Literacy Difficulties Research Articles

Barriers and challenges to telemedicine usage among the elderly population in Israel

Abstract Background Despite the challenges to its adoption, telemedicine is becoming more and more popular for helping elderly people preserve their independence and continue to live in their own homes. Aims We investigated the challenges and barriers experienced by the elderly population when using telemedicine services in Israel. Methods Fourteen elderly people were recruited for the study and interviewed in person using a semi structured interview protocol, using a qualitative technique. Participants’ replies were evaluated and analyzed thematically. The participants were questioned regarding their usage of telehealth services, the benefits they perceive in them, any potential difficulties to use, and suggestions they had for making these services more readily available and simpler to use for the elderly. Results Most participants recognized the advantages of telehealth services, particularly for the elderly population during pandemics and normal times. However, most of them also expressed various challenges that face the elderly population in using these services. Many participants were concerned that the quality of telemedicine sessions may not be good enough compared to in-person sessions, and expressed a lack of confidence in telemedicine services, and frustration from the absence of in person interaction. Many participants highlighted the technological challenges in the use of computers and applications in general and in the context of healthcare, in particular, in addition to physiological and literacy difficulties. Finally, the participants suggested several ways to increase the accessibility and usage of telemedicine solutions by elderly people. Conclusions A proactive approach to identifying and resolving telehealth barriers can maximize virtual interactions for the older population and alleviate care inequities. There is a need to increase awareness of the availability, benefits, and uses of each telehealth service in comparison to in-person consultations. Key messages • A proactive approach to identifying and resolving telehealth barriers can maximize virtual interactions for the older population and alleviate care inequities. • There is a need to increase awareness of the availability, benefits, and uses of each telehealth service in comparison to in-person consultations.

CFD-14: detecting literacy and dyslexia risks in early and primary education

This study validates the CFD-14 questionnaire, designed for families to detect early risk of literacy difficulties and dyslexia in compulsory schooling. The sample included families of 1385 students from preschool (5 years old) and 1st to 6th grade of primary education, with a median age of 9 years and two months. The CFD-14 comprises 14 items reflecting common dyslexia indicators. Its one-dimensional factorial structure was confirmed, demonstrating reliability and criterion validity through five evidences: correlation of questionnaire scores with teacher and family assessments, comparison of CFD-14 scores between a dyslexic group (n = 13) and the general sample, analysis between families with and without a history of difficulties, and comparison between groups with persistent spelling errors and those without. A direct score at the 90th percentile was identified as the objective criterion to pinpoint students at risk of literacy difficulties.

The Accuracy and Efficiency of the Speech Language Early Literacy Screening Checklist

Objectives: This study aimed to develop the “Speech Language Early Literacy Screening Checklist” in order to identify speech, language, and early literacy difficulties in children aged 5-6 years before entering elementary school. This study examined the reliability, validity, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the checklist as a screening tool.Methods: Out of the 2,880 children who participated in the initial screening test, 155 underwent diagnostic deep tests. A total of 110 children who exhibited difficulties in language, speech, and early literacy areas were classified as the high-risk group, while those who demonstrated appropriate development in all areas were classified as the general group.Results: The Cronbach’s α value for all checklist items was .884. The content validity index rated by six language development experts was 0.70 or higher for all 36 items, with an average content validity score of 0.91. Clinical validity was confirmed through the total score differences between the general and high-risk groups classified by the diagnostic deep tests. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results for the screening checklist showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.858, sensitivity of 84.4%, and specificity of 76.4%. The positive predictive value (PPV) calculated from the cut-off score was 92.3%.Conclusion: The “Speech Language Early Literacy Screening Checklist” developed to identify children at high risk of language development delays before school entry has shown appropriate reliability, validity, and classification accuracy. This study suggests that the implementation of this checklist will contribute to preventing school failure by effectively identifying at-risk children aged 5-6.

