Reading Short Stories Research Articles

Children’s Story Reading: Its Effects on the Predictability of Reading and Writing in Pre-Academic Children

Children’s Story Reading: Its Effects on the Predictability of Reading and Writing in Pre-Academic Children Elsy Cárdenas-García, María Antonia Padilla Vargas, Yolanda Guevara Benítez Abstract The term „predictability of reading and writing‟ refers to the knowledge and skills that pre-academic children acquire to “read” and/or “write” in the reading and writing events they are familiar with. The aim of this study was to expose pre-academic children to two different conditions of short story reading and to identify their differential effects on the predictability of reading and writing. Thirty children with a median age of 50 months participated in the study, divided at random in four groups by the type of intervention: GE1 (listening to the reading of the same short story), GE2 (listening to the reading of five short stories, a different one in each session), each one of them with its own control group (CG1 and CG2, manipulating the short story(s) heard by the corresponding experimental group without listening to them). Our results show that after the intervention participants in the experimental groups had a better performance than those in the control groups in including the basic elements of a story, the conventionality of their scribbles, and the complexity of the sentences used to retell the story. The differential effects of the type of exposure to the stories on the predictability of reading and writing are discussed. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v6n3a9

PENINGKATAN MINAT BACA KARYA SASTRA CERPEN MELALUI PENDEKATAN SINEKTIK PADA SISWA KELAS VI

<p>At the elementary school level, teaching literature is still experiencing growth phase is quite difficult. Among difficulties faced by the teachers one of which is the lack of student interest in reading short stories to literature. Under these conditions, the purpose of this research is to increase interest in reading literary short story in the sixth grade students of SDN 02 Dawu District Paron, Ngawi. The subjects were 24 sixth grade students at SDN 02 Dawu studied using observation techniques. The results of the studies that have been done two cycles are known to increase in reading scores of students were assessed four aspects, namely the aspect of personal consciousness, volition, attention, and aspects of the feelings of pleasure. This study concludes that the approach sinektic the students' interest at the rate of two cycles of 62.45 while still using the conventional approach, the numbers increased to 83.49 when students have experienced learning approach to rate hikes sinektic reading the sixth grade students of SDN Dawu 02 at 21.04.</p><p> </p><p>Keywords: Interest in reading, short stories, approaches sinektic</p>

Effects of self-questioning on EFL students’ engagement in literary reading / Los efectos del autocuestionamiento en la lectura comprometida de textos literarios de estudiantes de inglés como lengua extranjera

This study examines the effects of self-questioning on EFL students’ literary reading engagement. Two interventions were tested: (1) students generating questions while reading short stories, and then exploring their questions in small-groups; and (2) students generating questions while reading, and then reflecting through a free writing activity. Participants were 59 Vietnamese undergraduate students enrolled in an English as a foreign language course. A pre-test post-test control group design with switching replications was used, with a control condition in which the teacher (instead of the students) posed the questions. Students’ reading engagement was measured by a written response to a short story and a questionnaire. Results showed that both self-questioning interventions positively influenced students’ reading engagement compared to the control condition. A maintenance of effects was also observed. We conclude that self-questioning combined with group discussions or free writing promotes students’ reading engagement.

Aprendizaje Cooperativo para Leer Juntos y Aprender Juntos

Este artículo presenta algunos referentes teóricos acerca de la habilidad lectora y las dimensiones que ésta alcanza dentro del aprendizaje cooperativo. Asimismo, se propone la técnica “Reading- Together-To-Learn-Together” que surge de los talleres de comprensión lectora incluidos en la investigación enfocada en el aprendizaje a través de la práctica, titulada Cooperative learning as a methodological proposal to foster students’ English speaking skill, la cual fue una investigación cualitativa con enfoque Investigación Acción. “Reading-Together-To- Learn-Together” muestra cómo la lectura de cuentos cortos dentro del aprendizaje cooperativo mejora no sólo el hábito lector, sino la oralidad de los estudiantes en las clases de inglés.

