High School Reading Research Articles

279 CAN PATIENTS WITH LOW LITERACY READ WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ON PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS?

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Practice Patterns, Cost Effectiveness II1 Apr 2012279 CAN PATIENTS WITH LOW LITERACY READ WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ON PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS? Chandy Ellimoottil, Anthony Polcari, Adam Kadlec, and Gopal Gupta Chandy EllimoottilChandy Ellimoottil Maywood, IL More articles by this author , Anthony PolcariAnthony Polcari Maywood, IL More articles by this author , Adam KadlecAdam Kadlec Maywood, IL More articles by this author , and Gopal GuptaGopal Gupta Maywood, IL More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.02.337AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES About 90 million adults read below a high school reading level. With an increasing number of patients searching online for health information, websites written at a high reading level can pose a challenge for these patients seeking self-education on prostate cancer treatment options. In this study, we sought to determine the readability of selected websites using a systematic search process and validated readability formulas. METHODS We identified the three most popular keywords (”prostate cancer”, ”prostatectomy”, ”prostate cancer treatment”) from 513 keywords related to prostate cancer treatment options. Three trained physician searchers (CE, AP, AK) then systematically collected 270 websites from the three search engines representing 95% of internet search volume (Google, Yahoo, Bing). We excluded sites that were non-English, not primarily text, irrelevant and/or duplicated, and we categorized the remaining sites by source (government, academic practice, nonacademic practice, commercial, nonprofit, news, health website, other) and treatment type. We then used validated readability instruments, Flesch-Kincaid (FK) grade level and Flesch reading ease, to calculate readability scores for each site. We also calculated an intraclass correlation coefficient to assess the degree of interrater agreement among our three searchers. RESULTS Sixty-two unique websites remained for analysis. The mean FK grade level of all sites was 11.4 (SD +/- 0.95, range 8.0-12.0) indicating a mean 11th grade reading level. The mean Flesch reading ease score of all sites was 35.6 (SD +/- 15.7, range 0.0-65.5) indicating that, on average, passages were slightly easier to read than passages suited for university graduates (0-30). Only 3 sites (4.8%) were written below a high school reading level (< 9.0). The intraclass correlation coefficient between the three searchers was 0.96 for grade level and 0.97 for reading ease. CONCLUSIONS Very few websites with discussions on prostate cancer treatment options are written below a high school reading level. This is problematic for patients with low literacy who search online for information regarding their options for prostate cancer treatment. © 2012 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 187Issue 4SApril 2012Page: e113-e114 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2012 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Chandy Ellimoottil Maywood, IL More articles by this author Anthony Polcari Maywood, IL More articles by this author Adam Kadlec Maywood, IL More articles by this author Gopal Gupta Maywood, IL More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Exploring the link between cognitive processes and learning from refutational text

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the cognitive processes used by individuals who read a refutational text about physics and demonstrated conceptual change learning. Four high school readers whose initial conceptions differed from the scientific conception of Newton's first law thought aloud while reading a refutational text. After reading, they completed a post‐test and participated in an in‐depth interview in which they were asked to provide interpretations of their think‐aloud comments. Qualitative analysis revealed that readers used a variety of cognitive processes during reading and their incorrect conceptions were revised to be more in line with the scientific conception explained in the text. The findings were consistent with the co‐activation hypothesis, which predicts that refutational texts can induce cognitive conflict and facilitate conceptual change learning.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Remediation for Struggling Readers in High School

Preliminary efficacy data are reported for a research-based reading intervention designed for struggling readers in high school. PHAST PACES teaches (a) word identification strategies, (b) knowledge of text structures, and (c) reading comprehension strategies. In a quasi-experimental design, 268 intervention and 83 waiting list control students meeting criteria for reading disability were assessed before and after their semester. After 60 to 70 hours of PHAST PACES instruction, struggling readers demonstrated significant gains on standardized tests of word attack, word reading, and passage comprehension and on experimental measures of letter–sound knowledge and multisyllabic word identification relative to control students. An average effect size of .68 was revealed across these outcome measures. One year follow-up data on 197 PHAST PACES students revealed an average trend to decelerated growth after the intervention, except for passage comprehension outcomes that demonstrated continued growth over follow-up.

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.

Reading, writing, and phonological processing skills of adolescents with 10 or more years of cochlear implant experience.

