Reading Efficiency Research Articles

Effectiveness of a Three-Step Decoding Strategy with Constant Time-Delay to Teach Word Reading to Students with Mild and Moderate Intellectual Disability

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a three-step decoding strategy with constant time delay on teaching and acquisition of decoding and word reading skills to four students with mild and moderate intellectual disability and to measure the generalization of those skills to untaught words. A multiple probe design across participants was used to examine the percentage of sounds correctly decoded and words correctly read. The results indicate that all four participants learned to decode and read words using the two strategies. Furthermore, all participants showed an increased learning efficiency in decoding and reading when teaching the second set of similar words. Generalization data showed that only two participants were able to decode and read some of the new words before teaching them, while all participants' ability to decode the letters of the new words was improved. Keywords: Reading, Phonics, Three-step decoding, Time delay, Intellectual disability

The role of perceptual and word identification spans in reading efficiency: Evidence from hearing and deaf readers.

Theories of reading posit that decisions about "where" and "when" to move the eyes are driven by visual and linguistic factors, extracted from the perceptual span and word identification span, respectively. We tested this hypothesized dissociation by masking, outside of a visible window, either the spaces between the words (to assess the perceptual span, Experiment 1) or the letters within the words (to assess the word identification span, Experiment 2). We also investigated whether deaf readers' previously reported larger reading span was specifically linked to one of these spans. We analyzed reading rate to test overall reading efficiency, as well as average saccade length to test "where" decisions and average fixation duration to test "when" decisions. Both hearing and deaf readers' perceptual spans extended between 10 and 14 characters, and their word identification spans extended to eight characters to the right of fixation. Despite similar sized rightward spans, deaf readers read more efficiently overall and showed a larger increase in reading rate when leftward text was available, suggesting they attend more to leftward information. Neither rightward span was specifically related to where or when decisions for either group. Our results challenge the assumed dissociation between type of reading span and type of saccade decision and indicate that reading efficiency requires access to both perceptual and linguistic information in the parafovea. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Pronunciation of Vowel Digraphs in Nonwords: A Replication and Extension.

In English, the pronunciation of a vowel digraph can vary; for example, ea is pronounced /ɛ/ in bread but /i/ in beach and /eɪ/ in break. We investigated participant-level effects on the pronunciation of ambiguous vowel digraphs in nonwords (e.g., yeath) using standardized test measures of six reading-related skills in 80 young adults. We employed both an established written task and set of nonword stimuli and a spoken version of the task with the same stimuli. We largely replicated the previously reported pattern of preferred nonword pronunciations in both the written and spoken versions of the task. Generalized linear mixed-effects model analyses revealed that individual differences in phonological memory, spelling knowledge, and word reading efficiency contributed to pronunciation choice beyond item-level effects. Overall, taken together with the results of item-level analyses, our findings are consistent with models and theories in which specific reading-related skills, intralexical context, and interlexical pronunciation knowledge influence ambiguous vowel digraph pronunciation in nonword reading in fluently reading young adults.

Impact of nitrogen and potassium management on growth, nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiency of rice under semi dry condition

The current study was aimed to search effect of nitrogen doses and time of application on performance of semi dry rice. The field experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture,(V. C. Farm), Mandya, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru during kharif 2019 and 2020, which comes under Southern Dry Zone of Karnataka (Zone-VI) to study the response of semi dry rice on growth and nutrient use efficiency under two doses of nitrogen and potassium doses (100% RDNK, 125%RDNK) as main treatments and seven time of application as sub treatments.The result revealed that higher SPAD meter reading (37.77) and nutrient uptake (77.90, 27.98 and 24.14 kg ha-1)was seen in 125% RDNK and higher nitrogen and potassium use efficiency was observed in 100%RDNK (49.30, and 98.59 kg kg-1 nutrient applied respectively). Where as in split application, higher SPAD meter reading (38.90), nutrient uptake (81.82, 29.57 and 25.35kg ha-1)and nutrient use efficiency (49.86, 11.33 and 99.73 kg kg-1 nutrient applied respectively) was recorded in N at 4 splits as, 25% each at sowing, early tillering, tillering and panicle initiation, K at 2 splits (50% at basal and 50% at panicle initiation) compared to rest of the application. Hence application of application of 125% RDNK, N at 4 splits as, 25% each at sowing, early tillering, tillering and panicle initiation, K at 2 splits (50% at basal and 50% at panicle initiation) is the appropriate time for rice production Southern Dry Zone of Karnataka.

