Implications For Reading Instruction Research Articles

Evaluating English-language morphological awareness assessments

Many studies have shown that morphological knowledge has effects on reading comprehension separate from other aspects of language knowledge. This has implications for reading instruction and assessment: it suggests that children could have reading comprehension difficulties that are due to a lack of morphological knowledge, and thus, that explicit instruction of morphology might be helpful for them, indeed for all children. To find children who might especially benefit from specific instruction in morphology, we would need good tests of morphological knowledge. We evaluated a set of morphological awareness assessments to determine whether they conclusively tapped into morphological knowledge, and found that it was not possible to be certain that they were accurately targeting morphological knowledge.

Spelling-to-sound translation for English disyllables: Use of long and short vowels before single medial consonants.

The English writing system is often seen as having rules that govern the choice between alternative pronunciations of letters but as having many exceptions to the rules. One postulated rule, the V̄|CV rule, is that a vowel is pronounced as long rather than short when it is followed by a single consonant letter plus a vowel letter. We find, in an analysis of English disyllabic words, that exceptions to the V̄|CV rule are not randomly scattered throughout the vocabulary. The use of long versus short vowels is systematically influenced by the identity of the vowel letter itself, the characteristics of the following consonant, and the identity of the word ending. In four studies with a total of 283 participants, we asked university students to pronounce disyllabic nonwords with medial vowel-consonant-vowel sequences and choose the better pronunciation of the first vowel, long or short. Participants were generally sensitive to the effects found in the vocabulary. However, participants used fewer long vowels than expected on the basis of the vocabulary statistics calculated for disyllabic words. We consider possible reasons for this difference and implications for statistical-learning views of reading. Given that the V̄|CV rule is sometimes taught as a part of phonics programs, we also consider implications for reading instruction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Motivation, Strategy Use, and Comprehension in Foreign Language Reading: The Case of Saudi EFL Learners at the Preparatory Year

This study explored the relationships among reading motivation, reading strategy use and, reading comprehension in EFL reading. A cohort of 308 male and female EFL students at the preparatory year of an emerging Saudi university completed a reading motivation questionnaire, a reading strategy questionnaire, and a reading comprehension test. Independent samples t-test results revealed that students with high reading motivation (extrinsic, intrinsic, and efficacy) used three reading strategy categories (pre, while, and post-reading strategies) more frequently than students with moderate reading motivation. Similarly, students with high reading motivation were found to have better reading comprehension. Reading strategy use was also found to induce significant differences in students’ reading comprehension. Results of multiple regression revealed that extrinsic motivation was the best predictor of students’ reading strategy use and reading comprehension. Of all strategy categories, while-reading strategies were the best predictor of students’ reading comprehension. Of all motivation and strategy factors, while-reading strategies, reading efficacy and extrinsic motivation significantly predicted reading comprehension, with while-reading strategies being the strongest predictor. Implications for reading instruction and suggestions for further research are offered.

Chinese secondary school students’ reading engagement profiles: associations with reading comprehension

The current study aimed to identify stable and interpretable profiles of 18,338 Chinese secondary school students in eighth grade on the basis of three aspects of reading engagement: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. Furthermore, the relationship between reading comprehension and these reading engagement profiles was investigated. Latent profile analysis revealed six groupings of individuals representing different patterns of the three aspects of reading engagement. These consistent patterns were labeled Large Amount/Strong Engagement (LA/SE) and Small Amount/Weak Engagement (SA/WE), respectively (0.50–1.75 SD above/below the mean), while the mixed patterns were labeled Large Amount/Moderate Engagement (LA/ME), Large Amount/Weak Engagement (LA/WE), Small Amount/Moderate Engagement (SA/ME), and Small Amount/Strong Engagement (SA/SE). The results (derived from the statistical analyses of consistent patterns) revealed that to some extent, the reading engagement profiles were linearly associated with reading comprehension. On the other hand, the mixed patterns suggest that the reading engagement profiles could be differentially associated with reading comprehension. The findings support the utility of exploring multidimensional reading engagement profiles in planning instruction to improve Chinese secondary school students’ reading skills. Implications for reading instruction and research are discussed.

