Reading Comprehension Research Articles

Reading Speed and Reading Comprehension in Adolescents

Reading is a complex skill that is acquired through learning. Although most children with typical development master the skill of reading in due time, it is known that a smaller number of children show difficulties in reading. The aim of this thesis is to examine the reading speed and reading comprehension of primary school-aged adolescents. We also tried to determine the number of adolescents with reading difficulties, through analysis of reading speed and accuracy of comprehension of the read text. The research sample consisted of 200 pupils of sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade of the "Milorad Musa Burzan" elementary school in Podgorica. Assessment of reading speed and reading comprehension was performed using the Three-Dimensional Reading Test. The results showed that reading speed increases with age, so ninth grade pupils read the fastest, whereas seventh grade pupils read the slowest. In terms of comprehending what was read, the pupils of the eighth grade were the most successful, and the pupils of the seventh grade were the worst. Moreover, the results showed that there are no differences in reading speed and reading comprehension between boys and girls. It was concluded that in this sample there were a total of nine (4.5%) pupils with reading difficulties.

Examination of the Relationship Between Teachers’ Emotional Exhaustion and Students’ Reading Comprehension and Achievement Emotions

ABSTRACT Purpose This study investigated the relationships between elementary school language arts teachers’ emotional exhaustion and students’ reading comprehension abilities and academic emotions. Method The sample included 63 teachers and their 1,319 students (50% males), in fourth and fifth grades (60% in the fourth grade) in the age range of 9–11 years old, from 21 elementary schools in Israel. The primary language of teachers and students was Hebrew. Teachers reported on their emotional exhaustion, and students reported on their academic emotions in their teacher’s classes. Students’ reading comprehension performance was also measured. Results Results of multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) showed teachers’ emotional exhaustion was related to lower reading comprehension performance. In addition, classroom-level students’ hopelessness mediated the relations between teachers’ emotional exhaustion and students’ reading comprehension. Finally, anxiety and hopelessness were negatively related to student-level reading comprehension, but hopelessness was also related to it at the classroom level. Interestingly, boredom was positively related to classroom-level reading comprehension. Conclusions These results support previous findings showing negative relations between teachers’ emotional exhaustion and students’ reading comprehension and clarify the mediating role of hopelessness in these relations.

Cognitive and Neurobiological Correlates for Switching/Inhibition Moderate the Relations Between Word Reading and Reading Comprehension in Hebrew-Speaking Children: An fMRI Study.

The expanded Simple View of Reading model suggests language processing and word reading as contributors to reading comprehension and points at the participation of executive functions as supporting these abilities. Switching and inhibition are both executive functions (EF) contributing to reading, especially in languages with two writing systems-shallow and deep, such as Hebrew. Here, we aimed to determine the specific role of switching/inhibition both cognitively and neurobiologically in the Simple View of Reading model among 49 eight- to 12-year-old Hebrew-speaking children. Children underwent reading and cognitive behavioural testing as well as a five-min resting-state fMRI scan. Functional connectivity of the fronto-parietal network related to switching/inhibition was determined and included in a moderation model. Results suggest that both switching/inhibition abilities and functional connectivity within the fronto-parietal network moderate the relations between word reading and reading comprehension. This strengthens the contribution of switching/inhibition to facilitating reading comprehension and supports the need to include it as part of the expanded SVR model.

Shifting trends in communicative English language teaching in Icelandic compulsory schools

This paper maps shifts in English language teaching in compulsory schools since curricular changes in 2007 and again in 2011/2013. The primary purpose of the current study is to examine the status of English language teaching from the perspective of active teachers. The secondary aim is to inform the development of teacher education programmes at the University of Iceland and improve English teacher preparation for those entering or working in the compulsory education system. When earlier surveys were conducted – a large-scale ministry survey in 2005/2006 and a smaller follow-up survey in 2007– teaching English was heavily influenced by the preparation of students for the final state exams, with a strong focus on reading comprehension, writing, and grammar. The National Curriculum Guide 2011/2013 introduced the fundamental pillars of education and competences as the base for teaching and assessment. Through a quantitative survey carried out in 2022, the researchers collected responses from 7th- and 10th-grade teachers about their access to, and usage of, teaching and learning materials, teaching practices, approaches to assessment, teachers’ professional development, and the use of English in the classroom. The response rate was 53% and a total of 156 teachers participated. The results show that traditional, textbook-based teaching methods are still prevalent, although oral communication skills receive increased emphasis. Cultural competences and learning skills need to receive substantial attention if they are to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum 2011/2013. The use of the target language (English) in the classrooms should increase, while the purposeful use of L1 Icelandic is still relevant in foreign language classrooms. Overall, communicative language teaching seems to be gaining ground.