Readers with trait anxiety have poor reading efficiency: evidence from the perceptual span in Chinese reading

Readers with trait anxiety have poor reading efficiency: evidence from the perceptual span in Chinese reading

The Effect of Visual Word Segmentation Cues in Tibetan Reading.

In languages with within-word segmentation cues, the removal or replacement of these cues in a text hinders reading and lexical recognition, and adversely affects saccade target selection during reading. However, the outcome of artificially introducing visual word segmentation cues into a language that lacks them is unknown. Tibetan exemplifies a language that does not provide visual cues for word segmentation, relying solely on visual cues for morpheme segmentation. Moreover, previous studies have not examined word segmentation in the Tibetan language. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of artificially incorporated visual word segmentation cues and basic units of information processing in Tibetan reading. We used eye-tracking technology and conducted two experiments with Tibetan sentences that artificially incorporated interword spaces and color alternation markings as visual segmentation cues. The results indicated that interword spaces facilitate reading and lexical recognition and aid in saccade target selection during reading. Color alternation markings facilitate reading and vocabulary recognition but do not affect saccade selection. Words are more likely to be the basic units of information processing and exhibit greater psychological reality than morphemes. These findings shed light on the nature and rules of Tibetan reading and provide fundamental data to improve eye movement control models for reading alphabetic writing systems. Furthermore, our results may offer practical guidance and a scientific basis for improving the efficiency of reading, information processing, and word segmentation in Tibetan reading.

Research on Strategies for Improving English-Chinese Bilingual Reading Ability of College English Majors

The bilingual reading ability of College English majors is an important indicator to measure their English proficiency, which is of great significance for improving their cross-cultural communication skills and international competitiveness. However, in the actual teaching process, many students often have difficulties in reading comprehension, which affects their reading efficiency and comprehension quality. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect the bilingual reading ability of English majors in universities is of great significance for developing effective teaching strategies and improving students' reading ability. This study has identified strategies for improving the bilingual reading ability of English major students in universities through investigation and analysis, in order to serve English major teaching in universities.

Cognitive enhancement through technology: A review of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) interventions in children and adolescents with specific learning disabilities.

In recent years, the exploration of innovative interventions for addressing problems of children and adolescents with specific learning disabilities (SLD) has garnered significant attention within the realm of neurocognitive research. Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing cognitive skills in children, offering a non-invasive and safe method that may particularly benefit those with learning difficulties. We aimed to appraise the extent and the quality of studies about impact of TES on cognitive skills including academic skills in children and adolescents with SLD. A literature search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles published between January 2000 and January 2024 were searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The study eligibility criteria were previously established according to the PICO model. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and Cochrane Collaboration tool (ROB2) were used to assess the methodological quality and the risk of bias of the included studies, respectively. The initial search yielded 1571 studies among which 30 studies were systematically reviewed. The total number of participants was 224 individuals (intervention: 114; control: 110). Findings showed significant improvements in reading skills such as text reading, high-frequency word reading speed and efficiency and mathematical skills. Conversely, other cognitive skills such as working memory were not improved in people with dyslexia and dyscalculia. TES interventions can positively affect cognitive skills in children and adolescents with SLD; However, due to the small number of studies, medium methodological quality and high risk of bias, caution should be taken when interpreting the results.

Dynamic Interaction Between Text Characteristics, Order and Time of Assessment on Bilingual Student Reading Efficiency in Spanish and in English

