Reading Comprehension Test Scores Research Articles

Performance variations across reading comprehension assessments: Examining the unique contributions of text, activity, and reader

These studies examined the contribution of text, activity, and reader to variance in reading comprehension test scores. Study 1 focused on multiple-choice and open-ended item responses, whereas Study 2 examined retell. Both studies included 79 fourth-grade students (age M = 9.72; SD = .34). Each student read six passages from the Qualitative Reading Inventory-Fifth Edition (QRI-5) and completed comprehension assessments of varying response format (open-ended questions, multiple choice, and retell). Measures of cognitive capacity, language knowledge, learning motivation, and word reading fluency were also administered. In Study 1, item-response crossed random effects models revealed statistically significant differences between open-ended question and multiple-choice response formats, and three covariates significantly predicted reading comprehension test scores: (a) attentive behavior, (b) language knowledge, and (c) working memory. Further exploratory analyses identified two-way interactions: (a) Response Format × Attentive Behavior, and (b) Response Format × Language Knowledge. In Study 2, crossed random effects models revealed two statistically significant predictors of retell scores: (a) text genre, and (b) language knowledge. Findings suggest different response format activities may contribute to variance in reading comprehension tests scores, and this test property may further interact with text as well as reader abilities.

The Effect of Classical and Jazz Background-Music on Concentration and Reading Comprehension in Young Adult Women

Classical and jazz music activates ? brain wave that stimulate the excretion of ?-endorphins that has a role in increasing the alertness and attention. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of classical and jazz background-music to the concentration and reading comprehension. This is a quasi experimental study, with pre-test and post-test design, performed on 30 young adult women. The measured data were Addition and reading comprehension test scores before and while listening to music. Data were analyzed using paired t-test with and non paired t-test with ?=0.05. The results showed that there were highly significant differences of Addition Test score (547.73) and reading comprehension test score (80.33) with classical music background; Addition Test score (577.47) and reading comprehension test score (78.33) with jazz music background compared to pre-treatment of classical (457.57; 61.67) (p<0.01); and jazz music (538.07; 65.00) (p<0.01) respectively. The comparison of both types of music showed no difference of Addition Test score and reading comprehension test score (p>0.05). We concluded classical and jazz background music improve concentration and reading comprehension in young adult women, with no significant differences in both types of background music.
 Keywords: concentration, reading comprehension, background music, classical, jazz

Impact of the NREGS on Children’s Intellectual Human Capital

This paper uses panel data from the Young Lives Survey to examine the effect of the world’s largest public works program and India’s flagship social protection program, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), on children’s learning outcomes such as grade progression, reading comprehension test scores, writing test scores, math test scores, and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) scores. We find that the program has strong positive effects on these outcomes in both the short-and-medium run. Finally, the impact estimates reported here are robust to a number of econometric concerns such as – program placement, selective attrition, and type I error.

The Relationship between Personality Types and the Cognitive - Metacognitive Strategies

This study investigates the relationship between the personality type and cognitive-metacognitive strategies utilized by test-takers in reading comprehension tests. One hundred undergraduate Iranian English Foreign Learning (EFL) students participated in a reading comprehension test followed by a questionnaire and the Myers & Briggs Type Inventory. The questionnaire consisted of 30 cognitive-metacognitive items (Phakiti, 2003). These questions inquired about the thought process that occurred while completing the test. The 93-item Myers-Brigs Type Indicator (MBTI) questionnaire is a tool that provides individuals with a personality type. The study employed a quantitative data analysis where the input data was analyzed in two ways. First, descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample characteristics, and then a two-way ANOVA was calculated to obtain a general view of the relationship between the variables. The data analysis resulted in the identification of 14 personality types along with three groups of readers distinguished by their reading comprehension test scores as highly successful, moderately successful, or unsuccessful. However, the results suggested that there were no significant relationships between personality types of test-takers and the cognitive-metacognitive strategies utilized during a reading comprehension test. Using a 90 percent Confidence Interval (CI), there was meaningful interaction between the personality traits (Extroversion/Introversion and Judging/Perceiving) of Iranian EFL test-takers and their use of cognitive-metacognitive strategies.

Brain-based individual difference measures of reading skill in deaf and hearing adults.

