Reading Fluency Skills Research Articles

The Relationship between Phonological Awareness and Reading Fluency for Elementary Second and Third Grade Dyslexic Students

This study explored the relationship between phonological awareness and reading fluency in students with dyslexia in grades 2 and 3. A related purpose was to examine the differences between males and females in their phonological awareness and reading fluency skills. The sample consisted of 41 students (21 boys and 20 girls), aged between 8 and 9 years. The study tools included the phonological awareness test and the reading fluency test. The results of the study showed that there was a significant correlation (r = .44) between the male/female students’ scores on the test of phonological awareness and their reading fluency test scores. Simple linear regression analysis showed that students’ scores on the test of phonological awareness predicted their scores on the test of reading fluency (β = .44, p ˂ .003). The independent-samples t test showed no significant differences between dyslexic male and female students on the phonological awareness and reading fluency tests. The study recommended the necessity of conducting experimental studies to develop phonological awareness and reading fluency skills for students with dyslexia.

Predictors of spelling errors in expository texts written by Hebrew-speaking elementary school children (Predictores de errores ortográficos en textos expositivos escritos por alumnos de habla hebrea en escuela primaria)

ABSTRACT Spelling errors are considered a paramount criterion in the evaluation of written texts. The present study aimed: (a) to describe the developmental path of spelling errors in expository texts written by Hebrew-speaking children from the second to fifth grades and (b) to reveal the predictive power of cognitive, linguistic and reading variables on spelling accuracy. To this end, each child wrote three expository texts and completed a battery of tasks. Spelling errors were identified and classified into various categories. Findings revealed a consistent decrease in spelling errors as age increased with a greater leap from the third grade on. Proficiency in reading fluency (as measured by rate and accuracy) and good reading comprehension skills significantly reduced the chance of producing spelling errors of any kind. Additional variables, such as lexical knowledge, also contributed to explaining the reduction of spelling errors in content Hebrew words. Our findings of mutual relations clearly support the connectionist and comprehensive approach to spelling that incorporates various linguistic and literacy dimensions in order to reach the goal of correct spelling.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE FLUENT READING SKILL IN CHILDREN WITH GENERAL SPEECH UNDERDEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE RHYTHMIC STRUCTURE OF A PROSE TEXT

Introduction. The paper presents the results of a study on the influence of identifying the prose text rhythm on the development of fluent reading skills in children with the general speech underdevelopment. Materials and Methods. The methods employed in the study are analysis of scientific literature on the issues of formation of rhythm in the text and syntagmatic division of the text, the rhythmic analysis, and the statistical method. Results. Identification of a rhythmic structure in the text and division of the text into syntagmas help improve the technical aspect of reading and affect the development of fluent reading skills in children with the general speech underdevelopment. Conclusion. The findings suggest that it is essential to teach primary school children with the general speech underdevelopment to feel the text rhythm, identify it at the level of syntagmatic division, and find semantic dominants in the text to overcome the difficulties of developing fluent reading skills. The identification of rhythmic patterns in the text enables children both to upgrade their fluent reading skills and to understand better the meaning of what they read.

كلمة العدد (الإنجليزي)

In midst of the tribulations inflicted on humanity by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Journal of Educational Sciences continues undeterred in its mission to be a platform for knowledge sharing, regionally and internationally. This issue includes seven meticulously selected research articles on education and educational psychology, from various subfields and schools of thought. The first article, investigates “The Effect of a Guidance Program based on Creative Thinking Strategies in Developing Career Planning Skills among Academically Gifted Tenth Grade Students.” The second article examines “The Effectiveness of a computerized Program Using the Interactive Whiteboard to Develop Reading Fluency Skills for Students with Learning Disabilities in the Second Episode in the Sultanate of Oman.” The third article examines “The Effect of a Training Program in Developing the Pragmatic Language Skills in a Sample of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Jordan.” The fourth article presents a view on “The Role of School Administration towards Enhancing the Intellectual Security of Students in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman.” The fifth article examines “Parental involvement in Kindergarten, from Teachers’ and Educational Supervisors’ Perspective in the State of Kuwait.” The sixth article observes “The Effect of Arabic Diacritics on Rapid Naming of Fourth Grade Students with and without Reading Disabilities in The Sultanate of Oman.” The final article examines “The Psychometric Properties of HEXACO-60 Inventory for the Six Personality Factors on School and University Students in the Sultanate of Oman.”We call on Arab researchers around the globe and all researchers in the MENA region to consider this magazine as one of their primary choices for publication. We take pride in the quality, diversity, and rigorous arbitration in this endeavor so that the Journal of Educational Sciencesremains - as it has always been - a distinguished educational journal, which can be trusted for its scope and quality.