This study had three goals: (1) to document the literacy skills of deaf adolescents who received cochlear implants (CIs) as preschoolers; (2) to examine reading growth from elementary grades to high school; (3) to assess the contribution of early literacy levels and phonological processing skills, among other factors, to literacy levels in high school. A battery of reading, spelling, expository writing, and phonological processing assessments were administered to 112 high school (CI-HS) students, ages 15.5 to 18.5 yrs, who had participated in a reading assessment battery in early elementary grades (CI-E), ages 8.0 to 9.9 yrs. The CI-HS students' performance was compared with either a control group of hearing peers (N = 46) or hearing norms provided by the assessment developer. Many of the CI-HS students (47 to 66%) performed within or above the average range for hearing peers on reading tests. When compared with their CI-E performance, good early readers were also good readers in high school. Importantly, the majority of CI-HS students maintained their reading levels over time compared with hearing peers, indicating that the gap in performance was, at the very least, not widening for most students. Written expression and phonological processing tasks posed a great deal of difficulty for the CI-HS students. They were poorer spellers, poorer expository writers, and displayed poorer phonological knowledge than hearing age-mates. Phonological processing skills were a critical predictor of high school literacy skills (reading, spelling, and expository writing), accounting for 39% of variance remaining after controlling for child, family, and implant characteristics. Many children who receive CIs as preschoolers achieve age-appropriate literacy levels as adolescents. However, significant delays in spelling and written expression are evident compared with hearing peers. For children with CIs, the development of phonological processing skills is not just important for early reading skills, such as decoding, but is critical for later literacy success as well.

Literacy Behaviors of Deaf Preschoolers during Video Viewing

A pressing concern in the education of deaf children is their lack of academic success as measured by literacy rates. Most deaf children finish high school reading below a fourth-grade level. Educational television programs have successfully fostered preschool hearing children's emergent literacy skills. As for preschool deaf children, however, there has been only limited research on whether this medium can be effective. This study uses descriptive analyses to determine the type and frequency of literacy behaviors that preschool deaf children engage in while viewing an educational video in American Sign Language. Children were videotaped during three such sessions, and the videos were coded for literacy-related engagement behaviors. The results of this study indicate that preschool deaf children engaged in a variety of such behaviors regardless of age and ASL exposure and that these behaviors increased after multiple video viewings.

A Comparative Analysis of MEXT English Reading Textbooks and Japan’s National Center Test

Despite the influence of changing demographics in Japan, the National Center Test for University Entrance Exams continues to assert an ever increasing role in the process of university admissions. In preparation for this examination, the majority of senior high school students learn from textbooks approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). This study compares Section Six of the 2003-2007 and 2008-2009 National Center Test English reading examination with three widely used MEXT senior high school reading textbooks. By triangulating analyses of vocabulary, reading ease/grade level indices, reading skills, and comprehension item formats, thereby expanding the methodologies of previous research in this area, the study poses the question:To what degree do the text and comprehension tasks of MEXT textbooks compare with those which students will be expected to comprehend in the National Center Test reading examination? Updating the results of earlier studies, the descriptive and inferential statistics reveal that while the vocabulary levels of the textbook now appear to correspond more closely with recent versions of the examination, further alignment of readability, grade levels, and comprehension tasks is necessary if MEXT textbooks are to support the development of reading proficiency now required.

Representations of Deafness and Deaf People in Young Adult Fiction

Representations of Deafness and Deaf People in Young Adult Fiction

Adolescents and Texts: Raw Writing: A Critical Support for Adolescents

“Adolescents and Texts” focuses on adolescent literacy and the teaching of reading in high school and middle school.

Reading Motivation, Reading Amount, and Text Comprehension in Deaf and Hearing Adults

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the variables of reading motivation, reading amount, and text comprehension in deaf and hearing adults. Research has shown that less than 50% of deaf students leave high school reading at or above a fourth-grade level (Allen, 1994). Our question is, how does this affect the levels of reading motivation and amount of reading in which deaf adults engage? Assessments of 30 hearing and 24 deaf adults showed that deaf participants reported significantly higher levels of reading motivation despite having been found to read at less than a sixth-grade level. No significant difference in the amount of reading between hearing and deaf adults was found. Amount of reading for personal reasons was found to be the best predictor of text comprehension in the deaf participants, and intrinsic motivation was found to be the best predictor of amount of reading in the deaf participants.

