Early Reading Research Articles

Student's Ability and Difficulty on Reading Indonesian Text at Elementary School

This research aims to analyse the reading ability of second-grade students at SDN 04 Kajai, Pariaman City, and to identify the difficulties they face in early reading. The type of research used is qualitative with a descriptive approach, focusing on data quality and providing a detailed explanation of the results. The participants in this study consisted of 25 individuals: 17 second-grade students who were given the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) test to analyse their reading ability, 7 parents of students with reading difficulties, and 1 class teacher. The test results showed that 7 students had difficulties in early reading. Data were then collected through interviews with students and the teacher to identify the factors causing these difficulties. The results revealed that the main factors causing reading difficulties among students were a lack of attention and guidance from parents in supporting their children's reading ability at home, low student interest in learning, limited study hours at school, and the insufficient emphasis in the curriculum on developing students' reading skills.

Engaging children with developmental disabilities in online data collection procedures: reflections and implications for future research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline reflections and recommendations about the processes involved in effectively engaging children with developmental disabilities in online data collection in special schools in England. Design/methodology/approach Data collection procedures were adapted and piloted for online delivery with children with developmental disabilities before data were collected online from 382 young children (aged 5–11 years) in 55 special schools in England as part of a randomised controlled trial examining the efficacy of Headsprout Early Reading® on reading fluency. Findings The research team engaged with creative and adaptive methods throughout the process, from initial planning to delivery, to ensure successful and systematic data collection with children with developmental disabilities. It is possible to effectively engage children with developmental disabilities in online data collection procedures, and with appropriate planning and procedural considerations, this can be an enjoyable experience for children. Research limitations/implications Whilst there are geographical and logistical advantages to online data collection methods, there is also the potential for an increased administrative burden that should be appropriately planned and costed. Practical implications Purposely engaging online data collection methods can enable researchers to involve a greater number of children with developmental disabilities in research. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest study using purposefully engaging online data collection methods with children with developmental disabilities in special schools. Furthermore, this study provides detailed reflections and recommendations to support similar processes for future research.

Parental Involvement, Teachers’ Learning Activities and Techniques, and Early Literacy Skills among the Primary Learners

The collaboration between family and school plays a pivotal role in shaping a child's academic journey, particularly in developing early literacy skills, which form the foundation for lifelong learning. In Thailand, this partnership is especially vital for cultivating reading skills among primary students. This research investigates how parental involvement and teachers' instructional methods influence early literacy development. It explores parental engagement in communication, home-based learning, volunteering, decision-making, and community collaboration alongside teachers' strategies for fostering literacy. The study assesses early literacy competencies in print awareness, phonological awareness, letter recognition, oral language skills, and vocabulary acquisition. Using descriptive and inferential statistical tools, including Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis, the research identifies significant relationships between parental involvement, instructional strategies, and literacy outcomes. The results show that while parental engagement is valuable, teachers' instructional methods substantially impact early reading skills. These findings emphasize the need for continuous teacher development, innovative teaching techniques, and stronger home-school partnerships. The study recommends that school administrators adopt a proactive approach to involve parents and educators in enhancing early literacy, with future research exploring these dynamics across diverse educational contexts.

The effect of preschool vocabulary and grammar on early reading comprehension and word reading: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The effect of preschool vocabulary and grammar on early reading comprehension and word reading: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Alphabet Mystery Box Media to Improve Early Reading Literacy in Early Childhood

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using the alphabet mystery box media on early reading skills in early childhood. The literature review was conducted using Google Scholar, Google Search, hyperlinks, and ResearchGate. A total of 13 peer-reviewed publications, dated between 2020 and 2024, were included in the review, which included studies in English and Indonesian. Data analysis used content analysis to examine findings related to the Alphabet Mystery Box media and its effect on early childhood reading skills, contextualized in relevant theories and previous research. The results of the study indicate that early reading skills through the use of alphabet box media for early childhood have a significant impact on early literacy skills. The use of "magic box" learning media can improve children's cognitive and language skills, including recognizing numbers, alphabets, and colors. This article aims to optimize the reading skills of children aged 0-6 years, which is considered a critical developmental period. This study can assess how integrating traditional and digital media affects the engagement and effectiveness of early reading instruction.