Most deaf children and adults struggle to read, but some deaf individuals do become highly proficient readers. There is disagreement about the specific causes of reading difficulty in the deaf population, and consequently, disagreement about the effectiveness of different strategies for teaching reading to deaf children. Much of the disagreement surrounds the question of whether deaf children read in similar or different ways as hearing children. In this study, we begin to answer this question by using real-time measures of neural language processing to assess if deaf and hearing adults read proficiently in similar or different ways. Hearing and deaf adults read English sentences with semantic, grammatical, and simultaneous semantic/grammatical errors while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The magnitude of individuals' ERP responses was compared to their standardized reading comprehension test scores, and potentially confounding variables like years of education, speechreading skill, and language background of deaf participants were controlled for. The best deaf readers had the largest N400 responses to semantic errors in sentences, while the best hearing readers had the largest P600 responses to grammatical errors in sentences. These results indicate that equally proficient hearing and deaf adults process written language in different ways, suggesting there is little reason to assume that literacy education should necessarily be the same for hearing and deaf children. The results also show that the most successful deaf readers focus on semantic information while reading, which suggests aspects of education that may promote improved literacy in the deaf population.

Comparing Students With and Without Reading Difficulties on Reading Comprehension Assessments: A Meta-Analysis

Researchers have increasingly investigated sources of variance in reading comprehension test scores, particularly with students with reading difficulties (RD). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine if the achievement gap between students with RD and typically developing (TD) students varies as a function of different reading comprehension response formats (e.g., multiple choice, cloze). A systematic literature review identified 82 eligible studies. All studies administered reading comprehension assessments to students with RD and TD students in Grades K–12. Hedge’s g standardized mean difference effect sizes were calculated, and random effects robust variance estimation techniques were used to aggregate average weighted effect sizes for each response format. Results indicated that the achievement gap between students with RD and TD students was larger for some response formats (e.g., picture selection ES g = −1.80) than others (e.g., retell ES g = −0.60). Moreover, for multiple-choice, cloze, and open-ended question response formats, single-predictor metaregression models explored potential moderators of heterogeneity in effect sizes. No clear patterns, however, emerged in regard to moderators of heterogeneity in effect sizes across response formats. Findings suggest that the use of different response formats may lead to variability in the achievement gap between students with RD and TD students.

Incorporating IStation into Early Childhood Classrooms to Improve Reading Comprehension

Aim/Purpose: IStation is an adaptive computer-based reading program that adapts to the learner’s academic needs. This study investigates if the Istation computer-based reading program promotes reading improvement scores as shown on the STAR Reading test and the IStation test scaled scores for elementary school third-grade learners on different reading levels. Background: Prior literature provided a limited evidence base for incorporating computer-adaptive learning technologies to improve reading comprehension in the con-text of early childhood education. Methodology: Using a mixed-method case study research approach, this study purports to investigate the effects of IStation and examine the perspectives of teachers and students. Supported by survey and interview data, this case study employed a sample of 98 public school third-grade students in an urban elementary school in the southeastern United States as well as the three classroom teachers. Contribution: This study has provided a) additional data to show evidence for the effectiveness of a computer-based reading program, IStation, by using the students’ and teachers’ viewpoints as well as reading comprehension test scores data; and b) recommendations for practitioners and researchers regarding professional development for IStation implementation. Findings: The results of this study show a strong correlation between the usage of IStation and the rise of STAR reading scores during the time IStation was integrated. There were differing opinions regarding the effectiveness of IStation between students and teachers, as well as between low and high achieving students. Teachers recognized that intervening variables of teachers’ whole and small group lessons individualized for each class, as well as students’ practice sessions both at home and at school, could have also resulted in improved STAR reading scores. Recommendations for Practitioners: There is no one-size-fits-all solution when implementing such technology to a diverse array of learners on different reading levels, such as Tier 1 (high reader), Tier 2 (medium average benchmark reader), and Tier 3 (low reader). It is essential to provide professional development and training opportunities for teachers. Teachers can also train and elevate the higher achieving students with using IStation to monitor their own progress as well as set their own individual learning goals. Recommendation for Researchers: We recommend studies with a larger sample size that would likely yield more definitive and generalizable results, studies using a randomized control group that would have teased out extraneous factors and truly measuring the effects of IStation alone on STAR, as well as longitudinal studies examining the long-term effects of IStation.