The Effectiveness of a computerized Program Using the Interactive Whiteboard to Develop Reading Fluency Skills for Students with Learning Disabilities in the Sultanate of Oman

هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى معرفة فاعلية برنامج محوسب في تنمية مهارات الطلاقة القرائية لدى طالبات صعوبات التعلم الحلقة الثانية، ولتحقيق ذلك أعدت الباحثتان اختبارا لقياس مهارات الطلاقة القرائية لدى عينة الدراسة. كما أعدت الباحثتان برنامج محوسب لتنمية مهارات الطلاقة القرائية لديهن باستخدام موضوعات الاختبار الأربعة التي قيست من خلالها مهارات الطلاقة القرائية لدى الطالبات. تكونت عينة الدراسة من (22) طالبة ببرنامج صعوبات التعلم، قُسمت على مجموعتين بطريقة عشوائية: مجموعة تجريبية مكونة من (11) دُرست لهن مهارات الطلاقة القرائية باستخدام البرنامج المحوسب الذي عُرض على الطالبات بطريقة السبورة التفاعلية، ومجموعة ضابطة تكونت من (11) دُرست مهارات الطلاقة القرائية بطريقة التدريس العادية. ثم طُبق على المجموعتين اختبار بعدي لقياس مدى التحسن في مهارات الطلاقة القرائية. وقد أظهرت نتائج الدراسة وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين المجموعتين (التجريبية والضابطة) في الاختبار البعدي لمهارات الطلاقة القرائية لصالح المجموعة التجريبية. كما أظهرت وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في المجموعة التجريبية بين الاختبارين القبلي والبعدي لمهارات الطلاقة القرائية. وبناءً على ذلك، فقد أوصت الباحثة بضرورة استخدام البرامج المحوسبة في إعداد دروس اللغة العربية وغيرها من المواد للطلبة المدرجين ببرنامج صعوبات التعلم لما لها أثر في رفع المستوى التحصيلي للطلبة.

The study of reading fluency and reading comprehension skills of primary school students whose mother tongue is different

The purpose of this research is to analyse reading fluency and comprehension skills of different mother tongue of primary school students in the 4th grade. The effects of variables such as mother tongue and gender were examined in reading fluency and comprehension skills of different primary school students whose mother tongue is different. The working group of the study was selected by criterion sampling from the purposeful sampling methods among the students studying in primary schools in the province of Tuşba in Van. The working group consists of 201 female and 227 males, a total of 428 students. In the research, ‘Narrative Text’ collected data about reading fluency; ‘Multidimensional Fluency Scale’ measured reading prosody skills; and ‘Reading Comprehension Test’ was used to determine the reading comprehension levels. According to the findings, the students were generally divided into two groups: those whose mother tongue is Turkish, and those who is Kurdish. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the fluent reading and reading comprehension skills of primary school 4th grade students whose mother tongue is Turkish are generally higher than those whose mother tongue is Kurdish. 

A Case Study on Use of the Heliping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) Program to Improve Second Grade Students’ Fluent Reading Skills

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) program on the improvement of fluent reading skills of two 2nd-grade students identified as having difficulties in reading. The current qualitative case study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. The data were obtained from the program-based measurement results related to the process and the (semi-structured) interviews with the classroom teachers of the students. According to the results of the present study, it was found out that there was an increase in word recognition and reading speed as a part of reading skills of the participant students thanks to the HELPS program implemented in the study. Additionally, there was a positive change in terms of the quality of reading and the level of engagement in extra-curricular reading and active participation in class increased for the participant students in the process of the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) program. The results obtained were interpreted under the light of the relevant literature.