In this study, we examine the dynamic interaction between (a) text characteristics such as genre, number of multisyllabic words, order of texts, and time of assessment (i.e., beginning, middle, or end of the school year), and (b) student fluency described here as text reading efficiency (TRE; Kim et al., 2021) in Spanish and in English. TRE is operationalized as words read correct per minute (WCPM). Participants were 817 s grade Spanish native speakers attending different types of bilingual programs. To examine the interaction of text characteristics and TRE, we first equated texts and then ran a series of mixed effects models. We also examined text characteristics descriptively. Findings indicated that, in general, text characteristics, order of texts, and different timepoints had a significant effect on students’ TRE. Although a clear pattern of differences between texts within and across languages did not emerge, regardless of language, students read fewer words in texts in the beginning of the year than in the middle and at the end of the year. Spanish texts included more multisyllabic words than did English texts, which could explain, in part, lower WCPM in Spanish than in English. Impact Statement Words read correct per minute (WCPM) is considered a reliable indicator of students’ reading fluency and comprehension in the early grades in Spanish and in English. Given potential differences in text characteristics and in the time of assessment (i.e., beginning, middle, or end of the school year), equating texts and examining their differences in Spanish and in English can lead to more accurate and effective identification and support for a student population that is increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse.

Targeting Phonology or Semantics to Improve Reading Aloud Response Times and Accuracy: A Case Series Investigation of Stroke Survivors With Aphasia.

Acquired reading deficits, or alexia, affect a significant proportion of individuals with aphasia. We sought to improve treatment for alexia by targeting specific cognitive information-processing components critical to reading (i.e., phonology or semantics). To target either phonological or semantic processing, we administered two anomia treatments, phonomotor treatment (PMT) and semantic feature analysis, modified to include a focus on reading throughout the therapy. Chronic left-hemisphere stroke survivors (N = 5) completed one or two 60-hr treatment rounds. Based on predictions from a computational reading model, three participants received the treatment recommended for their specific reading challenges (e.g., PMT for phonological deficits), while two participants had the nonrecommended treatment first, followed by the recommended model-matched treatment. Changes in reading aloud accuracy and response times (RTs) from before to after treatment were examined as a function of matching treatment to the deficit profile, type of treatment, therapy round, and word characteristics. Participants' reading aloud accuracy improved after treatment relative to baseline with higher accuracy for high-frequency words and shorter words. After the first treatment round, participants' accuracy and RT improved, irrespective of whether treatment was matched to the deficit profile. Furthermore, participants who completed the second treatment round continued achieving accuracy gains. Following treatment, participants demonstrated enhanced reading efficiency and generalized improvements on the selected sections of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test. While larger studies are needed to test for the effects of matching treatment type to the deficit profile, we conclude that treatments targeting specific information-processing components can effectively improve reading. Doubling the treatment dose offers small but significant gains. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26517319.

Pointer Meter Reading Method Based on YOLOv8 and Improved LinkNet.

In order to improve the reading efficiency of pointer meter, this paper proposes a reading method based on LinkNet. Firstly, the meter dial area is detected using YOLOv8. Subsequently, the detected images are fed into the improved LinkNet segmentation network. In this network, we replace traditional convolution with partial convolution, which reduces the number of model parameters while ensuring accuracy is not affected. Remove one pair of encoding and decoding modules to further compress the model size. In the feature fusion part of the model, the CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) attention module is added and the direct summing operation is replaced by the AFF (Attention Feature Fusion) module, which enhances the feature extraction capability of the model for the segmented target. In the subsequent rotation correction section, this paper effectively addresses the issue of inaccurate prediction by CNN networks for axisymmetric images within the 0-360° range, by dividing the rotation angle prediction into classification and regression steps. It ensures that the final reading part receives the correct angle of image input, thereby improving the accuracy of the overall reading algorithm. The final experimental results indicate that our proposed reading method has a mean absolute error of 0.20 and a frame rate of 15.

The Effect of Health Literacy in Women on Their Level Of Knowledge About Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Their Risk of Diabetes

Background: Health literacy is important not only for reading efficiency but also for early diagnosis of diseases and risk awareness. Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of health literacy on the level of knowledge of women regarding cardiovascular disease risk factors and their risk of developing diabetes. Method: The study employs a cross-sectional design. The research sample consists of 300 women. The data was collected by face-to-face survey method between January and July 2021. A Personal Information Form, the Turkish Health Literacy Scale-32 (THLS-32), the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Knowledge Level (CARRF-KL) Scale and the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) Questionnaire were used in the study. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to evaluate the data. Results: It was determined that one third of the women had inadequate THLS-32 scores and that their mean CARRF-KL and FINDRISC scores were moderate. The mean THLS-32 scale scores of those with a low education level and poor health perception were found to be lower (p

Enhancing reading speed: the reading acceleration effect in Italian adult readers.