Investigating the Effects of Group Investigation (GI) and Cooperative Integrated Reading and Comprehension (CIRC) as the Cooperative Learning Techniques on Learner's Reading Comprehension

Cooperative learning consists of some techniques for helping students work together more effectively. This study investigated the effects of Group Investigation (GI) and Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) as cooperative learning techniques on Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension at an intermediate level. The participants of the study were 207 male students who studied at an intermediate level at ILI. The participants were randomly assigned into three equal groups: one control group and two experimental groups. The control group was instructed via conventional technique following an individualistic instructional approach. One experimental group received GI technique. The other experimental group received CIRC technique. The findings showed that there was a meaningful difference between the mean of the reading comprehension score of GI experimental group and CRIC experimental group. CRIC technique is more effective than GI technique in enhancing the reading comprehension test scores of students.

Does the Use of Connective Words in Written Assessments Predict High School Students’ Reading and Writing Achievement?

This study examined the relationship between ninth-grade students’ use of connectives (temporal, causal, adversative, and additive) in functional writing and performance on standards-based/criterion-referenced measures of reading and writing. Specifically, structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to examine the relationship between students’ use of connectives in their functional writing and their reading and writing proficiency. Results indicated that the number of connectives used in functional writing was significantly correlated to writing test scores and reading comprehension test scores, no matter whether the effect of the common predictor was removed or not. The results provide support for future research in the study of connective words in relation to functional writing skills and reading comprehension.

The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge in Reading Comprehension: A Cross-Linguistic Study

The purpose of the present cross-linguistic study was to find out the role of vocabulary knowledge of the language of the text on reading comprehension performance when reading texts in that language. The study involved 10 participants who were students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Malaysian public high school selected using the random sampling. The instruments for the study were a set of reading comprehension test and a set of vocabulary test for the selected EFL grade-level reading text and a set of reading comprehension test and a set of vocabulary test for the selected grade-level reading text in the participants’ native language. The tests were administered on an individual basis. Each participant was allowed to read the EFL text without time limit but to do the tests without looking back at the text within a specified duration for the reading comprehension and vocabulary tests. The same procedures were conducted for reading comprehension test and vocabulary in context test for the first language (L1) or native language text. A brief interview was conducted immediately after the participants had completed the reading comprehension and vocabulary in context tests for the EFL and L1 texts. The participants’ vocabulary test and reading comprehension were scored and the test scores for the EFL text and L1 text were compared. The findings show that the participants’ vocabulary test and reading comprehension test scores for the L1 text were significantly better than their scores for the EFL text. The results from the interviews indicate that the participants were lacked of vocabulary knowledge in the EFL in comparison to in their native language. The findings provide evidence that a reader's level of vocabulary knowledge is one of the elements that plays an impacting role in determining reading comprehension performance in that language.

The Monkey game: A computerized verbal working memory task for self-reliant administration in primary school children.

In two studies, the psychometric properties of an online self-reliant verbal working memory task (the Monkey game) for primary school children (6–12 years of age) were examined. In Study 1, children (n = 5,203) from 31 primary schools participated. The participants completed computerized verbal and visual–spatial working memory tasks (i.e., the Monkey game and the Lion game) and a paper-and-pencil version of Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices. Reading comprehension and math achievement test scores were obtained from the schools. First, the internal consistency of the Monkey game was examined. Second, multilevel modeling was used to examine the effects of classroom membership. Multilevel multivariate regression analysis was used to examine the Monkey game’s concurrent relationship with the Lion game and its predictive relationships with reading comprehension and math achievement. Also, age-related differences in performance were examined. In Study 2, the concurrent relationships between the Monkey game and two tester-led computerized working memory tasks were further examined (n = 140). Also, the 1- and 2-year stability of the Monkey game was investigated. The Monkey game showed excellent internal consistency, good concurrent relationships with the other working memory measures, and significant age differences in performance. Performance on the Monkey game was also predictive of subsequent reading comprehension and mathematics performance, even after controlling for individual differences in intelligence. Performance on the Monkey game was influenced by classroom membership. The Monkey game is a reliable and suitable instrument for the online computerized and self-reliant assessment of verbal working memory in primary school children.