Fostering Dialogic Reading Through Older Siblings in Immigrant Latino Families: A Pilot Study

To promote children’s language development through designs that consider familial contexts, the authors explored the effectiveness of a dialogic reading intervention customized for older siblings in immigrant Latino families. The dialogic reading intervention, developed with components of training, modeling, and coaching, systematically supported older siblings’ dialogic reading use while reading with their younger siblings. Using the CROWD mnemonic, older siblings were taught to use a range of dialogic reading prompts, thereby nurturing diverse forms of engagement during shared interactive book reading (SIBR) sessions. Moreover, older siblings were taught the PEER mnemonic to enhance their ability to respond to their younger siblings’ input in manners conducive to promoting the latter’s language development. Effects of the intervention program on three older siblings’ (1) prompting and (2) responsiveness during SIBR were assessed using a multiple-baseline across participants design. Results indicate that two out of three older siblings increased prompt frequency and demonstrated improved responsiveness after receiving coaching and modeling support. Challenges faced by one older sibling are discussed, potentially attributed to individual language and literacy difficulties. Results tentatively indicate that older siblings have the capacity to acquire and apply dialogic reading skills if given appropriate instruction and support. These results illuminate opportunities to enhance SIBR techniques among siblings, underscoring the significant role older siblings in immigrant Latino families can play in providing enriched language input during SIBR.

The home literacy environment of school-age autistic children with high support needs.

As a group, autistic children with high support needs (with adaptive functioning in the range of an intellectual disability) are at risk of significant literacy difficulties. We investigated the parent-reported home literacy environment of this group of children. Sixty-two parents of autistic children (4.5 to 18.25 years) attending an autism-specific school completed a home literacy survey reporting on their child's: (1) alphabet knowledge, (2) interest in reading, (3) activities/interactions around books, (4) reading ability, and (5) writing ability. We found significant positive correlations between parent-reported child interest in reading and literacy-related interactions and skills, but not with child age. Children using spoken words to communicate obtained significantly greater scores on four home-literacy subscales, but not on reading interest. A better understanding of the home literacy activities of autistic children with high-support needs is needed to inform educational practices aimed at promoting literacy development in this vulnerable population.

Caregivers’ reports of the home literacy environments of children with developmental language disorder and typically developing peers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) are at heightened risk for reading difficulty. We investigated the home literacy environments of kindergarten children with DLD and typically developing (TD) peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method We analysed scores from standardised assessments of oral language, nonverbal intelligence, and word reading in conjunction with home literacy questionnaire data at three time points. Result Frequency of engagement in home literacy activities did not differ by group during school closures or when schools reopened. Caregivers from both groups reported increased home literacy engagement during closures. Engagement returned to pre-pandemic levels when schools reopened. For the DLD group, the child’s word reading ability and interest in literacy were positively associated with the home literacy environment. Family history of language and/or literacy difficulty was negatively associated with the home literacy environment. For the TD group, only the child’s interest in literacy was positively associated with the home literacy environment. Conclusion These findings elucidate the need for further research related to home literacy and families of children with DLD, with a focus on identifying potential strengths and vulnerabilities related to child and caregiver factors.

The role of cognitive flexibility in emergent literacy

This study examined the role of cognitive flexibility (CF) in emergent literacy among Hebrew-speaking kindergartners. 1050 children were measured in emergent literacy and CF. Path analysis highlighted CF's significant role across all literacy sub-skills. Latent Profile Analysis identified four CF profiles, and post-hoc tests examined how these profiles relate to emergent literacy. Similarly, profiles based on literacy performance were analyzed for their association with CF. (1) Kindergartners with weak CF exhibited low emergent literacy. Those with stronger CF demonstrated better emergent literacy; (2) Medium level of CF, indicating potential strengths or difficulties in emergent literacy; (3) Weak PA linked to moderate-low CF, regardless of other literacy skills. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing CF in kindergarten against potential literacy difficulties before formal first-grade learning.