The Influence of Reading Strategies on Comprehension Skills in English Language Learners

Reading ability is a fundamental skill in language mastery, especially in English language learning. However, many students in Indonesia experience difficulties in understanding English texts due to a lack of effective reading strategies. This issue forms the basis of a study to evaluate the impact of reading strategies on improving students' reading comprehension. The aim of this research is to analyze how reading strategies can assist students in understanding English texts. The research employs a descriptive quantitative method, involving 50 students divided into experimental and control groups. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests and analyzed using normality and homogeneity statistical tests, as well as a T-test to measure the effectiveness of reading strategies. The results showed that the experimental group, which used reading strategies, demonstrated a significant improvement in comprehension compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the application of appropriate reading strategies can enhance reading comprehension skills, particularly for students learning English as a foreign language.

The relationships between reading attitude, metacognitive awareness of reading strategies and reading motivation of L2 learners

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between reading attitude, motivation, and the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies (MARS) of adult EFL learners. Ninety-seven Iranian intermediate EFL learners participated in the study after a multi-stage sampling. The initial analysis suggested high correlations between the variables of attitude, motivation, and the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies. A mediation analysis using structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the intervening effect of MARS on the effect of attitude on motivation. The proposed model confirmed the mediational hypothesis with a good fit. The findings bear notable implications which are discussed in light of the study outcomes.

The interplay between students’ home literacy environment, reading attitudes and comprehension: a serial mediation analysis using PIRLS 2021-data

BackgroundProviding a rich home literacy environment (HLE) is considered to contribute to the development of students’ reading comprehension. However, less research attention has been given to the underlying mechanisms that influence this relationship, including potential mediating characteristics. The present study aims to assess whether students’ reading enjoyment, reading motivation and reading frequency mediate different aspects of the active and passive HLE and reading comprehension of Grade 4 students in Flanders (Belgium).MethodsThis study uses the Flemish data of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021. Participants were 5114 students from 141 schools and their parents. The hypotheses were tested using a serial mediation model implemented through structural equation modelling.ResultsWe observed different associations between specific aspects of the HLE and fourth graders’ reading comprehension. Both an active reading climate and the amount of books at home were found to be positively associated with students’ reading comprehension. We found no contributions of parents’ reading enjoyment and their own reading frequency to their child’s reading comprehension. We found significant indirect effects of both the active reading climate and parents' reading enjoyment on students' reading comprehension, mediated through students' reading enjoyment, motivation and reading frequency. Additionally, we found evidence for an indirect pathway from the amount of books at home to students' reading comprehension, mediated by their reading frequency.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the importance of conceptualizing HLE as a broad construct consisting of multiple components (e.g., activities, beliefs, availability of literacy-related resources at home), as these aspects are related to students’ reading comprehension development in different ways.

Does it matter if some learners read slowly? Exploring relationships between reading comprehension and oral reading fluency

