Reading Difficulties Research Articles

Advancing Dyslexia Assessment in Children through Computerized Testing.

The acquisition of reading skills is an intricate process that demands the cultivation of various domain-general and domain-specific abilities. Consequently, it is unsurprising that many children grapple with maintaining proficiency at the grade level, particularly when confronted with challenges spanning multiple abilities across both domains, as observed in individuals with reading difficulties. Strikingly, despite reading difficulties being among the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders affecting school-aged children, the majority of available diagnostic tools lack a comprehensive framework for assessing the full spectrum of cognitive skills linked to dyslexia, with minimal computerized options. Notably, there are currently limited tools with these features available for Spanish-speaking children. The aim of this study was to delineate the protocol for diagnosing Spanish-speaking children with reading difficulties using the Sicole-R multimedia battery. This tool for elementary grades focuses on evaluating cognitive skills that are associated with dyslexia as prescribed by the scientific literature. Specifically, it concentrates on assessing a range of cognitive abilities that studies have demonstrated to be linked to dyslexia. This focus is based on the observation that individuals with dyslexia typically exhibit deficits in several of the cognitive areas evaluated by this digital tool. The robust internal consistency and multidimensional internal structure of the battery were demonstrated. This multimedia battery has proven to be a fitting tool for diagnosing children with reading difficulties in primary education, offering a comprehensive cognitive profile that is valuable not only for diagnostic purposes but also for tailoring individualized instructional plans.

Dyslexia: Implications for Chemistry Teaching

Dyslexia is probably the best-known specific learning difficulty. For many people it is simply known as a reading disorder, even though it is a much more complex problem. It usually has a noticeable negative impact on pupils' school performance, although many dyslexics can have excellent space imagination and ability to solve complex problems. Many publications have been written about dyslexia. The most of them deal with its medical and psychological aspects or they are trying to help dyslexics to read. A significantly smaller number of scientific papers is focused on help with specific school subjects. Among them, the predominant effort is to help the pupils with foreign languages study. Only extremely small number of studies is focused on dyslexia and science subjects (for instance chemistry). The aim of our article was to create an overview of information published in scientific literature, focused on dyslexia and teaching chemistry. Our hypothesis, based on our study of scientific articles on dyslexia and on our experience with a very limited number of cooperating pupils/students with dyslexia, or with their teachers, is as follows: dyslexia is usually found during the initial reading practice. However, reading can usually be gradually practiced to an acceptable level. That is why some teachers think incorrectly that 14 years old pupils have already "overcome dyslexia" and that they can work within science subjects in the same way as the other pupils. However, dyslexics might differ from the population in the way how they work with their memory. They might need much longer time to memorize. For example, a "simple" memorizing the symbols and names of chemical elements can be an extremely difficult and time-consuming task for them. The dyslexics might greatly appreciate visualizations (experiments, pictures, showing real chemical substances, models, videos). The reason might be not the reading problem itself, but the way of thinking (the need of a "translation" from words into reality). They might profit from a clearly structured explanation including clear output requirements. On the other hand, many of them are creative and have a good (even above average) ability to solve complex problems. Techniques that help dyslexics help all pupils/students.

Augmented reality books: in-depth insights into children's reading engagement.

Children's reading engagement is associated with the quality of their reading experiences and outcomes; however, research to date has only examined children's reading engagement within the context of traditional print books or digital texts. Augmented Reality represents a hybrid reading experience, where traditional paper books are augmented with digital features (e.g., animations, sounds, comprehension questions). This is the first study to examine children's perspectives and experiences of AR books, within the context of reading engagement. In total, 38 demographically diverse children (aged 8-10, 21 male, 17 English as an Additional Language, 14 ethnicities, nine with teacher-reported reading difficulties) from the UK participated. After reading an AR book, children participated in interviews about their reading engagement. Deductive (themes) and inductive (subthemes) approaches to thematic analysis were used, examining children's AR reading experiences within the context of their behavioral, cognitive, affective and social engagement. The majority of children found AR books easy to use, and provided examples of how AR books supported their behavioral engagement (e.g., desire to read more/extend reading practices), altered their cognitive engagement (e.g., reading strategies, visual representation/use of imagination, comprehension monitoring), influenced their affective engagement: (e.g., diverse positive feelings), and social engagement (e.g., prompted interaction and discussion), providing examples suggesting similarities and differences with traditional print books. This paper provides novel in-depth insights into children's perspectives and experiences of AR books, and provides a foundation for researchers, educators, and AR book designers interested in better supporting children's reading experiences and outcomes with AR books.