THE EFFECT OF SOCIO SCIENTIFIC ISSUES BASED LEARNING ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT’ SCIENTIFIC LITERACY ABILITIES

Scientific literacy is very important since by learning scientific literacy, one can solve all the challenges that occur in life. Students have difficulty in scientific literacy because of uninteresting learning. Therefore, efforts are needed to make learning more meaningful. This research aims to determine whether there is an effect of Socio Scientific Issues (SSI) based learning on elementary school students' scientific literacy abilities. The research method used was one group of pre-test and post-test design. The sampling technique used simple random sampling with a sample size of 14 students. Data analysis used the paired sample t-test and n-gain. The research results show that there were differences before and after implementing SSI learning with the n-gain test in the practical category

Supporting the mental health needs of children with language and literacy difficulties

Supporting the mental health needs of children with language and literacy difficulties Professor Mark Boyes, Curtin enAble Institute, spotlights mental health in the context of language and literacy difficulties, including the urgent need for accessible mental health interventions. Both oral (spoken) and written (reading, writing) language are crucial for success in educational and social contexts. Up to 15% of children experience significant and persistent difficulties with oral and written language, representing approximately four children in a typical Australian classroom. These children are at substantially elevated risk of mental health problems, are overrepresented in our justice systems, and are more likely to develop suicidal thoughts and behaviours than children who do not experience language difficulties.

Contextualized, Multicomponent Language Instruction: From Theory to Randomized Controlled Trial.

Clinicians address a wide range of oral language skills when working with school-age students with language and literacy difficulties (LLDs). Therefore, there is a critical need for carefully designed, rigorously tested, multicomponent contextualized language interventions (CLIs) that have a high likelihood of successful implementation and measurable academic impacts. This clinical focus article summarizes the development and testing of a CLI entitled Supporting Knowledge in Language and Literacy (SKILL), which is a supplementary narrative intervention program for elementary school-age children. Our aims are to (a) to review the foundational theoretical models that are the foundation of SKILL; (b) describe the iterative process used to develop the phases, lessons, procedures, materials, and progress monitoring tool; (c) summarize recent findings of the randomized controlled trial that was conducted to test its efficacy; and (d) discuss factors that may contribute to successful implementation of multicomponent language interventions. A total of 357 students in Grades 1-4 with LLDs were randomized to a treatment group or to a business-as-usual control group. The treatment group received the SKILL curriculum in small groups during 30-min lessons by trained speech-language pathologists, teachers, and special educators. Students who received SKILL significantly outperformed those who did not on oral and written measures of storytelling and comprehension immediately after treatment and after 5-months at follow-up. Gains were similar among students with different levels of language ability (at-risk, language impaired) and language status (monolingual, bilingual) at pretest. There is growing support for the use of multicomponent CLIs to bring about educationally relevant outcomes for students with LLDs. The authors present this review of how SKILL was designed, manualized, and rigorously tested by a team of researchers and practitioners with the hope that this approach will serve as a springboard for the development of future multicomponent CLIs that may meaningfully improve communicative and educational outcomes for students with LLDs.

Literacy and Numeracy Difficulty Factors in the Independent Learning Curriculum

PISA 2018 was released from 78 countries; Indonesia was ranked 70th; only 25% could read, and 24% could count. The research aims to analyze the factors of literacy and numeracy difficulties in the independent learning curriculum. The method used is a mixed method. The subjects were 130 middle school students. Data collection techniques used surveys, observations and interviews. The survey was conducted by distributing instruments to 130 people via Google on a 1-5 point Likert scale. Data was also obtained during randomly selected observations and interviews. The survey analysis technique used SPSS 26, which formed a bar chart. The interview results were analyzed by presenting the data and collecting it, then reducing it, coding it in tables, and verifying the interview with a survey. The results and findings show that 48.63% assess that the Basic Class is difficult to implement, 67.67% assess that the School Culture indicators are not optimal, and 78.54% assess that the Community Base has minimal implementation. The results of observations and interviews also intersect with survey results. According to the third source, indicators of success in literacy and numeracy in schools still need to be fully implemented and meet qualification expectations. In conclusion, minimal implementation of the third indicator impacts students' weak literacy and numeracy skills. This research implies that assignments or projects designed by teachers for students help and train students to improve their literacy and numeracy.