Online emotional inferences in written and auditory texts: a study with children and adults

Emotional inferences are conclusions that a reader draws about the emotional state of a story’s protagonist. In this study, we examined whether children and adults draw emotional inferences while reading short stories or listening to an aural presentation of short stories. We used an online method that assesses inferences during reading with a reaction time paradigm. Children aged 8 and 10 years and adults took part. We varied whether the short stories emphasized a certain goal of the protagonist in order to proof our assumption that protagonist-goals in stories help readers to build emotional inferences. Additionally, we assessed the updating capacity of our participants’ working memories assuming a positive influence. Results reveal that participants of all age groups drew emotional inferences. Type of text presentation, goal-emphasis, and updating capacity influence whether emotional inferences are built and how precise these inferences are. The way in which these variables influenced emotional inferences was moderated by the age of the participants.

Cognitive training in the elderly: a randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a self-administered cognitive training program

ABSTRACTObjectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a self-administered cognitive training program for improving cognition in normal elderly persons.Method: A multisite, randomized control, double-blind trial was conducted with 28 experimental participants (Mage = 70.7 ± 8.89) and 28 active controls (Mage = 74.4 ± 9.39). Treatment conditions: experimental intervention (EI) consisted of three modules: (1) executive functioning, (2) memory, and (3) emotion training. Active control (AC) consisted of word searches, reading short stories, and answering multiple-choice questions. Treatments were self-administered one hour/five days a week for four weeks. Pre-and post-training neuropsychological outcome measures were utilized as determinants of program success.Results: Compared to the AC group, the EI group displayed significant gains on targeted executive (p = .002) and memory (p < .001) composites, but not the emotion (p = .105) composite. Training-induced benefits were also observed for the EI group on untrained items within global cognition (BCRS, p = .002) and functional abilities (DAD, p < .001; FRS, p = .042). The percentage of participants who showed reliable performance improvements was greater for the EI than AC on executive (55.5% vs. 12.5%), memory (55% vs. 19.5%) and functional (41% vs. 7.5%) ability. Participant recruitment and compliance rates were enhanced by the involvement of a physician.Conclusion: Results support the efficacy of self-directed cognitive training in reliably improving cognitive and functional abilities in normal older adults. While physicians are critical in enhancing the delivery of regimented treatment, the present study illustrates the potential for self-directed prophylactic training in deterring the development of cognitive decline.

‘He should have put them in the freezer’: Creating and connecting through shared reading

Abstract Shared reading involves reading short stories, poems, novels and plays aloud with groups of people who meet in a range of settings. Readings are conducted by a facilitator, after which the group members share their responses to the texts. The social and therapeutic benefits of shared reading have been well-documented, often with an emphasis on the role of literature in improving the well-being of individuals. In this article, we bring together our backgrounds in the study of sociolinguistics and literacy education to discuss the work of an inner city shared reading group with which we are both involved. The emphasis in the shared reading we present is on the members’ active and agentive participation in the co-construction of meaning through shared reading and the discussion of texts. We argue that a focus on the collaborative aspect of shared reading contributes to understanding of the role it can play in supporting inclusive, participatory arts practice in communities.

Enhancing student schematic knowledge of culture through literature circles in a foreign language classroom

Abstract Improving student understanding of a foreign language culture is anything but a peripheral issue in the teaching of a foreign language. This pilot study reports on a second year required English course in a university in Japan that took a Literature Circles approach, where students were asked to read short stories out of class and then discuss these stories in class. Although students reported that they did not gain any special insights into the target language culture presented, they did report that reading fiction as source material for classroom activity helps with the acquisition of a vocabulary set that is more closely associated with lifestyle and culture. The results suggest that further study is warranted. Procedures of this pilot study are described and interpreted in the context of the English education system in Japan.