Beverly Vicker, M. S.: Sharing Information About Your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: What do Respite or Alternative Caregivers Need to Know?

Sharing Information About your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder is an easy to read primer that details suggestions on how a parent should instruct a caregiver to supervise their child with autism. It is very well organized and detailed, but not particularly insightful. The introduction for the book comments, ‘‘An attempt has been made to keep the information on these pages short, easy-to-read and within the reading level of the typical respite worker (high school reading level)’’ (p. 4). The book is successful at that task, but as a consequence may have limited audience appeal. The brilliance of this book is its every day application and the easy to use worksheets. In this day of suits on copy write infringement, it is rare to find a book that so clearly encourages the reader to make copies of its pages. In fact, to assist in this endeavor, a CD is attached to the back of the book. The first section of the book is basically a series of lists of questions on topics designed to prod a parent as to what information they should share about their child. At times, it is repetitive, but the inventory of questions is organized in such a fashion that you can easily skip nonrelevant topics such as bathing, as many part time caregivers never bath their charge leaving that as a parental responsibility. The second section of the book is a series of simple essays on topics of high interest to caregivers. These essays are a type of Social Story for caregivers. ‘‘Why doesn’t the child look at me?’’ or ‘‘Why does this child talk on and on and on?’’ are relevant and useful tools to share with anyone who interacts with a child or adult with autism. The third section, detailing the case history of two families, is tedious to read, but may be useful as a point of reference. The fourth and final section of the book has nearly 30 pages of worksheets. Many of the pages are nearly blank with only a modest heading and it makes you wonder if they should have just saved the trees. The accompanying CD has all of the worksheets in two different formats, one as the author intended, and a second version that allows you to make individual edits, which is a very creative idea.

Adolescents and Texts: Scaffolding the English Canon with Linked Text Sets

Adolescents and Texts focuses on adolescent literacy and the teaching of reading in high school and middle school. Pp. 88-91.

Exploring the Relative Effectiveness of Reading Interventions for High School Students

The purpose of this research was to explore the relative effectiveness of intensive reading interventions for struggling high school readers. A yearlong randomized control study was conducted to estimate causal effects, as measured by the criterion-referenced state assessment test, for 1,265 ninth-grade students in 89 classes across 7 high schools in a large school district. Students in the high risk group and the moderate risk group were randomly assigned to one of four intensive reading interventions (three new interventions and a “business as usual” control condition.) Results indicated that for all four interventions, gains made by students in the high risk group exceeded the benchmark for expected annual growth. For the moderate risk group, random effects mixed modeling showed that reliable differences were observed in the state outcome gain scores between two of the intensive interventions and the “business as usual” control condition (Glass's adjusted Δ = .27, .30).

‘Excellence is Never an Accident’

Brownsville, Texas, schools earn high marks for their focus on improving the English acquisition of their largely immigrant students. They use a web of instructional leadership and shared responsibility for every child. Excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities. -- Brownsville motto Even among districts selected as finalists for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, the Brownsville Independent School District in Texas stands out. In 2008, the district received the Broad prize. Like all of the finalists, the district reflects the high poverty of its student population. Unlike others, Brownsville also serves a large population of English language learners, many of them new arrivals to this border town between Mexico and the United States. In reading and math at all grade levels, Brownsville outperformed other Texas districts serving students with similar income levels. In addition, Brownsville's Hispanic and low-income students outperformed their peers in similar districts in reading and math at all grade levels. Between 2004 and 2007, Brownsville's Hispanic students showed greater improvement than their peers in similar Texas districts in reading and math at all grade levels, according to the Broad prize methodology. Brownsville's low-income students also showed greater improvement than their peers in similar Texas districts in math at all grade levels and in elementary and high school reading. From 2004 to 2007, Brownsville surpassed the state average in raising the percentage of Hispanic and low-income students who achieved math proficiency at all grade levels and in elementary and high school reading proficiency. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brownsville is also narrowing income and ethnic achievement gaps in reading and math at all grade levels. For example, between 2004 and 2007, Brownsville reduced the gap between Hispanic students and the state average for white students 12 percentage points in middle school math and reduced the gap between low-income students and Texas' non-low-income student average nine percentage points in high school reading. Three characteristics set Brownsville apart from other urban districts. MOVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS TO PROFICIENCY QUICKLY. The Brownsville Independent School District (BISD) serves one of the most underprivileged student populations in urban America, many of whom come to the district with limited, if any, English skills, especially among the elementary students. The programs and supports in place for English language learners (ELL) are unique to the local context. All elementary-level teachers in the district are dual certified in bilingual education. Districtwide, all teachers are trained in sheltered English instruction strategies. While the district offers optional transition and dual immersion in some schools, based on parent preference or student need, most students are placed in traditional classrooms where instruction is in English. Being successful is not a deep, dark secret. Using a range of research-based strategies and supplemental programs, the focus of instruction for young ELL students is to promote rapid gains in English proficiency. We push vocabulary; we push fluency in English, because we want them to be fluent in both languages, said one bilingual teacher. As a result of BISD's focused efforts, by the end of 3rd grade, almost 100% of students are proficient in English. Usually in the 4th grade, students are completely exiting [ELL programs], district administrators reported. The district also takes steps to ensure that ELL students who enter the district at the secondary levels do so in the most appropriate way. Through a partnership with the University of Texas at Austin, the district reviews transcripts for students entering from another country to ensure that students are being placed at the proper grade level and that they receive credit for courses taken elsewhere. …