A systematic scoping review of the literacy skills of children with childhood apraxia of speech: Recommendations for best practice and further research

Purpose Little is known about the literacy skills of children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) or effective methods for teaching them to read. This systematic scoping review aimed to synthesise what is known about this issue. Method Nine databases were searched to identify relevant articles. Included articles were categorised by study design, quality, and confidence of CAS diagnosis. Result Twenty-three articles were included, 17 described literacy skills of children with CAS and six trialled literacy interventions. Children with CAS had early skills deficits that manifest as literacy difficulties in the later school years and beyond. They frequently had poorer outcomes compared with both typical readers and children with other speech disorders. Both the extent of literacy impairment and responsiveness to intervention appear to be related to the severity of speech impairment. Four literacy interventions for children with CAS were identified. Conclusions Children with CAS are at high risk of literacy difficulty and may require early literacy intervention to help them attain academic success. Further research is warranted to determine the longer-term literacy outcomes of children with CAS, appropriate means of assessment, and whether a systematic synthetic phonics approach is an effective form of literacy instruction for this population.

Do early musical impairments predict later reading difficulties? A longitudinal study of pre-readers with and without familial risk for dyslexia.

The present longitudinal study investigated the hypothesis that early musical skills (as measured by melodic and rhythmic perception and memory) predict later literacy development via a mediating effect of phonology. We examined 130 French-speaking children, 31 of whom with a familial risk for developmental dyslexia (DD). Their abilities in the three domains were assessed longitudinally with a comprehensive battery of behavioral tests in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Using a structural equation modeling approach, we examined potential longitudinal effects from music to literacy via phonology. We then investigated how familial risk for DD may influence these relationships by testing whether atypical music processing is a risk factor for DD. Results showed that children with a familial risk for DD consistently underperformed children without familial risk in music, phonology, and literacy. A small effect of musical ability on literacy via phonology was observed, but may have been induced by differences in stability across domains over time. Furthermore, early musical skills did not add significant predictive power to later literacy difficulties beyond phonological skills and family risk status. These findings are consistent with the idea that certain key auditory skills are shared between music and speech processing, and between DD and congenital amusia. However, they do not support the notion that music perception and memory skills can serve as a reliable early marker of DD, nor as a valuable target for reading remediation. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Music, phonology, and literacy skills of 130 children, 31 of whom with a familial risk for dyslexia, were examined longitudinally. Children with a familial risk for dyslexia consistently underperformed children without familial risk in musical, phonological, and literacy skills. Structural equation models showed a small effect of musical ability in kindergarten on literacy in second grade, via phonology in first grade. However, early musical skills did not add significant predictive power to later literacy difficulties beyond phonological skills and family risk status.

General, Vaccination, Navigational and Digital Health Literacy of Students Enrolled in Different Medical and Health Educational Programs.

Evaluating prospective graduates' health literacy profiles before they enter the job market is crucial. Our research aimed to explore the health literacy levels of medical and health students by assessing their ability to obtain health-related information, understand healthcare systems, use e-health, and be informed about vaccination as well as to explore the factors associated with health literacy. Short versions of the HLS19-Q12 were used for a cross-sectional survey that was carried out among 1042 students enrolled in various medical and health educational programs at three medical universities in Kazakhstan between September and November of 2023. Additionally, instruments such as Digital Health Literacy (HLS19-DIGI), Navigational Health Literacy (HLS19-NAV), and Vaccination Health Literacy (HLS19-VAC) were employed. The score of General Health Literacy was 88.26 ± 17.5. One in eight students encountered difficulties in Vaccination Health Literacy. Despite overall high health literacy, Navigational Health Literacy posed challenges for all students. The Public Health students exhibited the highest General Health Literacy (91.53 ± 13.22), followed by students in Nursing, General Medicine, other educational programs (Dentistry and Biomedicine) and Pharmacy. Financial constraints for medication and medical examinations significantly influenced health literacy across all types of individuals. Since comprehensive health literacy instruction or interventions are still uncommon in the curricula, it seems reasonable to develop and incorporate appropriate courses for medical and health educational programs.