Assessment of silent reading ability among glaucoma patients using an eye tracking system with horizontally scrolling text.

There have been many reports suggesting that glaucoma patients with visual field defects may have decreased silent reading ability compared with individuals without glaucoma. This study used an eye tracking system to assess the ability of glaucoma patients to silently read horizontally scrolling text. Glaucoma patients who met the following criteria were recruited: age of ≤ 70 years, at least one eye with a 10 - 2 threshold on standard automated perimetry, a mean deviation value of n 4.0 dB or less, and corrected decimal visual acuity of 0.7 or better in both eyes. Using heat map images created from data from an eye tracking system operating during presentation of a video in which a sentence scrolled horizontally from right to left, reading time, average gaze position, and average fixation time (AFT) were compared between normal eyes (23 individuals, 46 eyes) and glaucomatous eyes (25 patients, 45 eyes). Four styles of sentences (large slow, large fast, small slow, and small fast) were scrolled in the top or bottom sections of the screen. Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most common type of glaucoma in 34 eyes (75.6%), followed by secondary glaucoma in six eyes (13.3%). In comparison with normal eyes, the reading time among right eyes was significantly longer in glaucomatous eyes when reading large fast text that was shown in the bottom area and left glaucomatous eyes showed a leftward shift in gaze position in the top, bottom, or both sections with all four sentence types. There was no significant difference in AFT between glaucomatous and normal eyes across the four sentence styles. In the left eye with inferior visual field loss, text presented at the top consistently showed a correlation with leftward shift of the gaze position across all scenarios. Glaucoma patients with central visual field defects in their left eyes may experience greater difficulty reading horizontally scrolling text than individuals with normal eyes.

Orthographic influences on phonological processing in children with and without reading difficulties: an eye-tracking study

AbstractPhonological processing is an important contributor to decoding and spelling difficulties, but it does not fully explain word reading outcomes for all children. As orthographic knowledge is acquired, it influences phonological processing in typical readers. In the present study, we examined whether orthography affects phonological processing differently for children with current reading difficulties (RD), children with a history of reading difficulties who are currently presenting with typical word reading skills (Hx), and children with typical development and no history of reading difficulties (TD). School-aged children completed a phonological awareness task containing spoken words and pictures while eye movements were recorded. In this task, children had to pair a spoken stimulus word with one of four pictures that ended with the same sound. Within the task, stimulus-target picture pairs varied in the congruency and consistency of the orthographic and phonological mappings of their final consonant sounds. Eye movements revealed that children with typical word reading (the Hx and TD groups) showed better discrimination of the target from the foils compared to peers with underdeveloped word reading skills. All children were more accurate when stimulus-target pairs were congruent and consistent than when they were incongruent or inconsistent. Orthography plays an important role in the completion of phonological awareness tasks, even in the absence of written words and for children with a wide range of reading abilities. Results highlight the importance of considering orthography during interventions for phonological awareness and word reading.

IDENTIFICATION OF BEGINNING READING DIFFICULTIES IN CLASS II PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

This research aims to determine: 1) the difficulties faced by students in beginning reading, 2) teachers' efforts to overcome students' beginning reading difficulties, and 3) factors that cause difficulties in beginning reading. This research uses a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design. The research subjects were 14 students in class II of SD Inpres Bumi Sagu. Data was collected using observation, interviews and document study techniques. The data analysis used is data condensation, data presentation and drawing conclusions/verification. The results of this research show that the difficulties experienced by students in beginning reading are that they do not know letters, are slow in reading, students cannot yet read, letters and words are often confused, and have difficulty spelling. The factors that cause students to experience difficulty in reading at the beginning are internal factors which include the child's psychology and external factors, namely the family environment and the learning environment at school. The teacher's efforts to overcome this problem are by applying the EGRA teaching method, spelling method, sound method (phonic), syllabic method (silabel) and the method of the word institution.