The Influence of Audio-Visual Media on Early Reading Skills and Student Learning Outcomes at Pertiwi I Private Elementary School in Jambi City

This study investigates the impact of audio-visual media on early reading skills and learning outcomes of first-grade students at Pertiwi I Private Elementary School in Jambi City. Employing a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design, the research involved two groups: an experimental group receiving audio-visual-based instruction and a control group using conventional methods. A total of 50 students participated, selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using pretest and posttest instruments, which had undergone validity and reliability testing. Early reading skills and learning outcomes were measured and analyzed using independent samples t-tests with a significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed statistically significant differences favoring the experimental group, indicating that audio-visual media positively influenced students’ reading abilities and comprehension. Classroom observations supported these results, showing higher engagement and enthusiasm among students exposed to multimedia content. These findings highlight the potential of audio-visual media as an effective instructional tool that fosters meaningful and enjoyable literacy experiences for young learners.

The role of declarative and procedural learning in adolescent emergent reading.

The majority of reading research takes place in high-income "Minority World" countries where children typically begin learning to read in early childhood. This research, however, does not reflect the experience of many children around the world who learn to read later in childhood or in adolescence. Crucially, children who learn to read later in life may rely on different cognitive systems. Specifically, procedural learning, which supports sequence and pattern learning, reaches maturity around early adolescence, while declarative learning, which supports the arbitrary mapping of form and meaning, continues to develop into adulthood. The declarative/procedural model of learning posits that the role of declarative learning increases as an individual ages, and as it matures, will overlap and compete with typically procedural-supported learning. Therefore, declarative-supported learning may lead to poorer outcomes for older first-time readers. This study examined the potential competition between procedural and declarative learning among emergent readers (n = 88) in rural Cote d'Ivoire, aged 10-16. We examined performance on culturally appropriate declarative and procedural memory tasks, and found that declarative learning competes with procedural learning, such that stronger declarative memory negatively impacts the development of early reading skills. These findings are important for understanding the role of learning systems, and their interaction with age, in supporting literacy development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Early Predictors of Hebrew Reading Development: A Multicomponent Model from Kindergarten Through First and Fourth Grades

ABSTRACT Purpose While most longitudinal research on pre-reading predictors has focused on the transition from kindergarten to Grades 1–2, less is known about their long-term predictive power as children progress from phonological decoding to proficient word recognition. This 5-year study investigated kindergarten language-related predictors of word-reading accuracy and fluency trajectories from initial to advanced stages, examining developmental changes in their relative importance within Hebrew’s unique characteristics, including its dual writing versions – pointed-transparent and unpointed-deep – and its rich Semitic morphology. Method A total of 515 Hebrew-speaking children (55.3% girls) from northern Israel was assessed on phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatized naming (RAN), letter knowledge (LK), and morphological awareness (MA) in kindergarten (mean age=5.9 years). Word-reading accuracy and fluency were measured in Grade 1 using pointed script, and in Grade 4 using both pointed and unpointed versions. Results Structural equation modeling revealed that early PA predicted word-reading abilities only in initial stages, while early MA specifically contributed to advanced stages, particularly in unpointed script. Early LK and RAN predicted word-reading abilities in both grades, with sustained direct effects on Grade 4 word-reading fluency across both versions and accuracy in unpointed script. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that kindergarten language-related skills, despite their early origin, not only establish fundamental reading abilities but also directly support advanced reading proficiency, underscoring the importance of comprehensive kindergarten programs that foster both early and long-term reading success. The distinct predictive patterns observed across reading stages, demands, and orthographic contexts enhance theoretical understanding of general reading development and script-specific frameworks.

Positive effects of the Letterland curriculum on kindergarteners’ word reading skills and engagement behaviors: A comparison of two programs

Learning to read words is a major educational goal for children. This quasi-experimental study compared two kindergarten programs on the early word reading skills and engagement during literacy instruction of 258 kindergarten children. Six matched schools were assigned to the Letterland program or a structured literacy program. Children received 30–45 min of daily instruction in phonemic awareness, letter names and sounds, and word decoding. Regular classroom teachers implemented the instruction. Word reading instruction differed primarily in the use of characters whose character image contained letter forms while plain letters with a separate keyword were used in the structured literacy program. Children in both groups made significant gains on beginning reading skills. Letterland children made greater gains on letter sound fluency, with educationally meaningful differences on phonemic segmentation fluency and word decoding fluency. Letterland participants’ engagement during instruction was rated higher by teachers than was structured literacy program participants’.