Background: Although Zimbabwe has performed quite well on Grade 6 SACMEQ literacy assessments compared to other African countries, reading levels are generally low and there is little research on reading literacy in Zimbabwean primary schools.Aim: Grade 3 and 4 learners’ reading comprehension (RC), accuracy and speed in oral reading fluency (ORF) were assessed to examine more closely the relationship between these aspects of reading development.Setting: Data were obtained from Grade 3 and 4 learners from four different primary schools within Gweru urban district in Zimbabwe.Methods: A RC test was administered to 374 learners across the two grades, and ORF data were obtained from a subsample of 72 learners. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: The learners’ RC performance was generally poor (41%–45%) across the grades and the four schools, showing much variation within and across grades. Oral reading fluency results were equally varied in terms of accuracy and speed. There was no significant difference in mean learner performance in RC and ORF between Grades 3 and 4, indicating little growth in reading from one grade to the next. However, the results showed robust correlations between ORF accuracy, ORF speed and RC.Conclusion: Given the robust relationship between ORF accuracy, ORF speed and RC, there is need for reading literacy instruction to attend to all these aspects of reading development and to assess them early and systematically so as to provide appropriate interventions for early remediation and to ensure growth in reading from one grade to the next.Contribution: This article contributes to the small but growing body of research on oral reading fluency and its relationship to reading comprehension in African primary schools.

Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension Performance in Elementary Schools: The Impact of Various Multimedia Animation Types

This research aims to examine the effect of multimedia animation-based instruction on 4th-grade elementary school students’ reading comprehension (RC) scores in Turkish stories. Elementary school emerges as a critical phase for enhancing RC proficiency among students. Unfortunately, children in pre- and elementary education and a substantial number of adolescents globally encounter difficulties with reading. In the study, a quasi-experimental research design with a post-test is used through two experimental (multimedia-based stories, one with audio narration and one with only subtitles) and two control groups. A total of 100 students attended the study from a public elementary school in a city located in the sought-east of Türkiye. Findings show that multimedia-based stories with either audio narrations or only subtitles are significantly more effective than the traditional instructional method in supporting students’ RC scores and motivation. Text difficulty is an important variable that negatively affects students’ RC scores; however, multimedia-based stories limit this effect and help the students. Moreover, teachers should consider the text type (content) if they plan to use multimedia-based instruction in their classrooms. Relations of the variables, such as text difficulty/difficulty levels, length of the text, and multimedia animation types, should be investigated for different text types.

Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension through Storytelling Frame

Reading is a basic skill that students must master and enjoy. Through reading, students can increase and improve their knowledge. However, reading is a challenging activity. Based on the observation, the author found that Elementary students in SDN 012 had low abilities in reading activities. This low reading ability has an impact on limited student participation in reading activities. Therefore, the author creates a story telling frame and stages of reading activities that can increase student participation in reading activities and improve students' reading skills. There were some stages done by the author. The first was designing a story telling frame, implementing reading activities with students, the second was using a story telling frame with students and teachers and the last was evaluating the story telling frame. The design of storytelling frame used square and round shape stainless in gold color. They were decorated with artificial flowers, dolls and cloth. The story telling frame was designed based on the theme of the story, which is “where is bear?”. There were 20 students who joined the story telling activity using the story telling frame. The pre-test and post-test on students’ reading comprehension revealed that students have better understanding on reading the text by using story telling frame.

The mediating effect of early literacy activities on the relationship between parents’ reading attitudes and reading comprehension among primary school students

The mediating effect of early literacy activities on the relationship between parents’ reading attitudes and reading comprehension among primary school students

Writing and reading workshop: impact on reading motivation, reading amount and text comprehension

AbstractThe article explores the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation, reading amount and the comprehension of narrative and expository texts in lower secondary school students. In addition, we intended to verify the effect on these variables of an educational programme, the writing and reading workshop (WRW), aimed at promoting students' love of reading and useful reading strategies. The sample included 149 children attending the first year of lower secondary school. A longitudinal design with two steps of data collection was used. In five classes, teachers applied the WRW; the same number of classes were enrolled as a control group and the teachers applied the Italian traditional teaching programme. The experimental group achieved better results in narrative text comprehension and in reading amount after 1 year. Reading amount was found to mediate the relationship between the instructional method and reading comprehension. No effects of the teaching method were found on either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation.