An Action Research on Improving Fluent Reading Skills of Third-Grade Primary School Students

This study aimed to improve the fluent reading skills of third-grade primary school students by developing and implementing action plans based on fluent reading strategies. It employed the participatory action research design, one of the qualitative research approaches. A total of 27 third-grade students attending a state primary school in Konya during the spring of 2017 participated in the study. First, pre-measurements were performed to determine students’ current states regarding the three fluent reading components ( accurate reading, reading speed, and prosody ). Next, ten action plans related to the three components were developed and implemented in 10 weeks. Later, post-measurements were performed, and pre- and post-measurement results were compared. Also, feedback about the implementation process ( qualitative data ) was sought through participant observations, conversation type interviews with the classroom teacher and students, reflective journals, and video recordings. According to the findings, students’ reading mistakes in all the three text types ( narrative, informative, and poetic ) decreased, reading speeds increased, and reading prosody levels enhanced. The use of various technological tools, software programs, and different reading strategies during the implementation process helped students focus more on the activities, raised their interest in them, and made their learning more pleasant. Moreover, the use of grouping strategies such as reading choir, reading theatre, and dart playing affected students positively for learning. It is concluded that the study has great potential to contribute to the research literature by reflecting the practical experiences.

Cerebellar contributions to rapid semantic processing in reading

• Cerebellar activation was highest for rapid, semantically-plausible sentences. • Activation correlated with sub-lexical, word, and passage-level fluency performance. • Semantic context modulated the cerebellar response to sentence presentation rates. • Cerebellar activation was associated with reading fluency skills rather than age.

Reducing High-Attaining Readers to Middling: The Consequences of Inadequate Foundational Skills Instruction in a High-SES District

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study measures decoding and fluent reading skills of a random sample of 250 first- through third-grade students attending a high-SES school. Growth was compared between proficient and struggling readers with results showing the latter group significantly behind their higher attaining peers on all measures. When student attainment was compared to national norms, results revealed that students entering first grade as high-attaining had declined to average or below by the end of third grade, while the struggling reader group consistently lagged behind their proficient peers. These outcomes show that it is possible for high-attaining students to lose the advantage provided by their high-SES background.

Theories and Research on Oral Reading Fluency: What Is Needed?

Oral reading fluency skill is considered to be the bridge to reading comprehension. However, it has been neglected in many English reading programs despite the fact that different theories (including behaviorism, information processing model theory, automaticity theory, and Ehri and McCormick’s word learning theory) have shed light on this skill. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review theories, studies and practices relevant to this skill. This study has two aims: (1) to identify the theories underpinning oral reading strategies and (2) to identify the gap in research so far conducted on oral reading fluency. Various reading-aloud techniques and assessment methods are presented in this study. Moreover, some factors that affect students’ oral reading fluency are illustrated. Significantly, the practices that this study investigates and presents concerning teaching and assessing oral reading fluency might give an inspiration for the policymakers and curriculum designers to integrate oral reading fluency in their reading programs.

Growth on sublexical fluency progress monitoring measures in early kindergarten and relations to word reading acquisition

Fluency with skills that operate below the word level (i.e., sublexical), such as phonemic awareness and alphabetic knowledge, may ease the acquisition of decoding skills (Ritchey & Speece, 2006). Measures of sublexical fluency such as phoneme segmentation fluency (PSF), letter naming fluency (LNF), and letter sound fluency (LSF) are widely available for monitoring kindergarten reading progress, but less is known about the relative importance of growth in each skill across the early months of formal reading instruction and their relation to subsequent decoding acquisition. With a sample of kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties, this study investigated the extent to which initial status and growth in PSF, LNF, and LSF, administered on a progress-monitoring basis during the fall of kindergarten, were differentially predictive of word reading fluency skills at mid-year and growth across the second half the school year. We used two different fluency-based progress monitoring measures of word reading across the spring, one consisting entirely of phonetically regular consonant-vowel-consonant words, and the other that included phonetically regular and irregular words that varied in length. Results indicated that although initial status and fall growth in all sublexical fluency measures were positively associated with subsequent word reading, LSF across the fall of kindergarten was the strongest overall predictor of mid-year level and growth on both word reading measures, and unique in its prediction over the effects of LNF and PSF. Results underscore the importance of letter-sound knowledge for word reading development, and provide additional evidence for LSF as a key index of progress for at-risk learners across the early months of formal reading instruction.