Emmetropization in highly hyperopic infants: A randomized clinical trial of partial refractive correction.

Highly hyperopic infants are at greater risk for not undergoing emmetropization and later developing conditions such as strabismus, amblyopia, and early literacy and reading problems. An early intervention consisting of partial hyperopic correction and encouragement of accommodation may influence the rate of emmetropization in these high-risk infants. This study aimed to determine if moderate spectacle partial correction (3.00 D cut from cycloplegic) and visual exercises to promote accommodation enhance emmetropization (reaching ≤+3.00 D) in highly hyperopic (≥+5.00 D to ≤+7.00 D) 3-month-old infants compared with no treatment (observation). Thirty-five highly hyperopic 3-month-old infants (57% female) were randomized to observation or treatment (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT03669146). Primary analysis compared the mean hyperopia at 18 months of age in treated versus untreated participants. Data were also modeled using proportional hazards survival analysis (time to reach ≤+3.00 D). There was no significant difference in refractive error at 18 months of age between infants in the treated (+1.6 ± 0.6 D) and observation groups (+1.2 ± 0.7 D; p = 0.23) but treatment affected the rate of emmetropization depending on baseline hyperopia (p = 0.01). At 12 months of age, treated infants had similar refractive errors regardless of baseline hyperopia but untreated infants at 12 months underwent faster emmetropization if their baseline hyperopia was <+5.50 D and slower emmetropization if it was >+5.50 D. Partial hyperopic refractive correction with accommodative exercises in highly hyperopic infants did not affect average refractive error at 18 months. However, treatment affected the rate of emmetropization and how long it took to reach ≤+3.00 D. Treatment slowed the rate of emmetropization at lower levels of initial hyperopia but may enhance emmetropization at higher levels.

Coaching teachers on instructional decision-making and implementation of an evidence-based early reading program

PurposeTo identify the virtual coaching practices used to support implementation and instructional decision-making in an evidence-based early reading program, Targeted Reading Instruction (TRI).Design/methodology/approachA priori codes based on Schön’s (1987) reflective practicum were used to code coaching practices used during the implementation of TRI with eight coach–teacher dyads. Coaches provided direct support via video conferencing to teachers implementing TRI lessons with a student. Constant comparative analysis (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) was used to identify patterns of coaching behaviors used to enhance implementation and to support instructional decision-making.FindingsSimilar practices (suggesting, questioning and modeling) were used in both coaching for implementation and coaching for instructional decision-making. Coaches changed their focus over time, moving from emphasizing implementation to supporting instructional decision-making as teachers became more proficient at implementing TRI.Originality/valueThere is a need to understand the specific ways coaches support the implementation of evidence-based practices, especially in the context of virtual coaching. Coaching tied to the implementation of evidence-based practices is often characterized as directive and prescriptive; this study revealed a more collaborative approach to supporting implementation.

Developing and Evaluating an Educational Game to Support Early Reading Skills in Kindergarten Students

Reading is a crucial skill that should be learned from an early age, as it plays a vital role in daily life. While most children can easily learn to read, some struggle with the process. Therefore, effective learning media are needed to support children's reading development. This study develops and evaluates an educational game to assist young children in learning to read. Unlike previous studies, the game integrates multiple interactive modes that reinforce word recognition, spelling, and sentence construction through auditory and visual cues. The game features a simple user interface, a collection of 100 open vocabulary words, and three gameplay modes designed to support different aspects of early reading skills. The game's effectiveness was assessed through an experiment involving 12 kindergarten students, divided into a game-playing and a non-game-playing group. The findings indicate that the educational game can enhance kindergarten students' reading skills. Moreover, the game increases students' enthusiasm and motivation for learning to read. However, further improvements, such as additional features and platform expansion, are necessary to make the game more accessible to a broader audience.