Recodificación Fonológica y Formación de Representaciones Ortográficas en Español

The study aimed to explore whether phonological recoding can be considered a self-teaching mechanism of the orthographic representations of Spanish words. Through intentional sampling, 46 3rd graders from a Buenos Aires school participated in an experimental study. Children had to read short stories which included target pseudowords. These pseudowords contained one phoneme that can be represented by more than one grapheme in the Spanish orthographic system (/b/ as or ). Two days after reading the stories children were post-tested in order to explore whether orthographic learning had taken place. Descriptive statistics and means comparisons (Wilcoxon and Friedman tests) were calculated. General results supported the hypothesis of phonological recoding as a selfteaching mechanism. However, an item-based analysis showed that, in those cases in which the pseudoword included a non-dominant grapheme substantially less frequent than the dominant version (/s/ as or ), reading was not enough to form an orthographic representation.

The Reading Preferences of Primary School Children in Lahore

The scope of this study aims at investigating reading preferences of children of Lahore city, which is the capital of Punjab province-Pakistan. It was assumed that proper attention towards providing reading opportunities to primary school students (First -Fifth grade) in Pakistan is vital while inculcating reading habits at that tender age. The study was conducted on 300 primary school students. A target group of 300 primary school students was selected for this study. Mainly survey method based on administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from young students. The findings suggested that the children prefer to read locally published printed material in English. Respondents were found interested in reading short stories. (Fiction books, narrating adventure stories remained their favorite. On basis of the findings, the study furnishes suggestions for parents, teachers and school librarians, along with the local publishers for playing their effective role in developing reading habits and addresses the barriers in this regard.

Los cuentos en el programa "Libro al Viento"

Esta investigación analiza el funcionamiento, conocimiento y valoración del programa Libro al Viento con el propósito de ofrecer nuevos datos que permitan mejoras al programa en la ciudad en su modalidad: Institución Educativa. El trabajo de campo se abordó con un grupo de 60 docentes del Colegio Marco Antonio Carreño Silva, ubicado en la ciudad de Bogotá (Colombia). Con el cuestionario cerrado que seaplicó se indagaron tres aspectos: el conocimiento del programa, el acceso y uso de los libros de cuento y las prácticas de lectura de los cuentos.Los cinco libros de cuentos menos conocidos por los docentes han sido clasificados y valorados según el tipo de lector sugerido por Fundalectura. Finalmente se proponen algunos indicadores de impacto a partir delas variables analizadas con respecto a la lectura de cuentos para este programa.

PENERAPAN STRATEGI SQ3R DALAM PEMBELAJARAN MEMBACA KRITIS SASTRA (CERPEN) PADA SISWA MI KELAS LANJUT

&lt;p&gt;Learning of reading literature (in this concerning short story) in formal education scope (as in Islamic elementary school, especially at advanced grade) wasn’t maximal yet. In objective condition, learning of reading short story at advanced grade, generally still definite in structure analyzing, didn’t administer in activities that able to train students in reading and appraising literature critically. Thus, learning activities by applying some strategy to achieve learning objectives need to do. Some strategy which can be used are SQ3R strategy.SQ3R strategy is one of strategy in learning of reading to help reader understand whole and detail about content of the text. By using SQ3R strategy, reader (students) will be faster to find mind idea in the text. Steps of SQ3R application are &lt;em&gt;survey, question, read, recite, dan review. &lt;/em&gt;To achieve learning objectives maximally, that steps should be apllied systematically.&lt;/p&gt;

The Impact of Using Story Maps as Graphic Organizers on Development of Vocabulary Learning of EFL Learners

The present study has been an attempt to investigate the impact of using story maps as graphic organizers on developing vocabulary learning of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Sixty male and female students, who had scored homogenously in a TOEFL test, participated in this study. Both the control and the experimental groups participated in a vocabulary pre-test. After undergoing a course of 8 sessions of reading short stories, through which story maps were used as post-reading activity in the experimental group and traditional question and answer techniques were used in the control group, both groups took part in a vocabulary post-test. The data analysis revealed a significant difference between the performances of the two groups with the experimental group outperforming the other.

