Predictor Of Reading Comprehension Research Articles

Grammatical understanding predicts reading comprehension in secondary-level students: insights from a Finnish national survey

A lot of research into the relationship between explicit grammatical understanding and literacy development in L1 contexts has focused on writing. A lot less is known, however, about the interconnectedness of explicit grammatical understanding and reading. This study investigated the relationship between grammatical understanding and reading comprehension in Finnish 9th grade students. Using national assessment data (N = 6,044) and multilevel quantitative analyses, the study found that explicit grammatical understanding accounted for a significant portion of the variance in reading skills, even after controlling for various background factors such as school, family socioeconomic status, homework and book reading habits, attitudes towards studying L1, and writing ability. The findings suggest, without implying causality, that understanding language structure and making explicit metalinguistic observations are closely connected to reading comprehension. The study encourages further research on the benefits of explicit grammar teaching for reading comprehension using different study designs. Additionally, it highlights the need to investigate how grammar instruction can be linked to reading, as well as explore the effectiveness of such instruction in different educational and linguistic contexts.

Global Reading, Problem-Solving, and Support Reading Strategies Across Worry, Emotionality, and Task-Generated Interference of Learners as Predictors of Reading Comprehension

Global Reading, Problem-Solving, and Support Reading Strategies Across Worry, Emotionality, and Task-Generated Interference of Learners as Predictors of Reading Comprehension

Which Type of Vocabulary-Knowledge Better Correlates with Reading-Comprehension, Meaning-Recognition or Meaning-Recall?

This study investigated the relationships between two types of vocabulary tests and second language reading-comprehension (RC) in a classroom assessment setting. A group of 40 learners completed a written-receptive meaning-recall measure of the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test (UVLT) and the written-receptive meaning-recognition UVLT. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between scores from the two tests and The TEST of English for International Communication Reading scores. The results showed that the relationship between the meaning-recall and RC ( r =0 .85, p <0 .001) was higher than between the meaning-recognition and RC ( r =0 .78, p <0 .001) with a significant difference (Steiger's z = 3.06, p =0 .002). This suggests that meaning-recall knowledge is a better predictor of RC.

Indirect and direct contributions of executive functions to reading comprehension

In the current study, we investigated the role of executive functions in explaining how word recognition and language comprehension jointly predict reading comprehension in multilingual and monolingual students (Grades 1 and 2). Specifically, mediation and moderation models were tested and compared to offer a more nuanced understanding of the role of executive functions in reading comprehension. The results provided support for the mediation model in which executive functions indirectly contribute to reading comprehension via word recognition and language comprehension in both language groups. In addition, executive functions directly predicted reading comprehension (i.e., partial mediation). These findings suggest that executive functions serve as general cognitive processes that support word recognition, language comprehension, and reading comprehension (i.e., direct contribution) as well as facilitate connecting word recognition and language comprehension in support for reading comprehension (i.e., indirect contribution). These findings are consistent with prominent models of reading comprehension.

Reading comprehension improvement in autism.

A subset of autistic children excel at word decoding but have difficulty with reading comprehension (i.e., the discrepant poor comprehender reading profile). Prior research suggests the Visualizing and Verbalizing (V/V) for language comprehension and thinking intervention helps improve reading comprehension in autistic children with this reading profile. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of vocabulary, memory, and social functioning in reading comprehension; however, predictors and moderators of reading comprehension within this specific profile of autistic readers have not been thoroughly explored. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of the V/V intervention by comparing reading comprehension scores between groups and across time. Participants included a sample of autistic children (AUT-EXP; n=22) and a waitlist control group of autistic children (AUT-WLC; n=17) with reading comprehension difficulties, as well as a sample of non-autistic children (Non-AUT; n=26) (all age 8-13 years). AUT-EXP and AUT-WLC groups completed a battery of cognitive assessments during pre and post tests. We also analyzed whether cognitive assessment scores predicted reading comprehension, and examined the moderating effects of group (AUT-EXP vs. AUT-WLC) on these relationships. The AUT-EXP group significantly improved in their pre to post reading comprehension scores (t(21)=4.19, p<.001, d=.89), whereas the AUT-WLC group did not. Verbal memory significantly predicted reading comprehension, though group did not moderate relationships between cognitive test performance and reading comprehension. Results suggest that the V/V intervention may help improve reading comprehension for autistic children with the discrepant poor comprehender reading profile. Additionally, strategies for improving verbal memory may indirectly enhance reading comprehension in autistic children with this reading profile.