Family and child characteristics in reading achievement milestones using machine‐learning‐based survival analysis

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to identify early reading achievers and uncover family and child factors that mitigate reading skill disparities.BackgroundLiteracy standards guide educational policy to prevent literacy issues in at‐risk children. Many studies lack accurate methods to measure reading milestones, relying on static approaches that miss dynamic longitudinal processes.MethodThis study used machine‐learning‐based survival analysis on Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011 (ECLS‐K: 2011) data to analyze children's time to reach reading milestones, examining how family structure, socioeconomic status, gender, and behavioral problems relate to reading achievements.ResultsBeing female, from a higher‐income family, and not exhibiting behavioral problems increased the likelihood of surpassing reading milestones. Higher socioeconomic status had a stronger positive relation with reading achievement in two‐parent families. Externalizing behaviors had a stronger negative relation with reading achievement in girls than boys. The survival tree analysis showed children from two‐parent families with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold reached reading milestones earlier. Among these children, those with lower externalizing behaviors achieved them the earliest.ConclusionThis study supports the family systems theory and the bioecological model, indicating family and child factors, and their interplay, relate to children's reading achievement.ImplicationsMachine‐learning‐based survival analysis enhances the assessment of reading milestones, facilitating early diagnosis, targeted interventions, and effective family policies.

Getting at How: Testing Mediating Factors in the Relation Between Morphological Awareness and Reading Comprehension in Grade 1

ABSTRACTThe relation of morphological awareness with reading comprehension is well established. For this advance to inform instruction, the push is now on to understand how morphological awareness is related to reading comprehension. We address this question here by examining potential mechanisms. We do so with children in Grade 1, a time at which it is widely debated as to whether to include morphology instruction. We examine three potential mediating factors through which morphological awareness may contribute to reading comprehension: word reading, vocabulary, and morphological analysis, or the ability to use morphemes to understand morphologically complex words. A total of 336 English‐speaking Grade 1 children participated and completed control measures of phonological awareness, nonverbal ability, socioeconomic status, working memory, and age. Initial confirmatory factor analyses showed the separability of morphological awareness, morphological analysis, and vocabulary. Multivariate path analyses revealed two indirect pathways from morphological awareness to reading comprehension: through word reading and through morphological analysis. There were no indirect effects via vocabulary, nor were there direct effects from morphological awareness to reading comprehension beyond the other variables. These findings identify two potential mechanisms by which morphological awareness connects with early reading comprehension. These findings will inform theories of reading development and may influence the development of effective early reading instruction.

PENGEMBANGAN MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN BIG BOOK JELAJAH KATA TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN MEMBACA PERMULAAN SISWA KELAS I SEKOLAH DASAR

This study aims to determine the development process, feasibility, and student responses to the "Big Book Jelajah Kata" learning media. The research used a Research and Development (R&amp;D) method with the ADDIE model, which consists of five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The outcome of this research and development is the "Big Book Jelajah Kata" learning media, which can be used for early reading instruction. The study was conducted at SD Negeri Cilaku with the research subjects being 31 first-grade students. The data collection techniques and procedures included interviews, observations, documentation, tests, questionnaires, and expert validation tests. The media expert validation received an average score of 87.6%, the material expert validation received an average score of 84.9%, and the language expert validation received an average score of 89%. Based on the expert validation results, the accumulated score was 87.16%, which falls into the "very feasible" category. The student response questionnaire received an average score of 97.8%, and the early reading skills test received a score of 91.86%. Therefore, it can be concluded that the "Big Book Jelajah Kata" learning media is highly feasible and very effective for use in early reading instruction in first-grade elementary school classes.

Working memory growth and early Spanish reading interact to shape reading and math gains for Spanish-English emergent bilinguals

Working memory growth and early Spanish reading interact to shape reading and math gains for Spanish-English emergent bilinguals

Study of Pedagogical-Psychological Research of Improving Reading Literacy of Primary Grade Students on The Basis of Egra, Pirls International Programs

This article analyzes the process of improving reading literacy of primary school students from a pedagogical and psychological point of view, based on international assessment systems - EGRA (Early Grade Reading Assessment) and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study). The study examines the role of these programs in developing reading literacy skills, their main evaluation criteria, and directions for improving the educational process based on their results. It also analyzes foreign and domestic scientific research on improving reading literacy of primary school students. The significance of this study is that it opens up opportunities for improving teaching methodologies based on international experience, developing approaches that meet national educational standards, and using effective methods to shape students' reading culture.