Enhancing reading efficiency is of paramount importance in various academic, professional and clinical domains. Previous research, mostly from a single laboratory, has shown that externally imposed time constraints by means of text fading can enhance reading fluency in children and adults with varying reading abilities and in different languages. In the present study, we aimed at replicating and extending previous results in Italian readers. Three experiments (N = 90) were conducted: (i) to investigate the effects of continuous fading compared to character-wise fading, (ii) to investigate the influence of enlarged inter-letter spacing on reading acceleration outcomes, and (iii) to probe whether reading gains can be reliably observed off-line (after the acceleration) by comparing accelerated reading with an analog non-accelerated procedure. Overall, results corroborate previous findings revealing that participants read 40% faster during the reading acceleration procedure, while maintaining the same accuracy levels. Continuous fading proved to be more effective than character-wise fading in enhancing reading speed, while larger inter-letter spacing did not significantly affect the reading speed gain. Albeit the non-clinical nature of our sample and its numerosity circumscribe the potential generalization, taking into account individual differences in the initial reading time, data suggests that reading acceleration leads to larger off-line speed increments with respect to non-accelerated reading. Taken together, these findings offer valuable insights for the future application of reading acceleration procedures as part of multisession training programs for improving reading proficiency in a diverse range of clinical and non-clinical populations.

Use of Schema Theory in the Teaching of English Reading Comprehension in Senior High School

This paper examines the use of schema theory in enhancing English reading comprehension in senior high school students. Schema theory, a cognitive psychology framework, emphasizes that readers’ prior knowledge and experiences play a crucial role in comprehending new information. This paper summarizes the basic viewpoints of schema theory and discusses its practical applications in English reading comprehension in senior high school. Research has shown that implementing schema theory not only benefits students’ language skills but also fosters their critical thinking abilities. When students are able to connect new information with their existing schemas, they become more familiar with analyzing and interpreting complex texts. This theory encourages active engagement with the material and promotes a deeper level of comprehension. This paper also addresses challenges and solutions in implementing schema theory. By incorporating schema theory into reading classes, teachers can help students develop a deeper understanding of texts, improve their reading efficiency, and enhance their overall English proficiency.

Comparative analyses of the information content of letters, characters, and inter-word spaces across writing systems.

One difference among writing systems is how orthographic cues are used to demarcate words; although most alphabetic scripts use inter-word spaces, some Asian scripts do not explicitly mark word boundaries (e.g., Chinese). It is unclear whether these differences are arbitrary or whether they are designed to maximize reading efficiency. Here, we show that spaces inserted between words in non-demarcated scripts provide less information about word boundaries than spaces in demarcated scripts. Furthermore, despite the fact that less information is contained by inter-word spaces than characters/letters of the same size, the information content of inter-word spaces in demarcated scripts is closer to that of characters/letters compared to the information content of inter-word spaces that are inserted in non-demarcated scripts. These results suggest that the conventions used to demarcate word boundaries are sufficient to support efficient reading. Our findings provide new insights into the universals and variation across writing systems and shed light on the mental processes that support skilled reading.

Genre-Based Instruction of English Reading in a Polytechnic University

The goal of genre-based instruction is to prepare students for success by continuously developing their English reading proficiency and expertise, allowing them to excel at a higher level. Genre-Based instruction "GBI" refers to teaching language based on the results of genre analysis in written and spoken form. This study examined the application of genre-based instruction in reading and comprehension classes in polytechnic universities in China. A mixed approach was adopted to fulfil the aim of this study, including different data collection approaches, such as questionnaires, quizzes, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative study involved 100 students (control group: n = 50, experimental group: n = 50). Meanwhile, interviews were conducted with ten students from the experimental group in the qualitative study. The study findings demonstrate that genre-based instruction could improve students' reading proficiency and support the reading lessons in particular genres, contributing to significant practical implications. Students in the experimental group used headings, diagrams, and other information to predict the text content before reading, identified detailed information through scanning and searching, and summarised the main idea of passages and articles through genre teaching. Resultantly, students' reading efficiency improved, allowing them to quickly grasp the main idea of the text and correctly answer different questions, such as reasoning, judgment, and main idea.