Reading Comprehension in the Arabic Diglossia: The SVR Between the Spoken and Literary Varieties

This study aimed to examine the validity of the “simple view of reading” (SVR) model in the diglossic Arabic language. Using a longitudinal design, we tested whether decoding and listening comprehension (LC) in kindergarten can later predict reading comprehension (RC) in the first grade and whether the contribution of LC to RC differs between the spoken and literary varieties of Arabic. The participants were 261 kindergartners who were followed to the first grade. Our results from separate SEM analysis for the spoken and literary varieties revealed some similarity between the explained variance in the spoken (52%) and literary (48%) variety models. However, while the contribution of LC to RC was higher than the contribution of decoding in the spoken variety model, an opposite pattern was observed in the literary variety model. The results are discussed in light of the diglossia phenomenon and its impact on comprehension skills in Arabic, with theoretical and pedagogical implications.

Reading Attitude and Learning Motivation as Predictors of Reading Comprehension

This study is aimed at investigating the significant relationship between reading attitude, motivation, and reading comprehension in Bunawan District, Davao City public elementary school learners. It employed descriptive-correlational research design which describes the relationship between two or more variables. Primary information was obtained by using adapted survey questionnaires among 250 Grade 6 learners enrolled in S.Y. 2023-2024. Three research instruments were used: the Adults Survey Reading Attitudes Questionnaire (ASRA) adapted by Anugrah, Gardner’s Attitude / Motivation Test Battery (AMI), and the Reading comprehension questionnaire adapted from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-Iri). This study utilized Mean, Standard Deviation, and correlation analysis through Pearson product-moment correlation. Results revealed that there is a high level of reading attitude (x=4.08, SD=.612) and motivation (x=4.06, SD=.451) but there is a very low reading comprehension (x=3.11, SD=1.006) among the respondents. Furthermore, the findings revealed no significant relationship between reading attitude and reading comprehension (r=0.032, p=0.620) and only learning motivation is a predictor of reading comprehension (r=0.200, p=0.002). This implies that the respondents have a positive attitude toward reading but it does not affect their reading comprehension. This further implies that students who are motivated to read can improve their reading comprehension. Hence, the respondents with high interest in their reading activity comprehend more than those without interest.

Oral Reading Fluency and Comprehension in Persons with Alexia and Aphasia

ABSTRACT Purpose This study examined word list and connected text oral reading fluency of persons with alexia and aphasia and whether fluency predicts reading comprehension abilities. Method Twelve individuals with chronic alexia and aphasia and twelve neurotypical, age- and education-matched individuals read aloud real and non word reading lists and paragraphs to elicit measures of fluency. Participants answered comprehension questions following the paragraphs. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze fluency and comprehension. Results Neurotypical adults read significantly more fluently than persons with alexia and aphasia for word lists and paragraphs. For both participant groups, comprehension was not found to be significantly influenced by oral non word list fluency, oral real word list fluency, or oral paragraph reading fluency. Conclusions Though results are interpreted with caution due to study limitations, the study provides an initial framework for characterizing fluency and comprehension of oral single word list and oral paragraph reading in persons with alexia and aphasia. Clinical implications include caution with use of list reading for assessing reading ability, as well as the need for better assessments for diagnosing alexia.

