or =12 point). None of the applications required little work to make them comply with good formatting standards according to the User-Friendliness Tool. Medicaid enrollment applications overall exhibit text font sizes below 12 point, crowded formatting, and excessively high reading demands. State health departments should revise their Medicaid enrollment applications to adhere to established low-literacy guidelines to improve understanding and comprehension by potential enrollees.

Just knowing how to read isn't enough! Assessing knowledge for teaching reading

Debates persist over the knowledge needed to teach elementary reading effectively. In one commonly held view verbal ability is what matters most and the best approach to improving teacher quality is to recruit teachers who themselves are good readers. Others argue that teachers need special forms of professional knowledge that differ substantially from common adult reading and verbal ability. These different assumptions about what teachers need to know are directly relevant to whether teaching reading demands specialized professional knowledge and they have lead to radically different policy recommendations for both teacher preparation and induction. This study presents preliminary evidence that elementary reading teachers can hold a special knowledge of language, text, and reading process that differs substantially from common reading and verbal ability. Implications for the measurement and study of teacher quality and related implications for teacher evaluation and teacher development are discussed.

William Law and Religious Revival: The Reception ofA Serious Call

William Law’s A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1729) was one of the most widely disseminated religious works of the eighteenth century. In this essay, Isabel Rivers explores three main aspects of its history: how it was regarded by those members of the clergy who were profoundly affected by Law but who disagreed with his theology; how it was popularized and altered through abridgments that made it widely available to a very different kind of audience; and how Law and his successors thought devotional books such as this should be read, and to what extent the demands of such reading were inconsistent with a thirst for wider knowledge.

Teaching Comprehension Skills using Context –Based Texts in Second Language Learning at Tertiary Level

Content-based reading texts play a vital role in the acquisition of knowledge and information in various fields of studies. Reading these texts at higher institution demands a great deal of effort from the students who are learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). These students who are generally school leavers, whose level or reading exposure is confined to Bahasa Malaysia-based text in their primary and secondary education, have to tackle on their own the tremendous demand of reading and comprehending the English content-based texts. These texts are derived from reference books or lecture notes, which are in English and may pose language barriers for the ESL learners. These are also ESL learners when first enter tertiary level; have met a minimum requirement of at least a credit in English as a second language at secondary school level. These reading materials pose comprehension difficulties when they are streamlined into specific field of studies. This paper attempts to look into the training of selected comprehension skills that language lecturers, particularly new ones in the teaching field, can apply the teaching skills to help learners to alleviate the comprehension challenges when reading content-based texts. This paper is also intended to assist new language lecturers who are embarking in ESL teaching of reading comprehension using content-based texts.

“I Don't Teach Reading”: Critical Reading Instruction in Composition Courses

Recent studies indicate that many entering freshmen are not prepared for the demands of college reading, yet most higher education institutions do not require stand alone reading courses. Although critical reading is an often-cited objective of some college composition courses, little research exists that describes how composition instructors teach critical reading strategies. This study examined ways that critical reading is taught in freshman composition courses at one university by generating data from teacher interviews and document analysis. The data suggests that reading pedagogy varies widely among composition instructors and that critical reading was generally not taught explicitly by participants in this study.

Using a Multidimensional Differential Item Functioning Framework to Determine if Reading Ability Affects Student Performance in Mathematics

Many teachers and curriculum specialists claim that the reading demand of many mathematics items is so great that students do not perform well on mathematics tests, even though they have a good understanding of mathematics. The purpose of this research was to test this claim empirically. This analysis was accomplished by considering examinees that differed in reading ability within the context of a multidimensional DIF framework. Results indicated that student performance on some mathematics items was influenced by their level of reading ability so that examinees with lower proficiency classifications in reading were less likely to obtain correct answers to these items. This finding suggests that incorrect proficiency classifications may have occurred for some examinees. However, it is argued that rather than eliminating these mathematics items from the test, which would seem to decrease the construct validity of the test, attempts should be made to control the confounding effect of reading that is measured by some of the mathematics items.

Mental Imagery and Affect in English/French Bilingual Readers: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective

Abstract: We investigated the evocation of mental imagery and affect in English/French bilinguals to determine whether the linguistic demands of reading in a second language (L2) limit readers’ ability to form non-verbal text representations of literary stories. The participants were 26 Grade 11 French immersion students enrolled in a Canadian high school. Each student read two literary stories, one in English and another in French. Next they rated story paragraphs for the degree of either mental imagery or emotional response evoked. Later, students reread the same texts and completed a writing task in which they reported their imagery or emotions in response to the two highest-rated paragraphs. Moderate to high correlations were found between ratings of imagery and emotional response for each story, for two French stories combined, for two English stories combined, and for all stories in both languages combined. Reading times were somewhat longer for the French versions. The patterns of response for both the ratings and the written reports replicate and extend earlier research and suggest that as bilingual readers progress in their ability to read in their L2, reports of imagery and affect become closer in kind and number to those reported in response to reading the same text in their first language.