Print-Rich Speech Sound Therapy Sessions: The Theory Behind It and Plans for Implementation

Purpose: Print knowledge is a powerful predictor of later reading abilities, which are crucial to children's academic success. Children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) are at risk for literacy difficulties. Speech sound therapy is an opportune time to address not only speech sound production but also the connections between speech sounds and their associated letters and letter patterns. This tutorial aims to provide a rich source of evidence to support the use of print and print-referencing in speech sound therapy sessions. We include feasible suggestions for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to facilitate print-rich experiences for children with SSDs. Incorporating orthography into therapy sessions, through activities such as shared book reading, allows SLPs to address speech sound errors while supporting children's literacy development. Conclusions: This tutorial provides an overview of the risk of literacy deficits in children with SSDs and describes the theoretical underpinnings of why incorporating print is a powerful learning tool. We expand on the research behind print referencing in preschool classrooms. Finally, we provide detailed examples, including book lists and therapy ideas for a variety of ages, to help SLPs add print referencing to their therapy toolkit.

Pelatihan Literasi Numerasi Transisi PAUD SD Melalui Lagu

Most young children in Indonesia experience literacy difficulties related to the alphabet and numbers in reading correctly and counting. Numeracy Literacy needs to be developed from an early age. Therefore, teachers should be able to create fun activities to develop children's literacy skills that are exciting for children. One is Primary School Early Childhood Education Transition Numeracy Literacy Training Through Songs. In developing children's literacy skills, the service team also creates songs. This service activity aims to increase teachers' knowledge regarding activities that can improve early childhood numeracy literacy skills through songs. The development model in this training uses direct observation. The target of this service is 100 PAUD teachers in Banyuwangi. The evaluation results obtained a pretest score of 45% in the "poor" criteria and, during the posttest, 86% in the "in-depth" criteria. This shows that the aim of this service activity was achieved, namely that the teacher's knowledge increased after participating in the training.

Variability in auditory processing performance is associated with reading difficulties rather than with history of otitis media.

The nature and cause of auditory processing deficits in dyslexic individuals have been debated for decades. Auditory processing deficits were argued to be the first step in a causal chain of difficulties, leading to difficulties in speech perception and thereby phonological processing and literacy difficulties. More recently, it has been argued that auditory processing difficulties may not be causally related to language and literacy difficulties. This study compares two groups who have phonological processing impairments for different reasons: dyslexia and a history of otitis media (OM). We compared their discrimination thresholds and response variability to chronological age- and reading age-matched controls, across three auditory processing tasks: frequency discrimination, rise-time discrimination and speech perception. Dyslexic children showed raised frequency discrimination thresholds in comparison with age-matched controls but did not differ from reading age-matched controls or individuals with a history of OM. There were no group differences on speech perception or rise-time tasks. For the dyslexic children, there was an association between phonological awareness and frequency discrimination response variability, but no association with thresholds. These findings are not consistent with a 'causal chain' explanation but could be accounted for within a multiple deficits view of literacy difficulties.

Barriers and challenges to telemedicine usage among the elderly population in Israel in light of the COVID-19 era: A qualitative study.