The Relationship of Text Inference Abilities and Reading Comprehension in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objectives: Reading comprehension in school-age children is an essential ability facilitates acquisition of information from general education. Yet, even with average or above cognitive and word recognition abilities, children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HF-ASD) demonstrate difficulties with reading comprehension. The purpose of the this study was to investigate that identifying the reading comprehension competence with a focus on text inference abilities (coherence processing, metalinguistic, theory of mind) in children with HF-ASD in the lower grades of elementary school.Methods: 15 HF-ASD and 15 age matched typically developing peers (TD) participated in this study. The participants performed reading comprehension tasks and text inferencing tasks (coherence processing, metalinguistic, theory of mind).Results: First, the reading comprehension accuracy of the HF-ASD group was significantly lower than the TD group. Second, the text inference accuracy of the HF-ASD group was significantly lower compared with the TD group. Third, in the TD group, there was a significant correlation between all text inference abilities (coherence processing, metalinguistic, theory of mind) and reading comprehension competence. In contrast, in the HF-ASD group, there was a positive correlation between coherence processing, metalinguistic and reading comprehension competence; however no significant relationship was found between theory of mind and reading comprehension competence. Finally, the coherence processing task predicted reading comprehension competence of children with HF-ASD by 52.2% and TD children by 42.1%.Conclusion: This study suggests that supporting connecting information within a text, local inferencing, and focusing on the coherence processing intervention is necessary for reading comprehension of children with HF-ASD in the lower grades of elementary school.

Morphological awareness predicts reading comprehension in first grade students

Research examining a role for morphological awareness in first grade students’ reading comprehension is scarce, although it is a well-established predictor for students in mid-to-late elementary school. One question that remains is whether morphological awareness explains unique variance in these young readers’ comprehension after accounting for other oral language skills. In this longitudinal study, we assessed Grade 1 students’ inflectional morphological awareness as a predictor of their concurrent (n = 58) and Grade 2 (n = 55) reading comprehension. When controlling for decoding and vocabulary, Grade 1 morphological awareness explained unique variance in concurrent and subsequent reading comprehension (4% and 5%, respectively). In novel analyses that controlled for decoding, vocabulary, and syntactic awareness, morphological awareness explained unique variance in Grade 2 reading comprehension (5%), but not in concurrent reading comprehension. This unique contribution only in second grade may be because decoding skills accounted for less of the overall variance in second than in first grade comprehension or due to the expectation that polymorphemic words are more frequent in second grade texts. Overall, morphological awareness emerged as the strongest oral language predictor in all models. These results support morphological awareness’ relevance to reading comprehension from early in children’s reading development and highlight the need for research to further explore the effects of targeting English morphological awareness with young students.

The influence of methods of selecting concepts of an expository text on different reading representations' predictive ability

In this study, we compared two experimental methods of selecting terms in expository text to generate reading representations and tested how well these reading representations predicted reading comprehension. The two experimental methods were the traditional method of using all terms (all keywords) to create participants' representation networks, and the terms categorization (TC) method of using only important terms (core and branch words). Representation networks were assessed using participants' adjacency scores, ratings of relatedness in pairs of terms, and using summary (summary writing) by all turms. An in-subject design was performed in experiments 1 and 2, and an inter-subject design was performed in experiment 3 to test the hypothesis. With the same sample in exp1 and epx2, a different sample in each exp3. Experiment 1 showed that when using only the traditional way of selecting terms, adjacency was better than relatedness in predicting reading comprehension. Reading representations generated based on the summary method could not predict participants' reading comprehension ability, so this method was excluded from subsequent studies. Experiment 2 showed that the terms selected in Experiment 1 were stronger predictors of reading comprehension when the word pairs included a core term (central to understanding of full text) or a branch term (key to understanding paragraph), relative to a detail term (not affect the understanding full text). Experiment 3 found that whereas the two methods were equally effective in generating representations measured by adjacency, TC was superior in generating representations measured by relatedness. These conclusions have important implications for future research and application.

Predicting reading comprehension performance based on student characteristics and item properties

Although learner characteristics and item properties are known to affect students’ reading comprehension performance, little research has focused on the interactions between these two types of features. This study investigated the effects of learner factors (i.e., gender, the main language spoken at home, multilingualism, and instruction on reading strategies) and item factors (i.e., item format and cognitive process), as well as their interactions, on Canadian students’ performance (n = 16,688) in the reading test of PISA 2018. The results indicated that all learner and item factors significantly predicted reading comprehension. Open-response items were more difficult for male students compared to their female peers. Receiving instruction on reading strategies was most helpful in answering the understanding type of items. Students who mainly spoke the test language at home were specifically better at answering items focused on locating information, while multilingualism appeared to compensate for not speaking the test language at home.

Large Language Models for Epidemiological Research via Automated Machine Learning: Case Study Using Data From the British National Child Development Study.