Computational Thinking in Developing Students’ Reading Comprehension Skill

Understanding and interpreting text is a crucial component of reading comprehension. This process might be hampered by several problems, which affect students' capacity to understand meaning. However, there are several strategies that can be applied regarding this issue. The first is using appropriate reading techniques, especially computational thinking. And the second is using visual aid. Students' understanding can be improved by using visual aids like graphic organizers or pictures to help them visualize ideas and relationships in the text. The purpose of this study was to produce a story mapping card as a visual aid that can help students understand English texts better. The development was carried out through the method of formulating problems, collecting data, designing products, validating designs, revising designs, conducting trials, drawing conclusions. The results of the study showed that the story mapping card was valid and ready to use. The results of the assessment of the story mapping card were an average of 4.5 with a very good category, the indicator of the benefits of the story mapping card for students got a total average value of 4.5 with a very good category and the indicator of ease of use of the story mapping card in the reading stage for teachers with a total average value of 4.4 with a very good category.

Exploring Factors Affecting Reading Culture of First-Year Students At A Selected Institution of Higher Learning In South Africa

Prior research has shown that academic reading poses a significant challenge for university students. One of the primary explanations is the lack of a positive reading culture among university students. Several studies have demonstrated the positive and negative effects of various factors on reading cultures. Notably, some studies indicate that university students do not read books regularly, and their cultural surroundings discourage them from doing so, often due to inadequate libraries and a lack of role models. Therefore, the current study sought to diagnose the factors affecting the reading culture of students at a specific institution of higher learning. The study employed a qualitative research approach, with a phenomenological research design deemed relevant. A targeted sample of 65 respondents was selected to answer an open-ended questionnaire. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the collected data. The results revealed that university students’ reading culture was influenced by factors such as limited English vocabulary, poor reading comprehension, lack of reading interest, and time constraints. These findings are expected to raise lecturers' awareness of the factors affecting their students' reading culture. This knowledge is crucial as it can inform the development of thoughtful interventions aimed at fostering a positive reading culture among students. Additionally, the study provides data that could enhance English lecturers' understanding of the challenges affecting their students' reading habits.

EFFECT OF MULTIMODAL LITERACY ON READING ABILITY OF INDONESIAN JAVANESE LEARNERS

Over the past few years, the use of multimodal literacy in education has emerged as an effective educational tool in language instruction worldwide. As a result, language instruction methods have been replaced by conventional instruction with multimodal literacy, which has the potential to enhance learners’ engagement and comprehension of reading, particularly Javanese script. This quasi-experimental study aims to determine the effect of using multimodal literacy on reading ability of Javanese script learners and to find out Javanese learners’ attitudes of using multimodal literacy on their reading ability. The sample included 72 language learners at a senior high school in central Java, Indonesia. The pretest and posttest mean scores in Javanese script reading ability between the control group and the experimental group were analysed. The results indicate that the use of multimodal literacy as an approach effectively enhances the ability and fluency of Javanese script reading in underperforming learners. Additionally, learners reported positive attitudes towards multimodal literacy. This study suggests that multimodal literacy may be integrated into the Javanese language curriculum as it is more relevant to students’ learning preferences, and it is more responsive to diverse learning modes.

Predicting Papiamento and Dutch reading comprehension development in a post-colonial context

Abstract The current research aims to predict L1 Papiamento and L2 Dutch reading comprehension development in 180 children in the upper primary grades (4–6) in a post-colonial Caribbean context from initial language of decoding instruction, cognitive and linguistic child characteristics, and linguistic transfer. Overall, children showed better reading comprehension proficiency in L1 as compared to L2 Dutch. Over the grades, strong autoregression effects in reading comprehension development in both languages were evidenced. Language of decoding instruction was found to predict L2 reading comprehension, but not L1 reading comprehension. The development of L2 reading comprehension showed better outcomes in the case of initial decoding instruction in L2. Word decoding, reading vocabulary, and grammar in respectively L1 and L2 were related to L1 and L2 reading comprehension in Grade 4, while L2 reading comprehension was additionally related to L2 basic oral vocabulary. Moreover, only reading vocabulary was related to L1 and L2 reading comprehension development across the grades. Finally, evidence of cross-linguistic interdependencies in the development of reading comprehension in L1 and L2 was found.