Relatório do “National Reading Panel” dos EUA (2000)

Resenha do NATIONAL READING PANEL (NRP). Teaching children to read: an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction – reports of the subgroups. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of ChildHealth and Human Development, 2000. Available in: <https:// www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/smallbook>. Access in: 26 abr. 2020.

Technology-based interventions for children with reading difficulties: a literature review from 2010 to 2020

Technology-based interventions have been used to improve reading skills for students with reading difficulties. Thus, many literature reviews and meta-analyses have investigated the effectiveness of this type of intervention; however, constant changes in the technology field make it important to review the most recent studies and how these studies were implemented to improve reading skills for students who performed below their peers. This literature review synthesizes the most recent published studies on technology-based interventions for children with reading difficulties. Forty-five research-based studies published from 2010 to 2020 were reviewed and synthesized. The studies were categorized by the five reading skills as reported by the National Reading Panel (National Reading Panel, Teaching children to read: an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Washington, DC, 2000). Descriptions of the studies’ characteristics and interventions as well as an analytical review were provided. The majority of technology-based interventions targeted fluency skills and used computer programs, while vocabulary skills and tablet-based interventions were the least-targeted skills and tools. Most of the studies introduced intervention as independent practice, then as small groups, and then as one-to-one interventions.

Factors that Influence Reading Acquisition in L2 English for Students in Bangalore, India.

This study explores the possibility of adapting specific progress-monitoring tools developed in the US for use in English-medium private schools in Bangalore. In the US, many teachers adopt progress-monitoring tools like the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and Curriculum Based Measurement (easyCBM) to keep track of their students' reading abilities. We report on Phase 1 of a longitudinal study that included three phases of data collection. Participants included 1003 students in Grades 1, 3 and 5, and 50 teachers. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Results indicated that students in low-cost schools struggled on all reading measures throughout elementary school; students in middle-cost schools had below average to average scores on reading measures; and students from high-cost schools had average to above average scores on all measures. Moreover, factors like oral language proficiency in English, socio-economic status, school and curriculum increased in their significance in predicting reading as students progressed through elementary grades. Teacher data suggested that the reading goals and instructional strategies varied considerably across schools. Implications for reading instruction and practice within the Indian context will be discussed.

Direct and indirect contributions of executive function to word decoding and reading comprehension in kindergarten

Extant research is increasingly recognizing the contribution of executive function (EF) to reading comprehension alongside established predictors like word decoding and oral language. The nature of the association between EF and reading comprehension is commonly investigated in older children and in those with reading impairments. However, less is known about this relationship in emerging readers in kindergarten, where word decoding and reading comprehension are highly intertwined. Moreover, a better understanding of the mechanisms by which EF influences reading comprehension is needed. The present study investigated direct contributions of EF to reading comprehension, as well as indirect contributions via word decoding in 97 kindergarteners. Results indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of EF on reading comprehension, with word decoding mediating this association. The direct contribution of EF to reading comprehension was not significant. Implications for reading instruction and intervention for early readers are discussed.

To Read or Not To Read: Listening to Children Talk about Reading Motivation

Developing the will to read is an important, albeit sometimes neglected consideration in fostering literacy among children. Drawing from research on reading motivation by Wigfield and Guthrie (1997), who talk about reading motivation as anchored upon self efficacy beliefs, purpose, and a social component, Rosenblatt’s (1994) Transactional Theory of Reading which highlights the stances one takes while reading, Krashen’s (2004 and 2009) research on the conditions that make Free Voluntary Reading optimal, and Miller’s (2011) research on materiality and how objects have an agency that could either build or cripple the capacities of students influences this study as it examines the factors that contribute to reading motivation among middle graders. In order to answer my main research questions, I engaged eight students from grades 3 to 6 in informal interviews (pakikipagkuwentuhan) about reading. These students came from either public, private or state-funded laboratory schools. Depending on the flow of each conversation, the questions asked the students varied at times. Results indicate that both human and symbolic mediators work together to Foster reading motivation among middle graders. These different mediators of reading motivation are the focus of this research. Implications for reading instruction may be gleaned from this study.