The Usefulness of the Breast Density Assessment Application Used by Breast Radiologists.

Breast density determined by breast radiologists and also automatically estimated by applications has been widely investigated. However, no study has yet clarified whether the use of these applications by breast radiologists improves reading efficacy. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the usefulness of applications when used by breast radiologists. A Breast Density Assessmentapplication (App) developed by Konica Minolta, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) was used. Independent and sequential tests were conducted to assess the usefulness of the concurrent- and second-look modes. Fifty and 100 cases were evaluated using sequential and independent tests, respectively. Each dataset was configured based on the evaluation by an expert breast radiologist who developed the Japanese guidelines for breast density. Nine breast radiologists evaluated the mammary gland content ratio and breast density; the inter-observer and expert-to-observer variability were calculated. The time required to complete the experiments was also recorded. The inter-observer variability was significant with the App, as revealed by the independent test. The use of the App significantly improved the agreement between the responses of the observers for the mammary gland content ratio and those of the expert by 6.6% and led to a reduction of 186.9 seconds in the average time required by the observers to evaluate 100 cases. However, the results of the sequential test did not suggest the effectiveness of the App. These findings suggest that the concurrent use of the App improves reading efficiency.

Language and reading in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder+developmental language disorder.

The current study sought to examine whether psycholinguistic assessments could discriminate children and adolescents with developmental language disorder (DLD) from those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; combined or inattentive subtype) and comorbid DLD+ADHD. The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Screening Test (CELFST; Wiig etal., 2013), the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (nonword repetition subtest; Wagner etal., 2013), and the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (sight word and phonemic decoding subtests; Torgesen etal., 2012) were examined in 441 children and adolescents between 6 and 16years of age. The presence of a language disorder (with or without ADHD) predicted poor performance across tasks. Children and adolescents with ADHD (combined vs. inattentive) only significantly differed in sight word reading, in favor of those with combined type. Measures of reading efficiency could distinguish between the two types of ADHD, but not between other groups. Interestingly, scores on the standard language screener were no worse for children with ADHD+DLD than children with DLD only. The combination of comorbid ADHD+DLD did not appear to be associated with lower language abilities, sight word reading, or phonemic decoding relative to DLD alone. Reading efficiency was effective in discriminating between ADHD subtypes. These findings offer valuable insights into differential diagnosis and the identification of comorbidity.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in English Language and Literature Reading Management

Firstly, this paper analyzes the role of AI in the reading management of English language and literature, establishes the implicit knowledge base of neural network, designs the auxiliary reading system for learning English language and literature, and optimizes the English language and literature management model of AI. The experimental results show that its reading efficiency is increased by 0.48%, and the performance of the credibility model is improved by 0.53% compared with the original system, which greatly optimizes the running time of the system. To some extent, it helps users to manage their time in English language and literature reading, and greatly improves users' reading efficiency and quality. Based on this advantage of AI algorithm, this paper introduces that the algorithm optimizes the reading management model and the training process of neural grid, and constructs a model of English language and literature assisted reading system based on AI. The system can better meet the needs of users in English language and literature reading management.

Flicker and reading speed: Effects on individuals with visual sensitivity.

Flicker and patterns of stripes in the modern environment can evoke visual illusions, discomfort migraine, and seizures. We measured reading speed while striped and less striped texts were illuminated with LED lights. In Experiment 1, the lights flickered at 60 Hz and 120 Hz compared to 60 kHz (perceived as steady light). In Experiment 2, the lights flickered at 60 Hz or 600 Hz (at which frequency the phantom array is most visible), and were compared to continuous light. Two types of text were used: one containing words with high horizontal autocorrelation (striped) and another containing words with low autocorrelation (less striped). We measured the number of illusions participants saw in the Pattern Glare (PG) Test. Overall, reading speed was slowest during the 60 Hz and 600 Hz flicker and was slower when reading the high autocorrelation text. Interestingly, the low PG group showed greater effects of flicker on reading speed than the high PG group, which tended to be slower overall. In addition, reading speed in the high PG group was reduced when the autocorrelation of the text was high. These findings suggest that uncomfortable visual environments reduce reading efficiency, the more so in individuals who are visually sensitive.