Large language models have had a huge impact on natural language processing (NLP) in recent years. However, their application in epidemiological research is still limited to the analysis of electronic health records and social media data. To demonstrate the potential of NLP beyond these domains, we aimed to develop prediction models based on texts collected from an epidemiological cohort and compare their performance to classical regression methods. We used data from the British National Child Development Study, where 10,567 children aged 11 years wrote essays about how they imagined themselves as 25-year-olds. Overall, 15% of the data set was set aside as a test set for performance evaluation. Pretrained language models were fine-tuned using AutoTrain (Hugging Face) to predict current reading comprehension score (range: 0-35) and future BMI and physical activity (active vs inactive) at the age of 33 years. We then compared their predictive performance (accuracy or discrimination) with linear and logistic regression models, including demographic and lifestyle factors of the parents and children from birth to the age of 11 years as predictors. NLP clearly outperformed linear regression when predicting reading comprehension scores (root mean square error: 3.89, 95% CI 3.74-4.05 for NLP vs 4.14, 95% CI 3.98-4.30 and 5.41, 95% CI 5.23-5.58 for regression models with and without general ability score as a predictor, respectively). Predictive performance for physical activity was similarly poor for the 2 methods (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.55, 95% CI 0.52-0.60 for both) but was slightly better than random assignment, whereas linear regression clearly outperformed the NLP approach when predicting BMI (root mean square error: 4.38, 95% CI 4.02-4.74 for NLP vs 3.85, 95% CI 3.54-4.16 for regression). The NLP approach did not perform better than simply assigning the mean BMI from the training set as a predictor. Our study demonstrated the potential of using large language models on text collected from epidemiological studies. The performance of the approach appeared to depend on how directly the topic of the text was related to the outcome. Open-ended questions specifically designed to capture certain health concepts and lived experiences in combination with NLP methods should receive more attention in future epidemiological studies.

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.

Lost in Translation: A Preliminary Examination of Phonological Processing, Language, and Reading in Childhood Epilepsy

ABSTRACTChildren with epilepsy are at increased risk for language and reading difficulties. Phonological processing and language underlie reading success, yet their association with reading achievement in children with epilepsy is unknown. We assessed phonological processing, oral language, and reading in children (ages 6 to 12) with epilepsy (EP; n = 6), language problems (LP; n = 14), and typical development (TD; n = 15). The EP and LP group had lower scores on all measures compared with the TD group, with the EP group scoring the lowest on reading comprehension. Phonological processing followed by epilepsy diagnosis predicted reading decoding. Language followed by epilepsy diagnosis predicted reading comprehension. Thus, reading problems in children with epilepsy are not fully explained by their phonological processing or language deficits. Further research that considers other cognitive processes important for reading (e.g., executive function) in this population may help inform our understanding of their reading success.

Is the home literacy environment different depending on the media? Paper vs. tablet-based practices

AbstractThe Home Literacy model predicts different outcomes depending on formal and informal literacy practices carried out at home. However, this model does not explicitly consider the potential differences that the media (paper vs. tablets) in which these practices are carried out can have on performance. The present study explored this issue. Participants were 136 children aged 6–7 years old and their parents. The different activities performed at home were analysed through reports of the parents, and children were assessed at school for their reading performance (decoding and comprehension). Results showed how formal practices using traditional materials predicted reading comprehension, but informal practices did not predict any performance measure. The digital home literacy environment showed no impact on reading performance, suggesting that two different environments (paper and digital) might exist, each one of them having differential impacts on performance. Implications for research and education are discussed.