Reading Errors Among Selected Second Language Readers: Implications for Reading Instruction

Reading Errors Among Selected Second Language Readers: Implications for Reading Instruction

Examining Immediate and Maintenance Effects of a Reading Intervention Package on Generalization Materials: Individual Verses Group Implementation

Fluency has been identified as an important outcome of effective reading instruction, and intervention packages utilizing the method of repeated readings have been shown to improve oral reading fluency. In order to improve the efficiency of these intervention packages, more research is needed on the effectiveness of small group reading interventions. An alternating treatments design was used to compare the effects of two versions of an intervention package that included repeated readings on generalization and maintenance of oral reading rate for 6 second grade students. Both intervention packages included listening passage preview, repeated readings, error correction, and contingent reward. The intervention packages differed only in whether intervention components were provided to students individually or in groups of three. Gains in oral reading rate were observed across conditions, with individual and small group interventions resulting in comparable gains for most participants. Individual differences in performance and implications for reading instruction are discussed.

Knowledge Deficits: The True Crisis in Education

Knowledge Deficits: The True Crisis in Education

50 years ago in the journal of pediatrics: Why Johnny can’t read: Fact or fallacy

50 years ago in the journal of pediatrics: Why Johnny can’t read: Fact or fallacy

The influence of phonological processing and inattentive behavior on reading acquisition.

This article reports the findings from a longitudinal study investigating the influence of phonological processing and inattentive behavior on reading acquisition. Data from individually administered measures of phonological processing and reading, as well as teacher ratings of children's behavior, were collected from a cohort of 132 children at 12-month intervals, from kindergarten to 2nd grade. Results from multiple linear regression analyses employing latent constructs of phonological abilities and inattentive behavior provided support for the hypothesized model, with kindergarten measures of inattentiveness and phonological abilities predicting subsequent reading performance. An analysis of reciprocal relationships among these constructs revealed evidence that inattentiveness also interfered with the acquisition of phonological analysis skills. Implications for reading instruction and reading interventions are discussed.

Sharpen Your Focus! Using Evidence-Based Practices in Standards-Based Therapy Units

Sharpen Your Focus! Using Evidence-Based Practices in Standards-Based Therapy Units

Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors: Putting Out the Fire

The National Reading Panel report reiterates what many teachers recognize: phonics instruction is one ingredient of a successful reading program. Why such a clear and obvious finding is so threatening to some people remains a puzzle to Ms. Ehri and Mr. Stahl. IN PROFESSIONAL sports, it is called trash talking. In community debates, it is called building a straw man. In politics, it is known as negative campaigning. Those who do it believe that victory comes from attacking the other side, from tearing down structures rather than making them sturdier. Faults are featured, and strengths are slighted or denied. In The Argument Culture, Deborah Tannen regards this trend as a big problem. She suggests that a culture of critique has replaced rational analysis. Critique has become synonymous with criticism, and it has become the dominant approach in responding to people or ideas. She writes: What I is the ubiquity, the knee-jerk nature, of approaching almost any issue, problem, or public person in an adversarial way. . . . What l is using opposition to accomplish every goal, even those that do not require fighting but might also (or better) be accomplished by other means, such as exploring, expanding, discussing, investigating, and the exchanging of ideas suggested by the word dialogue. l am questioning the assumption that everything is a matter of polarized opposites, the proverbial two sides to every question that we think embodies open-mindedness and expansive thinking.1 The article by Elaine Garan, Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors: A Critique of the National Reading Panel Report on Phonics, which appeared in the March 2001 Phi Delta Kappan, exemplifies this tactic. Garan seems to be motivated more by a need to denigrate than by a desire to contribute a rational analysis of the National Reading Panel (NRP) report on phonics instruction and its effectiveness in helping children learn to read. Our purpose here is to examine the merits of Elaine Garan's criticisms and the adversarial quality that pervades her article. As we will document, her criticisms are highly selected, ill-founded, and overgeneralized. Moreover, her article does not represent the findings of the full NRP report. Garan begins her review with a plea for fairness in looking at the NRP report. Yet she finds only problems. Even a stopped watch is correct twice a day! Her unrelenting negative view reflects an unfortunate bias, one that we believe threatens to undermine rather than contribute to progress in our field. The National Reading Panel Report In April 2000, the NRP released its report, Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. The NRP was convened by Congress for the purpose of examining what research says about the effectiveness of reading instruction. The resulting report was intended to move the nation forward in the process of helping teachers improve their reading instruction. The panel included distinguished literacy researchers from the U.S. and Canada. Not only phonics instruction but several other types of reading instruction were reviewed by the panel, including phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary learning, and comprehension strategy instruction. The report was distributed in print and electronic form. In preparing the review of phonics instruction, the NRP carefully and objectively analyzed the results of 38 independently conducted studies of phonics instruction that included more than 7,000 students. Multiple protections against bias and established meta-analytic procedures were employed. Attention was focused on controlled experiments, the strongest form of scientific evidence. The report found clear evidence indicating that phonics instruction should have a place in the reading curriculum in today's schools. * Systematic phonics instruction was found to be more effective than unsystematic phonics instruction or no phonics instruction in helping students learn to read. …