The Effects of Nursery Rhymes on Improv-ing Reading Fluency of Fourth-Grade Primary School Students

This study aimed to determine the effect of nursery rhymes, which are entertaining and remarkable products of Turkish folk literature, on the development of the fluent reading skills of fourth grade primary school students. The study group consisted of 44 students studying in the fourth grade during the 2015-2016 academic year at a public primary school in the Vakfikebir county of the Trabzon province in Turkey. Since the activities conducted with the experimental group were applied by the researcher, the section of the researcher was chosen as the experimental group and one of the remaining fourth-grade sections were randomly assigned as the control group. In the study, the texts, which were determined in order to assess the fluent reading skills of the students, were firstly read by the students prior to the study and their voices were recorded. The reading rates of the students were evaluated using the recordings by counting how many words the students read in one minute, their reading levels were determined with Error Analysis Inventory and prosodic features were evaluated with the Prosodic Reading Scale. Then, activities involving nursery rhymes were applied to the experimental group for 15 weeks as 2 activities per week, while the students in the control group continued their regular education. After the activities were applied, the measurements that were carried out prior to the study were repeated by making students read the same texts again. The reading rate scores, accurate reading scores and the data obtained from the Prosodic Reading Scale at the end of the measurements were transferred into an SPSS package program. The data were analyzed by performing paired samples T-Test and Independent Groups T-Test analyses. At the end of the study, it was determined that the reading rates and accurate reading skills of the students in the experimental group improved.

Efficacy of Certain Teaching Strategies on Reading Fluency Skills for Students of First Grad in Prep School

This research aimed at the development of reading fluency skills for Students of first grad prep School The research problem was mainly represented in weak reading fluency skills for students of first grad in prep School as well as negligence of modern teaching strategies. in order to find out a solution, the study passed through a set of steps. Most importantly were providing a list of reading fluency skills, suitable for Students of first grad in prep School, selecting three teaching strategies: modeling, collaborative learning and double reading, then, processing five prose texts within the first grad arabic language book using these three strategies one at a time. A manual for teachers was also provided and included performance steps, procedures, activities, means used and correction procedures per strategy. A research measured how far the three strategies were efficient for the development of reading fluency skills of the students. This was made by developing a note card for reading fluency skills as well as a measuring test and selecting three experimental groups, who are to be primarily subject to the test, within the students of first grad in prep School. After application of these three strategies to the groups, the test was subsequently post-applied. The research concluded a set of findings. A prominently important finding is that the three strategies were effective for the development of reading fluency skills for the for students of first grad in prep School. The results further showed that double reading strategy outperformed both modeling and collaborative strategies with regard to the development of the said skills.

The Use of Educational Drama for Teaching the Arabic language and its Effect on the Development of Literacy Fluency and the Trend Towards Teamwork for Primary School Students

The research aimed to identify the effect of the use of educational drama in teaching the Arabic language on the development of reading fluency skills and the direction towards group work among primary school pupils. The study sample consisted of two experimental groups (33) pupils, and the other control (33) pupils from the fifth primary class In Sidi Abdel Rahim Joint Primary School in Qena Governorate, the study tools consisted of a test of reading fluency skills and a measure of the direction towards university work, and the results of the study resulted in a statistically significant difference between the average scores of students of the experimental and control groups in the application Dimension to test the fluency of literacy skills, as well as there is a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of students of the experimental and control groups in the application dimension to measure the trend towards collective action in favor of the experimental group, the study provided a set of recommendations proposed research.