How does spelling contribute to reading comprehension in Chinese beginning readers? Testing the mediating role of word reading fluency

BackgroundSpelling is a prevalent strategy to teach children to read. However, research on the mechanism underlying the contribution of spelling to reading comprehension in Chinese children is limited.MethodsThe primary aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal associations between spelling and reading comprehension and further test the mediating role of word reading fluency with 127 Chinese children (Mage = 76.01 months). Children were required to perform the tasks of nonverbal intelligence, expressive vocabulary, morphological awareness, phonological awareness, orthographic awareness, spelling, word reading fluency and reading comprehension at Grade 1. Then, reading comprehension was measured again 1 year later at Grade 2. The concurrent and longitudinal mediation models were fitted to the data by structural equation modelling.ResultsThe results showed that spelling was related to reading comprehension concurrently, and it predicted reading comprehension 1 year later while controlling for nonverbal intelligence, age, expressive vocabulary, metalinguistic awareness and the autoregressive effect of reading comprehension. Moreover, word reading fluency played mediating roles in the influence of spelling on reading comprehension in the concurrent and longitudinal models.ConclusionsThese findings provided evidence that spelling is an important factor of reading comprehension and shed light on the nature of this association, highlighting the role of word reading fluency in linking spelling and Chinese children's reading comprehension.

Early reading profiles of L2 English learners: how orthographic knowledge predicts reading comprehension

ABSTRACT This study examined the nature of orthographic knowledge in second langauge (L2) literacy acquisition among Chinese young readers of English as a foreign language (EFL). One hundred and four third-grade Chinese EFL children participated in this study and they completed a battery of reading measures, including phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. Drawing upon hierarchical regression and path analysis, the study found that orthographic knowledge and vocabulary knowledge explained a unique proportion of variance in L2 English reading comprehension after phonological awareness was accounted for. It was also observed that vocabulary knowledge had a mediating effect on both orthographic knowledge and reading comprehension, whereas phonological awareness did not induce mediating patterns. These findings substantiate the unique contribution of orthographic knowledge to L2 English reading comprehension, and provide empirical evidence for the current models of reading for young L2 English readers.

Simple View of Reading Across the Transition from Kindergarten to Grade 1 in a Transparent Orthography

ABSTRACT Purpose This longitudinal study investigated the simple view of reading (SVR) model and its cognitive basis in a transparent orthography of the Lithuanian across the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Method The language and early literacy skills of 229 children (Mage = 6.79, SD = .47) were tested at the end of kindergarten (vocabulary, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and RAN); listening comprehension and word reading fluency were tested at the start of Grade 1; and reading comprehension was measured at the end of Grade 1. Results Together with parental education, word reading fluency and listening comprehension predicted reading comprehension (R2 = 43.2%). The second model, which also included language and early literacy skills, showed that vocabulary and phonological awareness indirectly predicted reading comprehension via listening comprehension, while phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and rapid automatized naming (RAN) indirectly predicted reading comprehension via word reading fluency (R2 = 43.6%). However, after allowing the direct paths from language and early literacy skills in kindergarten to reading comprehension, listening comprehension and word reading fluency were no longer significant predictors of reading comprehension, whereas vocabulary and letter knowledge were (R2 = 58.9%). Conclusion The results provided support for the SVR model in transparent Lithuanian orthography in that linguistic and decoding components are important for early reading comprehension. However, the results also suggested that, in the Lithuanian context, kindergarten vocabulary and letter knowledge are stronger measures in predicting reading comprehension than listening comprehension and word reading fluency in Grade 1.

Investigation of Variables Affecting PISA Success Levels of Countries with Different Success Levels with Data Mining Methods

The aim of this research is to determine the important variables that predict the PISA 2018 reading comprehension achievement score of countries with different achievement levels, using 34 independent variables obtained from the student questionnaire given to the students who participated in PISA in 2018. For this purpose, 79 countries that participated PISA were ranked according to their success percentages then, these countries were sorted into lower, middle and upper group countries. A sample of lower, middle and upper group countries was formed then, three countries were selected from each of the lower group, middle group and upper group countries and a sample of lower, middle and upper group countries was formed. Data mining analyzes were carried out on the samples obtained by using the Classification and Regression Tree and Random Forest methods. It has been observed that the number of important variables that predict reading comprehension success can be reduced from 34 to three to eight. Like this; Data mining classification prediction models, which can predict the success level of PISA, were obtained by using a small number of variables. It has been determined that the models obtained have an acceptable level of predictive performance in predicting success in three categories (low, medium-high). The most important predictor variables obtained from the models are information and communication technologies resources, perception of reading difficulty, professional status expected from the student, perception of difficulty in the PISA test, reading pleasure, weekly test language learning time, disciplinary climate, socio-economic status index.