Improving Students’ Reading Comprehension By Using the Orthographic Method for Elementary Students’

Unfortunately, many people experience reading difficulties, affecting their educational attainment and overall quality of life. Addressing this challenge has been a focus of researchers, educators and policymakers for decades. This research aims to determine the impact of the orthographic method on the development of reading comprehension in grade 4 students. The research design used was a pre-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test research design. Researchers used quantitative research methods with a pre-experimental planning strategy to determine the influence of the Orthographic Method on students' inspiration to learn English comprehension. A total of 40 sample students were selected as the sample for this research. The main components of data collection techniques are tests that are used to evaluate students' progress towards learning goals and their abilities can be seen as an evaluation tool in this context. The researchers used a research method called one-group pre-tested posttest design and compared the differences between the pretest and posttest. The results of this research there is a significant improvement in teaching using the orthographic method on students' reading comprehension in test subjects. This means that the Orthographic method activates students' existing knowledge about the topic, provides opportunities for the topic and gives students the opportunity to engage with the topic

Investigating the neurodevelopmental correlates of early adolescent-onset emotional problems

BackgroundEmotional problems (EPs) increase sharply after mid-adolescence. Earlier EPs are associated with poorer long-term outcomes, and their underlying mechanisms may differ to later-onset EPs. Given an established relationship between ADHD, autism, and later depression, we aimed to examine associations between neurodevelopmental conditions and correlates and early adolescent-onset EPs. MethodsAdolescents in two UK population cohorts, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), were included. Individuals scoring >6 on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) emotional problems subscale between ages 11–14 were defined as having early adolescent-onset EP, whilst those scoring >6 for the first time at 16–25 were defined as having later-onset EP. We tested associations between early adolescent-onset EP (total cases = 887, controls = 19,582) and ICD-10/DSM-5 neurodevelopmental conditions and known correlates, including: sex, birth complications, low cognitive ability, special educational needs (SEND), and epilepsy. Analyses were conducted separately in ALSPAC and MCS then meta-analysed. ResultsIn the meta-analysis of both cohorts, early adolescent-onset EPs were associated with female sex and greater likelihood of low cognitive ability, SEND, autism, ADHD, and reading difficulties. Compared to later-onset EP, early adolescent-onset EPs were associated with male sex, low cognitive ability, SEND, epilepsy, ASD, ADHD, and reading difficulties. LimitationsA clinical definition of depression/anxiety was available only in ALSPAC, instead we primarily defined EP via questionnaires, which capture a broader phenotype. ConclusionsIndividuals with early adolescent-onset EP are likely to have a co-occurring neurodevelopmental condition. Clinicians should consider assessing for neurodevelopmental conditions in young adolescents with EPs.

Alpha sensory stimulation modulates theta phase during speech-print associative learning

Applying 10 Hz (α-rate) sensory stimulation, not 5 Hz (θ-rate), prior to introducing novel speech-print pairs can reset the phase of θ oscillations and enhance associative learning. This rapid gain indicates coordinated mechanisms to regulate attentional/cognitive resources (α oscillations) and facilitate memory storage (θ oscillations) early in learning. The present findings may inform educational practices for children with reading difficulties.

BERT-Inspired Progressive Stacking to Enhance Spelling Correction in Bengali Text

Common spelling checks in the current digital era have trouble reading languages such as Bengali, which employ English letters differently. In response, we have created a better Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT)–based spell checker that makes use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) sub-model (Semantic Network). Our novelty, which we term progressive stacking , concentrates on improving BERT model training while expediting the corrective process. We discovered that, when comparing shallow and deep versions, deeper models could require less training time. There is potential for improving spelling corrections with this technique. We categorized and utilized as a test set a 6,300-word dataset that Nayadiganta Mohiuddin supplied, some of which had spelling errors. The most popular terms were the same as those found in the Prothom-Alo artificial error dataset.