The National Reading Panel Report

Book reviewed in this article:Teaching children to read: An evidence‐based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. by The National Reading Panel. 2000.Teaching children to read: An evidence‐based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction: Reports of the subgroups. By The National Reading Panel. 2000.

Interactive, Compensatory Reading Strategies

Three experiments examined the trade-off between the text-based and task-based importance. Text-based importance was defined as information in a text that is important due to its structural relation to other text segments. Task-based importance was defined as text information that is important due to external constraints such as instructions. Undergraduates in this study spontaneously adopted an interactive, compensatory strategy in which task-based importance superseded the role of text-based importance. Implications for reading instruction and practice were discussed.

THE READING THEORETICAL ORIENTATION OF TEACHERS WHO INSTRUCT SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

Abstract This study investigated the reading orientation of teachers who instruct students with special needs. These teachers were defined as those who taught students in remedial reading pull‐out programs, resource rooms and Chapter 1 programs. The Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (DeFord, 1985) was completed by 177 special needs teachers. This instrument identifies three theoretical orientations to reading: whole language, skills, and phonics. The results from the TORP indicated that the teachers in the study were not strongly associated with any one theoretical orientation but tended to be eclectic. In addition, the teachers clustered primarily into two orientations: whole language and skills/phonics. No significant differences among the three groups of special needs teachers and their theoretical orientations to reading were found. However, 93% of the respondents qualified their answers to the TORP through unsolicited written commentary. Implications for reading instruction in special needs ...

Whole Language vs. Code Emphasis: Underlying assumptions and their implications for reading instruction

Promoters of Whole Language hew to the belief that learning to read and write can be as natural and effortless as learning to perceive and produce speech. From this it follows that there is no special key to reading and writing, no explicit principle to be taught that, once learned, makes the written language transparent to a child who can speak. Lacking such a principle, Whole Language falls back on a method that encourages children to get from print just enough information to provide a basis for guessing at the gist. A very different method, called Code Emphasis, presupposes that learning the spoken language is, indeed, perfectly natural and seemingly effortless, but only because speech is managed, as reading and writing are not, by a biological specialization that automatically spells or parses all the words the child commands. Hence, a child normally learns to use words without ever becoming explicitly aware that each one is formed by the consonants and vowels that an alphabet represents. Yet it is exactly this awareness that must be taught if the child is to grasp the alphabetic principle and so understand how the artifacts of an alphabet transcribe the natural units of language. There is evidene that preliterate children do not, in fact, have much of this awareness; that the amount they do have predicts their reading achievement; that the awareness can be taught; and that the relative difficulty of learning it that some childen have may be a reflection of a weakness in the phonological component of their natural capacity for language.