PENGEMBANGAN MEDIA MAGNET ALFABET (MARGARETA) UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KETERAMPILAN MEMBACA PERMULAAN SISWA KELAS II SDS MUTIARA II

The aim of education is to improve the early reading skills of second-grade students using the magnetic alphabet media. This study uses the ADDIE model, which consists of five stages: Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The subjects of the trial were second-grade students at Mutiara II Private Elementary School. Data collection tools involved performance tests for early reading skills. Data analysis was conducted using the effectiveness test D-Cohen. The results of the study show an improvement in early reading skills before and after using the MARGARETA media, as evidenced by a pretest score of 63.84, which increased to 81.53 on the posttest in the large-scale trial. The effectiveness test D-Cohen resulted in a score of 0.40, which is categorized as moderate. Thus, it can be concluded that the magnetic alphabet media (MARGARETA) is effective in improving the early reading skills of second-grade elementary school students.

Kinyarwanda Reading Teaching Techniques in Lower Primary Schools: Enabling and Hindering Factors. A Case of Kirehe and Kicukiro Districts in Rwanda

This study sought to find out the components of early grades literacy emphasized by teachers, the teaching techniques used in reading, draw a comparison in the use of reading teaching techniques between rural and urban schools and the challenges facing the teaching of Kinyarwanda reading. Using cross-sectional design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to gauge the participants’ opinions. The study targeted Primary 2 and Primary 3 Kinyarwanda teachers in Kirehe and Kicukiro Districts in Rwanda. It used a sample of 8 schools and 44 teachers purposively selected. A Likert-scale questionnaire and a lesson observation check list were used to collect data. The study revealed that teachers know the essential components of early grade literacy and use appropriate reading teaching techniques. Phonological awareness use is different between rural and urban schools (mean urban=3.733 mean rural=4.0972). Challenges impeding Kinyarwanda reading competency include lack of support, insufficient time for reading and self-efforts. The Ministry of Education should ensure learners get ample time for reading through single shift while the parents should dedicate time to support the children at home.

PENERAPAN PROGRAM GERAKAN LITERASI SEKOLAH (GLS) TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN MEMBACA ANAK USIA 5-6 TAHUN DI PAUD KAMBOJA IX

The background of this research is that reading ability is a fundamental aspect of language skills that every child should acquire. Through reading, children can broaden their knowledge. However, at present, early childhood reading skills remain relatively low. This is caused by several factors, including the limited availability of engaging reading materials for children, low parental awareness and concern in fostering reading interest, and the lack of well-structured reading activities in schools. To enhance early childhood reading skills, schools can implement a School Literacy Movement (GLS) program in early childhood education institutions. Therefore, this study aims to examine: (1) the implementation of the school literacy movement for 5-6-year-olds at PAUD Kamboja IX, (2) the media used in introducing literacy to early childhood at PAUD Kamboja IX, and (3) the supporting and inhibiting factors in implementing the School Literacy Movement (GLS) program on children's reading abilities at PAUD Kamboja IX. The School Literacy Movement is a program designed to increase children's interest and ability in reading. This activity involves teachers reading non-curricular books for 15 minutes before the learning process begins. This study adopts a descriptive qualitative approach with field research. The research was conducted at PAUD Kamboja IX in Haurwangi District from August 1 to August 31, 2024. The data collection instruments and techniques included observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The research procedure involved data triangulation, which means gathering information from various sources and techniques to obtain a detailed and in-depth understanding of the implementation of the school literacy movement on children's reading skills at PAUD Kamboja IX. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the School Literacy Movement (GLS) at PAUD Kamboja IX aligns with the Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 23 of 2015 concerning character development. This is achieved through activities such as teachers reading non-curricular books for 15 minutes during the opening session, parent meetings with themes on fostering children's reading interest, and optimizing reading corners in the classroom. The media used in GLS implementation at PAUD Kamboja IX includes storybooks and literacy posters. Supporting factors for the GLS program implementation include the availability of reading materials, a conducive environment, and parental involvement. Meanwhile, inhibiting factors consist of internal challenges among children and the lack of library facilities as a resource for reading development.