PW01-195 - The evaluation of mentalisation deficit with false-irony test in schizophrenia

IntroductionA group of schizophrenic patients perform well in known theory of mind (ToM) tasks. Still most of them have difficulties to understand social situations in real life.AimsWe used a new test of ToM to find out if this group of patients really have the ability to understand other people´s mental states or they might use some compensatory strategies.Methods49 schizophrenic patients and 38 matched control inviduals were evaluated. Participants were asked to read short stories and answer simple yes/no comprehension questions. We used three experimental conditions: “false-irony” condition (FI), “control” condition (C), and “false-irony with linguistic help” condition (FIH).ResultsP atients with schizophrenia performed sinificantly worse than control subjects in each of the three conditions (FI:p=0.01;C:p=0.04;FIH:p=0.01). Among the 49 patients 22 did well the FIH tasks (44.89%). Among these 22 patients 12 did the FI tasks well (24.48%) and the other 10 did the FIH tasks well (20.4%).ConclusionsP atients with schizophrenia performed a sinificant impairment in the new ToM test. Beside a group of patients is able to understand other people´s mental states. To understand these situations some patients probably use real mentalisation strategies, some of them can use the given linguistic help as a compensatory strategy, and some patients have difficulties in representing of the mental states of others.

Utilizing Contemporary Short Fiction in the Interpersonal Communication Classroom

Course: Any undergraduate interpersonal communication course Objective: Students will apply interpersonal communication concepts and theories to their readings of short stories; the goal is for students to see the utility of course material for understanding human interaction.

Constructing Photography: Fiction as Cultural Evidence

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. This essay is based on a reading of short stories, which address the presence of photographs in the lives of their characters. Additional informationNotes on contributorsHanno HardtHanno Hardt is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Ljubljana and Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Mass Communication and Communication Studies at the University of Iowa

Uma Filosofia Buissonnieuse, ou de como o narrador desce as escadas: Como ler a questao da "Filosofia de Machado de Assis" na contemporaneidade

In this article I address a long-standing issue in Machadian studies, that of the relationship between philosophy and literature in the fiction of Machado de Assis. I start by acknowledging my indebtedness to the studies that Abel Barros Baptista has recently dedicated to the Brazilian author. In his article, A Reforma Hermeneutica: Acerca da legibilidade de Dom Casmurro, Baptista implies an anti-hermeneutical reading of Machado's novels and short stories in order to advocate for a hermeneutical reform. With his contribution in mind, I proceed to question the theoretical and critical presuppositions of some of the most canonical readings that have been proposed to address the focus of this essay. I conclude by proposing a reading of the short story O espelho: Esboco de uma nova teoria da alma humana, which exemplifies the principles that I sustain as being indispensable for addressing the issue of the relationship between philosophy and literature, that is, the philosophical relevance of literature as much as the literary relevance of philosophy.

Forgiving the Jews for Auschwitz? Guilt and Gender in Bernhard Schlink'sLiebesfluchten1