Automatic Morphological Processing in Middle School Students with and without Word Reading Difficulties

Morphological processing is the use of morphological structure during word reading. This study investigated whether middle school students applied morphological structure automatically when reading words. In addition, this study asked whether students with word reading difficulties (WRD) applied morphological structure in a way that differed from proficient word readers. Participants were seventh- and eighth-grade students (n = 80). Students were divided into two reading ability groups: proficient word readers (n = 55) and students with word reading difficulties (n = 25). Four computer-administered experimental tasks measured automaticity in reading morphologically complex words and morphologically simple words. A backward masking measure assessed whether students were applying morphological structure automatically to support task accuracy. Students were significantly more accurate in masked performance with morphologically complex words than with morphologically simple words on an oral word reading task. Students with WRD benefitted more from morphological structure on this task than proficient readers did. Findings suggest that proficient word readers and students with WRD automatically apply morphological structure when reading words aloud. In addition, middle school students with WRD may rely more on morphological structure than their proficient peers. However, there may be differences in morphological processing based on the nature of word reading tasks.

The Importance of Tutoring Activities in Reducing Student Learning Difficulties in an Elementary School Environment

The number of children who experience difficulties in learning causes children not to develop according to their capacity. This is usually due to interference, both from internal student factors which are limited to intelligence factors and external student factors. There are two types of learning difficulties, namely pre-academic learning difficulties including: motor and perceptual disorders, cognitive learning difficulties, language development disorders, and difficulties in completing social behavior. While academic learning difficulties include difficulties in reading, writing, and arithmetic. In overcoming these problems, it is important to conduct tutoring in reducing student learning difficulties in the elementary school environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the description of the implementation of tutoring services in reducing the learning difficulties of elementary school students in Amparita village. The research location is Independent Tutoring in Amparita Village. This selection is related to the characteristics of the research subjects, namely tutoring mentors who have a Bachelor of Education background who have implemented tutoring services. The research method used a qualitative descriptive research approach. Data collection techniques were carried out by observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The result of the research is that the implementation of tutoring services can help students reduce learning difficulties. The tutoring services provided are integrated with the subject matter (when learning takes place), so that no specific service material is prepared but the mentor provides students with material according to the lessons at school. In its implementation, sometimes the mentor provides it with a cooperative learning model so that students can learn from each other and share with other students to achieve the goals of a particular learning. The success of the implementation of tutoring services in reducing learning difficulties is that students show an increased interest in learning, do and collect assignments on time and can concentrate by paying attention to the subject matter provided by the teacher.

Perspectives of Teachers on Learning: A Glance on the Reading Proficiency of Kindergarten Learners

This study aimed to describe the experiences of kindergarten teachers in regards to the reading problem issue of kindergarten learners in Samal District, Island Garden City of Samal. The participants were the ten kindergarten teachers, utilizing phenomenological design to explore their challenges, perceived coping mechanisms on the issue and insights. A semi- structured interview guide was used to gather the data. Ethical considerations were observed in data collection. Thematic content analysis was used to extract the themes. The findings were: were poor background knowledge, low phonological awareness skills, local language diversity, limited exposure to reading materials, engagement and attention span struggles, and economic scarcity are the main challenges; the identified teachers’ perception on the reading situations of students in coping with the issues are use of differentiated instruction, individualized support, continuous assessment and monitoring, and collaborative efforts; and importance of early intervention, recognition of learners’ diversity, continual assessment and improvement, family and community engagement, and teacher’s professional development are the insights drawn. The recommendation included allocating resources, funding, and support services by the Department of Education specifically targeted at addressing early literacy disparities and improving outcomes for students at risk of reading difficulties.

A Family-Based Intervention for Early Elementary Students With Reading and Behavioral Difficulties: A Pilot Study.