Relationships between beliefs about medications and adherence

The relationships between beliefs about medications, health literacy, and self-reported medication adherence are examined. Patients from an inner-city hospital pharmacy completed an in-person, interviewer-assisted questionnaire that included the Morisky 8-item Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of self-reported medication adherence as determined by the MMAS-8. Variables included in the model were summary scores from the BMQ, REALM, and patient or regimen characteristics that were significantly associated with the MMAS-8. A majority of the 275 study participants were African-American (86.2%), were women (73.1%), and could read at less than a high school reading level (59.7%). The average age was 53.9 years. Approximately half of the patients (52.7%) reported low medication adherence (MMAS-8 score of >2). Multivariate analyses indicated several factors were associated with low self-reported adherence, including negative beliefs about medications, younger age, low medication self-efficacy, and hyperlipidemia. Health literacy was not independently associated with beliefs or adherence. Patients who had negative beliefs about medications, who were <65 years of age, or who had low medication self-efficacy reported low medication adherence.

Adolescents and Texts: Texts, Troubled Teens, and Troubling Times

“Adolescents and Texts” focuses on adolescent literacy and the teaching of reading in high school and middle school.

Adolescents and Texts: Overserved or Underserved? A Focus on Adolescents and Texts

“Adolescents and Texts” focuses on adolescent literacy and the teaching of reading in high school and middle school.

“It Sounds Like Me”: Using Creative Nonfiction to Teach College Admissions Essays

A high school reading and writing center specialist, Jennifer Wells describes how her creative nonfiction workshops inspired students to attend more closely to their personal experience, voice, and sensory detail in their college essays.

Simplifying Text in Medical Literature

A text simplification system is developed that accepts as input a document written for college reading level, and converts it to high school reading level text using techniques in natural language processing. The achieved level of lexical and syntactic simplifications is dependent on the lexical and syntactic information stored in the system's knowledge sources. These knowledge sources can be updated when necessary, thus allowing the system to support varying input and output reading levels. Test results show that simplification can increase the reading ease score from as low 2.5% to a high 296%. Results also show that only 70% of the generated easier-to-read text will have a reading ease score higher than the original input sentence.

Saccadic tracking skills of poor readers in high school

Background Oculomotor control has been implicated as a factor when reading is poor, but few studies exist for adolescents. Methods The saccadic eye movement efficiency of 684 ninth grade students, identified as poor readers in 5 California high schools, was quantified using the Developmental Eye Movement test. Frequency distributions were produced from scores on vertical and horizontal components, and gender and test-retest factors were considered during analysis. Results Vertical times were within 1 standard deviation of normal for eighth grade. However, horizontal (saccadic) times were typical of grade 3, and the average number of errors on the horizontal test was typical of grade 2. Boys and girls performed similarly. Results of retests showed slightly improved horizontal times and fewer errors, but the grade level equivalents remained dramatically low. Overall, fewer than 10% of students scored above the 50th percentile for eighth grade. Conclusion The results indicate that poor readers in high school may be at high risk for poor saccadic tracking skill.