Bernhard Schlink's international bestseller Der Vorleser (1995) sparked an important scholarly discussion on guilt, shame, and so-called Vergangenheitsbewaltigung. In this debate, text received praise for candidly taking on subject of post-WWII German guilt and shame (Bartov, Niven, and Schmitz), yet was criticized for reintroducing familiar or tainted cliches and for affording Germans an easy way out of their feelings of guilt by turning them into of Nazi regime (Schlant, Arnds, Donahue, Metz). These debates have not reached any definite conclusions for two reasons. First, they are intrinsically connected to how we read and how we identify with literary texts, urgent questions when it comes to literature dealing with Holocaust, as Dominick LaCapra's work on writing trauma reveals convincingly.2 secondly, and perhaps more importantly, if we understand literature to be turf on which important matters of memory and identity are teased out and negotiated, and interpretation of literature (by scholars and critics) as field where this negotiation is further reflected upon, then continued debate on guilt and shame in Der Vorleser points to fact that difficulties Germans have with their history, memory, and identity are both ongoing and in need of further exploration. This is supported by findings of Berlin Zentrum fur Antisemitismusforschung, namely that antisemitism3 seen in Germany as of a few years ago may be rooted in a antisemitism that is in part caused by those very issues of guilt and shame. These issues are prevalent both in Schlink's text and literature engaging with it. secondary antisemitism can be defined as a hostility against Jews that grows from fact that Holocaust reminds Germans of their guilt and thus precludes a positive identification with their German identity (Gessler, 12) .4 Can Germans, therefore, never forgive Jews for Auschwitz?5 Instead of reiterating debate on Der Vorleser, this essay will consider two additional texts by Schlink, and move focus to an investigation of this notion of secondary antisemitism and how it relates to current perceptions of Jews, German identity, and gender. Both short stories, Das Madchen mit der Eidechse and Die Beschneidung from Schlink's collection Liebesfluchten (2000), deal with German past, and are characterized by textual polyvalence and indeterminacy regarding location of Jews and gender. Thus, a close reading of short stories sheds new light on how today's memories of German past and Shoah are intertwined with subliminal notions of gender and antisemitism. My discussion places special emphasis on dimension of gender, a category so far insufficiently invoked in many deliberations of German memory and identity,6 since short stories situate Jews and Germans within a grid of gendered identities. More specifically, there seems to be a curious link between guilt and gender identity in both texts that requires analysis. As Ernestine Schlant has observed succinctly, in all texts dealing with Shoah, identity matters: distinctions between Jewish and non-Jewish writers are essential, since the eliminations of crucial distinction between victims and perpetrators can itself be viewed as an attempt to level and equalize their separate histories (6). This is not to say, as some German scholars seem to feel, that non-Jewish writers and critics have less of a right to speak and be heard-quite opposite. But it is important to note that Schlink's position is that of a non-Jewish West-German male, and that his protagonists, who are non-Jewish West-German males, offer that particular perspective, while at same time vigorously invoking gender binaries as well as binaries of Jewish vs. non-Jewish identities. A number of publications point to fact that Der Vorleser is concerned mostly with second generation's feelings of guilt and/or shame towards Holocaust, i. …

Neurophysiological characterization of a functionally active drink containing extracts of ginkgo and ginseng by source density analysis of the human EEG

Functional food products should provide scientifically proven beneficial effects in healthy subjects.The highly sensitive method of EEG recording from healthy human volunteers was used in a randomized, placebo controlled crossover study to investigate the effects of a change in physiological parameters after ingestion of a total of 750 ml of a softdrink containing 0.232 g of ginseng and 2 g of ginkgo extract, both produced by water extraction. Application of a random, placebo controlled crossover design was done with 10 healthy male volunteers. EEG recordings were performed 1, 2, 3 and 4 h under the conditions of 10 min eyes open, 5 min eyes closed and 5 min reading short stories. Auditory P300 potentials were recorded every hour in addition to the EEG recordings.Source density analysis of the data revealed an attenuation of circadian induced electrical delta power decreases under the condition of eyes open and closed recording from centro-parieto-occipital electrode positions. During a reading test even absolute increases of delta power were observed at these electrode sites. These changes were statistically significant at p < 2% for the second hour (eyes open and reading) and are interpreted to indicate a higher degree of emotional well-being.Decreases in latency (from 333.9 to 321.3 ms) as well as increases of amplitude (from 2.07 to 3.95 μV) of the auditory P300 potential at the electrode position Pz point to a possible improvement of attention, however, the difference did not reach statistical significance.

Teaching Economics with Short Stories

Using short stories as supplements to traditional economics courses or as the part of nontraditional economics or interdisciplinary courses helps students to grasp economic concepts while diversifying instructional methods in the classroom. Short stories centered on economic concepts fit well in the long tradition of teaching by parable. Students derive great pleasure from reading short stories and they possess great skill analyzing short stories, seeming quick to grasp even very subtle meaning in the narrative. The paper describes the pedagogical value of this literary form and presents numerous short stories apt for use in the economics classroom.