Promise for Enhancing Children's Reading Attitudes Through Peer Reading: A Mixed Method Approach

ABSTRACT Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) was implemented for supplementary reading classes in a Korean elementary school. The treatment group children were exposed to PALS during 20 min sessions, 4 times a week, for 8 weeks. The impacts of PALS were investigated in 3 aspects using a mixed-methods approach: improvement in reading attitudes, reading skills, and student perceptions of the intervention. Data collection includes reading attitude measures, standardized reading comprehension test scores, student satisfaction survey, student interviews, and student journals. The PALS group students showed significantly enhanced reading attitudes and reading skills. Consistently, qualitative data analysis also revealed affirmative influence of PALS on students’ attitudes toward reading. Finally, the findings also suggested social benefits of PALS including developing cooperative skills and friendships.

An Investigation of the Effects of Text Variation on EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Ability

Early seeds of language variation studies were planted near the beginning of the 1960s under the influence of William Labov who is generally regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguistics which deals with language variations caused by linguistic and non-linguistic factors. With many other branches of linguistics, studies of language variation were also extended to the field of SLA and thereby studies of interlanguage or L2 learners’ language variation came into fashion. Almost all studies that have been conducted in this area are in association with variation in speech production and development of sociolinguistic competence and there are few studies which were devoted to the influence of linguistic or non-linguistic factors on variation in first and second language comprehension. This study, therefore, attempts to investigate the influence of text variation (in terms of narrative and non-narrative) on EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. Doing so, 45 Persian native-speaking university students majoring in English translation at Arak university, Iran, were selected from among 67 ones and put into two homogeneous intact experimental and control groups (consisting of 21 and 24 participants, respectively). From a large body of existing texts, three narrative and three non-narrative texts (each between 1373 to 1622 words) with Flesch Reading Ease Original Research Article British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 4(6): 691-707, 2014 692 scores ranged from 66.83 to 73.90 were selected and used as tasks of elicitation. Statistical results, under the influence of existing variation between narratives and nonnarratives, indicated significant difference between the experimental and control groups’ reading comprehension test scores from pretest to post test. Possible reasons for developed variation in reading comprehension ability and implications of the findings for language teaching are discussed.

University Students' Reading of Their First-Year Mathematics Textbooks

This article reports the observed behaviors and difficulties that 11 precalculus and calculus students exhibited in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. To gauge the effectiveness of these students' reading, we asked them to attempt straightforward mathematical tasks, based directly on what they had just read. The students had high ACT mathematics and high ACT reading comprehension test scores and exhibited much of the Constructively Responsive Reading of good readers as described in the reading comprehension research literature. However, they were not effective readers of their mathematics textbooks. We discuss some reasons for this that might not be easily discernible among the variety of task-working difficulties of less able students. Finally, we pose questions for future research and suggest some implications for teaching.

Does reading strategy use predict and correlate with reading achievement of EFL learners?

This study aimed to investigate whether any statistically significant relationship existed between Iranian EFL learners' reading strategy use and their reading achievement performed in their reading comprehension test (RCT) scores. Moreover, current study tried to examine whether the participants' overall reading strategy, and also their use of any of reading strategy subscales, were a predictor of their RCT scores. To this end, two instruments of Survey of Reading Strategy (Mokhtari & Sheorey, 2002), and an RCT were employed to collect the data. The results revealed a statistically significant and positive relationship between participants' overall and also Global and Problem Solving reading strategy use and their RCT scores; however, no statistically significant relationship was found between participants' Support reading strategy use and their RCT scores. On regression part, overall reading strategy use was found to be a predictor of RCT scores; however, it was of low predictive power, and among reading strategy subscales, only Global reading strategy use could be a predictor of RCT scores. Finally, pedagogical implications were presented for learners, teachers and materials developers in the field of EFL teaching/learning.