We created and tested a family-based intervention with families of children in Grades 1 and 2 with reading and behavioral difficulties to investigate its impact on text comprehension. Developed with input from parents, reading experts, and behavior specialists, Family-RISE (Reading Intervention with Supports for Engagement) integrates evidence-based practices for enhancing students' knowledge of narrative texts with effective behavioral supports to maximize student engagement and minimize disruptive behaviors to help parents engage successfully in shared storybook reading. We assessed the effects of Family-RISE on children's narrative text comprehension using a multiple-baseline design. A functional relation was established between Family-RISE and narrative text comprehension, indicating Family-RISE substantially improved narrative text comprehension. Furthermore, nonoverlap of all pairs, Tau-U, and standard mean difference effect sizes were all considered large in favor of the intervention. Family members reported that the intervention was highly usable, feasible to implement, and socially valid. These findings underscore the promise of the Family-RISE intervention and the value of developing interventions that simultaneously support reading and behavior for children with co-occurring difficulties in these areas.

The Effectiveness of Utilizing of the Interactive Reading Approach in Teaching English Language to Grade-7 Learners

Reading is the most challenging macro skill that almost every individual encounters. Hence, the process of learning to read is intricate and multidimensional, requiring the use of multiple subskills connected to speech. Thus, a quantitative quasi experimental method was conducted that aimed to help grade 7 students in Depot Ancestral Domain National High School by conducting a pre-test through Phil-IRI questionnaires mandated by DepEd. Based from the data gathered, it revealed the reading difficulties of grade-7 learners which means these students really need assistance in the field of reading fluency and comprehension. Consequently, utilizing of interactive reading approach in teaching English has a big impact to provide appropriate reading intervention for grade-7 learners in Depot Ancestral Domain National High School. Such as spelling, story-telling, pair reading, chorale reading, writing new vocabulary, solo reading, chain story, reading aloud, making sentences, and role playing. Furthermore, based from their mean post-test result, it showed that their scores reached the standard of Phil- IRI implemented by DepEd. Therefore, such interactive reading approach interventions can quite annihilate reading fluency and comprehension difficulties of grade-7 learners.

The Hemianopia Reading Questionnaire (HRQ): Development and Psychometric Qualities in a Large Community Sample.

The ability to read is important for daily life functioning. Individuals with homonymous visual field defects (iwHs) after brain injury experience frequent reading difficulties. The current study presents a novel self-report questionnaire aimed at measuring the wide variety of reading difficulties iwHs can experience: the Hemianopia Reading Questionnaire (HRQ). The 24-item HRQ was developed with help from clinical experts and experts by experience and was inspired by existing reading questionnaires for adults. The three tested subscales of the HRQ assess the relationship to reading, reading skills and daily life functional reading. The factor structure, reliability, convergent validity and divergent validity were examined in a large community sample (i.e., individuals without homonymous visual field defects) with a comparable distribution of age, gender and level of education to those who have suffered a stroke (N = 998). Two competing hypothesized models were tested and a good fit was found for a three-bifactor model of the HRQ. The reliability of the three subscales was found to be good (ω range 0.93-0.99), as well as the convergent and divergent validity (9 out of 12 Spearman's correlations, according to expectations). The results support further use of the HRQ in iwHs, especially in the context of reading rehabilitation. Suggestions for clinical and scientific use and future psychometric research on the HRQ are provided.

Sekolah versus madrasah: navigating the varied effects of multilevel factors on student English reading performance.

ABSTRACT This study examines multilevel factors shaping Indonesian student performances attending non-madrasah/sekolah and madrasah schools. Using multistratified sample design and grouped based on their school system, data from 30 schools, 64 teachers, and 1,319 students were analysed. Focusing on student, teacher, and school-level variables, hierarchical linear modelling revealed that reading difficulties and anxiety, along with school climates emphasizing achievement pressure and discipline, significantly influenced reading outcomes in both groups. Students grappling with heightened learning complexities and anxiety faced the greatest challenges. Interestingly, madrasah students thrived within competitive environments emphasizing high achievement pressure and minimal disciplinary constraints, while sekolah students who excelled in settings that valued discipline over relentless achievement pressure performed better. Unique influences emerged: peer relationships and anxiety directly affected reading scores in sekolah, while gender was the sole predictor in madrasah. Interaction effects among these multilevel factors in shaping student reading achievement across diverse educational settings were revealed.