The effects of gender and academic achievement on reading fluency among Year 2 Malaysian school children

ObjectiveLanguage disorders can affect reading skills contributing to poor academic achievements. As such, it is vital for speech language pathologists to identify the potential language-based reading problems among children. To achieve this, specific reading assessments should be developed and studied. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the effects of gender and academic achievement on oral reading fluency (ORF) and silent reading fluency (SRF) among Year 2 Malaysian children. MethodsIn this study that employed a comparative design, fifty-nine typically developing Malaysian children (24 boys, aged from 8 years, 0 months to 8 years, 11 months) were enrolled. They were chosen from three different classrooms (consisting of high achieving, medium achieving and low achieving students, respectively) in a primary school. Their ORF and SRF skills were assessed according to the established methods. ResultsAs revealed by two-way ANOVA results, both ORF and SRF scores were found to be comparable between boys and girls (p > 0.05). In contrast, ORF and SRF results between the three classrooms were significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). ConclusionThe present study provides the first report on oral and silent reading fluency skills among Year 2 Malaysian school children. While the gender effect was insignificant, low achieving students showed poorer reading fluency skills. The preliminary normative data for ORF and SRF provided by the present study are beneficial for future research applications.

The Use of Repeated Reading with Systematic Error Correction for Elementary Students with Mild Intellectual Disability and Other Comorbid Disorders: A Systematic Replication Study

This paper is a systematic replication of a previous study performed by Alber-Morgan et al. (2007) to examine the effects of repeated reading with systematic error correction (SEC) procedures to increase the reading fluency and comprehension skills of three elementary students with mild intellectual disability and other comorbid disorders. A multiple probe across participants design (Horner and Baer 1978) was used to determine the effectiveness of the repeated reading intervention. During the baseline phase, the students read a passage aloud and orally answered comprehension questions. In the intervention phase, the students first read a passage aloud and received SEC, then completed two timed oral readings of the same passage, and answered comprehension questions. Baseline procedures were reintroduced in the maintenance phase. Results indicated that the use of the repeated reading with SEC intervention was effective to increase students’ reading fluency skills; however, no consistent gains were shown that suggested the strategy fostered the students’ comprehension skills. Limitations of the study, implications for the classroom, and future research directions are provided.

Using Educational Broadcasting in Improving EFL Preparatory School Students’ Oral Reading Fluency Skills and their Attitudes towards Learning English as a Foreign Language

This study aimed at examining the usage of educational broadcasting in improving EFL oral reading fluency skills for first year preparatory school students and their attitude towards learning English as a foreign language. The participants were thirty five first-year preparatory school students, composing one experimental group. The instruments for data collection were an EFL oral reading fluency test, a questionnaire of attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language. An educational broadcasting based program was designed by the researcher. The experimentation was conducted in the second term of the academic year (2018/2019) and lasted for nine weeks, one session a week. By the end of the experimentation, the test of the oral reading fluency skills and the questionnaire of the attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language were administered to the one experimental group. The test and questionnaire scores were compared and analyzed. The findings revealed that there is a difference in oral reading fluency skills improvement for the post administration of the EFL oral reading fluency test. There was also an evident and positive change in the attitudes of the experimental group members towards English as a foreign language. Some pedagogical implications were stated, as educational broadcasting is a vital tool for enhancing EFL oral reading fluency skills and attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language.

Effects of Explicit Instruction on Reading Fluency Skills of Primary Pupils in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Effects of Explicit Instruction on Reading Fluency Skills of Primary Pupils in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Using Graphic Novels to Engage Students With Learning Disabilities During Fluency Instruction

Strong oral reading fluency skills are an important indication of good reading. In addition, reading engagement is often correlated with reading success. Unfortunately, students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle to read fluently and engage with text. Incorporating graphic novels as part of a comprehensive reading program may help support student engagement with text during reading fluency instruction. This article outlines how teachers can use graphic novels as part of a comprehensive reading program to help engage students with LD in reading during fluency instruction. A brief summary of the literature surrounding comprehensive fluency instruction and the use of graphic novels is provided. In addition, a scenario is provided to illustrate guidelines for fluency planning and instruction using graphic novels. Finally, conclusions are summarized.