The influence of the language of directions, questions, and choices in pratice CSAT on learners’ test results

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the language (i.e., Korean vs. English) of directions, questions, and choices used in an English test in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on student test results. In addition, this study also examined how the influence of the language used varied according to a student’s achievement level, school region, and gender. In order to achieve these purposes, this study analyzed the English test results of 641 second-grade high school students from eight high schools from seven different regions. The overall results of this study indicate that the language of directions, questions, and choices in the English test had a significant influence on the students’ reading comprehension test scores, but not on their listening comprehension test scores. More specifically, students who took the English test with directions, questions, and choices written in Korean obtained higher scores on the reading comprehension test than those who took the English test in which the directions, questions, and choices were written in English. Based on these findings, educational implications are discussed.

Exploring Junior College Students Reading and Writing Experiences in an Online English Literature Discussion Project

The purpose of the action research is to examine what happens when non-English major junior college students at a technological university discuss English literary works via an online discussion board. The researcher invited 94 third-year junior college students (19 girls and 75 boys, ages 17 to 19) to participate in the study. Students read self-selected English literary works during their leisure time and posted responses about the books on the University's E-Learning Discussion Board to share with their group members. The researcher used qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect and analyze data. Data sources included students' reading posts, open-ended exit surveys, students' reading comprehension test scores, students' pre-study and post-study writing scores, and there searcher's journal. The findings of the study suggested that the students benefited from the reading and writing experiences, gaining confidence in their reading abilities and developing the ability to write longer English essays. However, they also encountered challenges during the process. In this paper, the researcher provides pedagogical suggestions to other teachers of English so that they can implement similar Internet-based instructions in their curricula.

Extended time improves reading comprehension test scores for adolescents with ADHD

Objective: To test the hypotheses that reading comprehension difficulties of adolescent students with ADHD: 1) are related not so much to weak verbal abilities or weak basic reading skills, as to impairments of working memory and processing speed characteristic of ADHD; and 2) that extended time on a test of reading comprehension would yield significantly higher reading comprehension scores than would standard time. Method: Charts of 145 adolescents 13-18 years diagnosed with DSM-IV ADHD and no specific reading disorder after a comprehensive clinical and psycho-educational evaluation, were reviewed to extract 1) word reading and word attack subtest scores from the Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Test or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test; 2) Index scores from WISC-IV or WAIS-III IQ tests; 3) scores from the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. Results: Mean index scores for verbal comprehension abilities not including reading were in the high average range, but working memory and processing speed index scores were significantly weaker. Under standard time limits 53% were unable to complete the reading comprehension test and only 42.8% were able to score within 1 SD of their IQ verbal comprehension index (VCI). When allowed extended time, 77.9% were able to score within 1 SD of their VCI. T-test comparisons between standard time and extended time were significant at < 0.001. Conclusions: Allowing extended time for adolescents with ADHD to complete tests involving reading may help to compensate for their impairments of working memory and processing speed, allowing them to score closer to their actual verbal abilities.

A Randomized Field Trial of the Fast ForWord Language Computer-Based Training Program

This article describes an independent assessment of the Fast ForWord Language computer-based training program developed by Scientific Learning Corporation. Previous laboratory research involving children with language-based learning impairments showed strong effects on their abilities to recognize brief and fast sequences of nonspeech and speech stimuli, but generalization of these effects beyond clinical settings and student populations and to broader literacy measures remains unclear. Implementing a randomized field trial in eight urban schools, we generated impact estimates from separate intent-to-treat and treatment-on-the-treated analyses of the literacy outcomes of second- and seventh-grade students who were more generally at risk for poor reading and language outcomes. There were some problems of implementation in the field setting, and the Fast ForWord Language program did not, in general, help students in these eight schools improve their language and reading comprehension test scores.

Supporting Social Studies Reading Comprehension with an Electronic Pop-up Dictionary

This study investigated how middle school students’ comprehension was impacted by reading social studies texts online with a pop-up dictionary function for every word in the text. A quantitative counterbalance design was used to determine how 129 middle school students’ reading comprehension test scores for the pop-up dictionary reading differed from test scores for reading hard-copy texts or an online text without the dictionary. The pop-up dictionary reading was shown to be a statistically effective method for improving student test scores. The results suggest pop-up dictionaries may provide a helpful intervention for increasing middle-level learners’ reading comprehension.