Analisis Implementasi Program Klinik Literasi GEDEBUK dalam Meningkatkan Kemampuan Literasi Siswa pada Kurikulum Merdeka

Purpose – This research aims to identify student literacy problems at SDN 4 Kedungcino and analyze the implementation of the GEDEBUK literacy clinic program.Method – This study used descriptive qualitative method. An approach that aims to describe subjects related to the conditions observed and data collection techniques in this research through the process of observation, interviews and documentation. This research was conducted at SDN 4 Kedungcino. Checking the validity of data from observations, interviews and documentation uses triangulation, where the collected data is analyzed through data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions.Findings – The research results show that after the implementation of the GEDEBUK literacy clinic program, students' literacy skills have improved. The impact of implementing this program is that students who previously still had difficulty reading are now starting to be able to read books independently fluently, then students who are still in the reading comprehension stage are now able to tell stories well according to the understanding of the books they read. The existence of this literacy program also makes the school library active again. Research Implications – The research provides important insights for improving literacy in elementary schools. However, further improvements need to be made regarding adequate literacy facilities so that the literacy program can be implemented well and optimally.

Investigating Methods and Approaches in Teaching Reading Skills in Sepedi Home Language to Foundation Phase Learners: Primary School in the Capricorn South District

Research shows that South African learners cannot read competently compared to those from other countries. This study investigates the different methods and approaches used in the teaching of reading skills in Sepedi Home Language in Foundation Phase learners with special focus on a primary school in Limpopo Province of South Africa. The research study sought to understand how teachers apply the different methods and approaches in teaching reading in the Foundation Phase so that learners are able to acquire the skills taught. A qualitative research method was used for data collection, in particular interviews and lesson observation. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants in the study, which were the teachers and learners. Thematic analysis was used to analyse all the datasets gathered in this study. Key findings include the following: Learners have varied reading opportunities at school; they have a fairly adequate reading opportunity at home; they were generally dissatisfied with the overall reading time allowed at school; Foundation Phase teachers have a fair understanding of what teaching reading skills entail; current methods used for teaching reading are inadequate; difficulties of teaching reading to non-Sepedi speaking learners; Departmental Heads provide useful support to teachers; and that there is a need to improve the reading skills of Foundation Phase learners. The study recommends that the Departmental officials should schedule regular workshops and do class visits in Foundation Phase for monitoring and supporting teachers in order for them to improve their teaching of reading; teachers need to make sure that they prioritise reading by engaging learners to participate in various activities that involve reading, and that learners should have access to the reading books that they use at school even at home, so that they could practise reading.

Unique longitudinal contributions of sulcal interruptions to reading acquisition in children.

A growing body of literature indicates strong associations between indentations of the cerebral cortex (i.e., sulci) and individual differences in cognitive performance. Interruptions, or gaps, of sulci (historically known as pli de passage) are particularly intriguing as previous work suggests that these interruptions have a causal effect on cognitive development. Here, we tested how the presence and morphology of sulcal interruptions in the left posterior occipitotemporal sulcus (pOTS) longitudinally impact the development of a culturally-acquired skill: reading. Forty-three children were successfully followed from age 5 in kindergarten, at the onset of literacy instruction, to ages 7 and 8 with assessments of cognitive, pre-literacy, and literacy skills, as well as MRI anatomical scans at ages 5 and 8. Crucially, we demonstrate that the presence of a left pOTS gap at 5 years is a specific and robust longitudinal predictor of better future reading skills in children, with large observed benefits on reading behavior ranging from letter knowledge to reading comprehension. The effect of left pOTS interruptions on reading acquisition accumulated through time, and was larger than the impact of benchmark cognitive and familial predictors of reading ability and disability. Finally, we show that increased local U-fiber white matter connectivity associated with such sulcal interruptions possibly underlie these behavioral benefits, by providing a computational advantage. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative evidence supporting a potential integrative gray-white matter mechanism underlying the cognitive benefits of macro-anatomical differences in sulcal morphology related to longitudinal improvements in a culturally-acquired skill.