Although there may still be many challenges to its adoption, telemedicine is becoming more and more popular for helping elderly people preserve their independence and continue to live in their own homes. We intended to investigate the challenges and barriers (if any) experienced by the elderly population when using telemedicine services in Israel. Fourteen elderly people were recruited for the study and interviewed in person using a semistructured interview protocol, using a qualitative technique. Participants' replies were evaluated and analyzed thematically. The participants were questioned regarding their usage of telehealth services, the benefits they perceive in them, any potential difficulties or hurdles to use, and suggestions they had for making these services more readily available and simpler to use for the elderly. Most participants recognized the advantages of telehealth services, particularly for the elderly population during pandemics and normal times. However, most of them also expressed various challenges that face the elderly population in using these services. Many participants were concerned that the quality of telemedicine sessions may not be good enough compared to in-person sessions, and expressed a lack of confidence in telemedicine services, and frustration from the absence of in-person interaction and communication. Many participants highlighted the technological challenges in the use of computers and applications in general and in the context of healthcare, in particular, in addition to physiological and literacy difficulties. Finally, the participants suggested several ways to increase the accessibility and usage of telemedicine solutions by elderly people. A proactive approach to identifying and resolving telehealth barriers can maximize virtual interactions for the older population and alleviate care inequities. In addition to identifying barriers that impede older patients from using telemedicine, there is a need to increase awareness of the availability, benefits, and uses of each telehealth service in comparison to in-person consultations.

The experiences and decision making of patients with incurable cancer and health literacy difficulties.

Shared decision making is important when decisions are preference sensitive, as in incurable cancer. A prerequisite for shared decision making is health literacy, which is essential to facilitate good understanding of an individual's current situation, the decision to be made, and the options available to them. This study sought to learn about the challenges for shared decision making faced by patients with incurable cancer and health literacy difficulties. Semi-structured telephone and video interviews were used to collect data on participants' experiences, decision making, and challenges faced. Study procedures followed health literacy principles, with information offered in various formats to suit individuals' preferences, the use of a verbal consent process, and flexibility in whether interviews were conducted over telephone or video call. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis (Ritchie et al. 2003), with initial verbatim transcription of interviews, iterative development of the analysis framework, indexing using Nvivo 12 software and summarising of the data before systematic categorisation and development of final themes. Twenty participants (aged 31-80, of whom 13 male) with a variety of cancers (including breast, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, gynaecological, lung, head and neck, and urological) and experience of a range of treatments were interviewed. Seven themes were identified, including: supportive staff in an imperfect system, additional pressure from COVID-19, in the expert's hands, treatment not so bad, emotional hurdles, accessing information to further understanding and wanting to be a good patient. In order to support patients with incurable cancer and health literacy difficulties to become involved in decisions about their care, we must address the emotional, social and informational challenges they face. Recommendations for achieving this include addressing peoples' emotional needs, facilitating control over information, developing a partnership, involving others, and organisational changes.

THE ROLE OF HEALTH LITERACY IN HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION AMONG TAIWANESE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Health literacy is one of important capabilities links to health-related behaviours. The extant study provides limited information about the healthcare access of older adults. This study investigated factors determining the healthcare utilisation of 2423 community-dwelling older adults from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Ageing between 2011 and 2015. We used linear mixed-effects regression models and cumulative logit models to examine whether personal characteristics are associated with healthcare utilisation. A significant association was found between the level of difficulties in health literacy and healthcare utilisation after controlling for age, comorbidity, depression, mobility and accessibilities. The higher the older adults scored in the difficulty of health literacy, the lower frequencies of clinics (p = .03), inpatient (p = .02) and dentist visits (p = .02). Individuals who access health-related information more easily have a better chance to receive inpatient services when they feel unwell (p = .0004). Better perceived health is less likely to use clinics (p < .0001), emergency (p < .0001) and inpatient services (p = .0007) but not include visits to pharmacy and traditional medicine. People engaging in workouts are less likely to purchase in a pharmacy (p = .02) but visit traditional medicine (p = .02) more often. It echoes that health literacy is an intermediate attribute to self-efficacy in managing personal health matters and suggests a perspective that older adults consider taking traditional medicine as a self-care instead of healthcare treatment. Future intervention programmes can address health literacy promotion as an initiating step to facilitate participants’ engagement.