Teacher’s belief of metacognitive reading strategies and awareness in reading classrooms

While studies on students' application of reading strategies have gained prominence, there is a paucity of research on teachers. The study aims to investigate how teachers’ beliefs about metacognitive reading strategies impact their metacognitive awareness in reading classrooms. The samples involved 82 teachers from public secondary schools. This study used a quantitative research design. Research findings demonstrated that teachers significantly believed in and used metacognitive reading strategies, whereas a small number of teachers believed in them but did not implement them. The result of this study indicated that teachers possessed high metacognitive awareness levels while teaching reading comprehension. Analysis underscored the significance of implementing metacognitive reading strategies through a series of implications and suggestions. While some teachers believed in metacognitive reading strategies but did not use them, this study found that teachers believed in and employed them. Additionally, the study indicated that teachers exhibited high levels of metacognitive awareness during reading comprehension instruction, suggesting a strong understanding of their cognitive processes. Based on these results, the study suggests that reading classrooms should gradually use metacognitive reading strategies while taking into account the Malaysian English as a Second Language (ESL) context and traditional teaching methods. The implications of this research underscore the importance of fostering teachers' metacognitive awareness and strategically applying reading strategies to enhance student learning outcomes.

Exploring ChatGPT Practices and User Experiences in Learning English Skills

This study investigates the utilization of ChatGPT as a tool for enhancing English language proficiency, specifically targeting fluency, vocabulary acquisition, writing, reading comprehension, and listening skills. A survey was conducted to evaluate students' engagement with ChatGPT in their language learning practices. The results indicate that regular interaction with ChatGPT on diverse topics significantly improves language fluency and comprehension. Furthermore, the tool facilitates vocabulary expansion by introducing new words, along with their definitions, pronunciations, and contextual usage. In the realm of writing, ChatGPT supports the development of creative writing skills, such as story and poetry composition, while providing essential grammar feedback. The importance of grammar is emphasized, with students encouraged to practice using meaningful examples and correct errors. Additionally, the study underscores the role of ChatGPT in enhancing reading comprehension through summarization exercises and listening skills using conversation transcripts and pronunciation practice. The research also highlights ChatGPT's effectiveness in exam preparation by offering practice opportunities and feedback. Finally, the study emphasizes the tool’s role in deepening understanding of idiomatic expressions and cultural nuances, and its use in language games and interactive tests to reinforce language skills, positioning ChatGPT as a valuable resource for English learners.

From pages to practice: improving reading comprehension and learning strategies through physics learning

Abstract The study presents the effects of an educational intervention designed in the physics and Spanish classroom to encourage reading comprehension and learning strategies for meaningful learning. The intervention includes the reading of popular science books and group-level activities for solving a sequence of physics questions, conducted over an academic semester (2022) in a sample of 9th and 10th grade students from a secondary school in Chile. The study features a pre-experimental design with pre and post-tests to measure reading comprehension, learning strategies, student working networks during the intervention, and academic performance. Statistical comparisons show significant changes in reading comprehension, and improvements in learning strategies consistent with a transition towards strategic and meaningful learning orientations. Analysis of the collaboration networks allows us to understand these changes from a relational perspective, characterising subgroups and their development. These findings highlight the importance of reading exercises and group-level activities for human development, while social interactions offer alternative insights to understand the classroom experience.

The Affordances of Extensive Digital Social Reading for the EFL Classroom Analysis of the DigLit Book Club Project

Research has shown that extensive reading (ER) can promote students’ reading skills and motivation to read in an additional language. However, different pedagogical designs exist also including the use of technologies. In this article, we particularly look at the application of Digital Social Reading (DSR) to the extensive reading of Young Adult Literature (YAL) in English as a Foreign Language (FL). In our study, EFL students from Italy and Hungary were engaged in pre‑, during‑, and post‑reading activities based on the preferred novel on two digital platforms, Moodle and Glose for Education. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the students and the facilitators participating in the project to investigate their perceived affordances and challenges of extensive DSR and mobile digital reading. Results show that DSR can lead to positive gains in terms of motivation to read, comprehension, and deep reading. Furthermore, the study has revealed that mobile reading has both advantages and disadvantages that still need to be fully understood. Hence, pedagogical implications are drawn.