Print Reading Research Articles

Enhancing Children’s Print Reading Motivation through Interest-Oriented Approaches

With the development of information technology, more and more students, parents, and teachers are focusing on electronic reading. While the shift towards electronic reading is well acknowledged, its impact on the intrinsic motivation for reading printed books among children remains underexplored. This study analyzes how electronic devices and insufficient reading environments influence children’s preference for print over digital books. For example, the functions of smartphones and other electronic devices are very rich and powerful and schools and families do not offer a comprehensive reading atmosphere or philosophy. The findings reveal that despite the convenience of digital formats, printed books significantly enhance reading comprehension and focus, which are crucial for developing lifelong reading habits. Based on these results, the paper recommends strategies to foster a reading environment that aligns with children’s personal interests and reduces electronic distractions. These strategies aim to revitalize interest in printed books and promote sustained reading engagement among students.

O PROCESSO DE LEITURA COM O USO DAS TECNOLOGIAS

This text is an excerpt from the Master’s Dissertation that addresses TRANSFORMATION OF THE REALITY OF READING PRACTICE WITH THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY – 2nd GRADE OF HIGH SCHOOL. The work sought to verify the challenges and possibilities of digital reading in the school context. Based on relevant theoretical foundations (CHARTIER, 1999, 2003; COLOMER, 2007; ROJO, 1998; SOBRAL, 2002; TERRA, 2015), initially, a questionnaire was applied in order to understand the students’ reading preferences. Next, reading practices were carried out in print and digital media to evaluate students’ reception of literary reading on different platforms. From the data obtained, we found that digital reading is an important tool to be used by educators as it allows instant access to the text anywhere. However, this type of reading does not minimize the importance of printed books, as, even with access to the internet, many students show a preference for contact with paper when reading and even those who enjoy reading digitally do not rule out the practice. reading in print.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF DIGITAL TEXTS READING: A CASE STUDY AT THE ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF STKIP PGRI BANGKALAN

This study investigated what students' perceptions of reading digital texts and students' preferences for digital text reading. Data was gathered through observation, interviews, and documentation to accomplish this purpose. The interview aims to gather qualitative information about the participants' motivation and interests, the effectiveness of reading digital texts, any difficulties they may have had reading them, and whether they preferred reading print or digital texts. Four students enrolled in five semesters of the English Language Education Department at STKIP PGRI Bangkalan during the academic year 2023/2024 participated in this study. The results showed that the participants had a favorable opinion of reading digital materials because digital texts are more engaging and inspiring, and follow the standard reading format. The main obstacle for students in using digital texts is the less text displayed at once due to the limitations of smartphone screens.

Middle-schoolers' reading and lexical-semantic processing depth in response to digital and print media: An N400 study.

We report the first use of ERP measures to identify text engagement differences when reading digitally or in print. Depth of semantic encoding is key for reading comprehension, and we predicted that deeper reading of expository texts would facilitate stronger associations with subsequently-presented related words, resulting in enhanced N400 responses to unrelated probe words and a graded attenuation of the N400 to related and moderately related words. In contrast, shallow reading would produce weaker associations between probe words and text passages, resulting in enhanced N400 responses to both moderately related and unrelated words, and an attenuated response to related words. Behavioral research has shown deeper semantic encoding of text from paper than from a screen. Hence, we predicted that the N400 would index deeper reading of text passages that were presented in print, and shallower reading of texts presented digitally. Middle-school students (n = 59) read passages in digital and print formats and high-density EEG was recorded while participants completed single-word semantic judgment tasks after each passage. Following digital text presentation, the N400 response pattern to moderately-related words indicated shallow reading, tracking with responses to words that were unrelated to the text. Following print reading, the N400 responses to moderately-related words patterned instead with responses to related words, interpreted as an index of deeper reading. These findings provide evidence of differences in brain responses to texts presented in print and digital media, including deeper semantic encoding for print than digital texts.

Education runs quickly violence runs slowly: An analysis of closed captioning speed and reading level in children’s television franchises

Closed captioning is a great example of how efforts in technological equity can benefit all, as closed captioning has become a common tool in childhood literacy and new language learning for adults. In comparison to traditional print reading forms closed captioning is in its infancy. Popular methodologies for assessing reading level of text were invented before closed captioning existed. This study is an investigates an aspect of closed captioning that has historically received less attention, the content and reading level of the closed captions. While considerable research attention has been given to the role of speed in relation to reading comprehension of closed captioning, less attention has been given to specific analysis of closed captioning content. This study analyzed closed captioning text extracted from 337 episodes of popular children’s television shows through the lens of content and reading level analysis using both traditional literacy tools and tools for analysis of closed captions. The goal was to provide insight for language teachers, parents of deaf children, and other relevant practitioners to make more informed and equitable decisions about children’s programming. The 21 shows sampled displayed clear patterns based on genres and age. The data also provided insight into methodological assessment differences between closed captioning and traditional print forms.

Reading habits of undergraduate students in the digital environment: a gender perspective

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the role and impact of gender on reading habits. It is an attempt to explore the probable reason why or why not gender differences take place concerning reading time, reading purpose, reading resources and digital devices among undergraduate students in the digital environment. Design/methodology/approach For this study, the researcher used a survey-based approach. To accomplish the study’s goals, a meticulously designed questionnaire has been disseminated among undergraduate students in selected colleges located in the western district of Tripura, a northeastern state in India. Findings The study found that female respondents have a slightly higher level of liking for reading than males. For both genders, the major purpose of reading is to enhance their knowledge unvaryingly. Furthermore, it has been observed that female respondents read electronic and print reading material more frequently compared to their male counterparts. Female respondents read fiction more frequently than males in print form. Both genders have more ease in reading print resources than digital resources. Among all digital devices, respondents are most competent at using mobile devices and prefer them for digital reading. Research limitations/implications As part of the pilot study, investigators surveyed a limited sample population, where the participation of students was further lower because of the unavailability of students. Originality/value The gender-based level of competency with digital devices is studied as a variable among the adult population to measure its correlation with reading habits.

Writing Competence of First Year College Students at a State University

Writing is an essential skill for students doing many academic writing assignments. However, despite educational efforts to develop this skill, many still struggle for diverse reasons. This study determines the writing competence of first-year Bachelor of Elementary Education, Bachelor of Technical Vocational Education, and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture college students at Catanduanes State University, Panganiban Campus. It offers teaching or curricular strategies to improve writing interest. This utilized descriptive correlational research from 157 respondents derived through fishbowl sampling. The findings revealed that the majority of respondent's parents were high school graduates. They are "often" exposed to broadcast media (movies, MP3, TV, internet) and "seldom" read print media (news, novels, commentaries, essays). They are "highly motivated" to learn from references and read stories while "slightly motivated" with book gifts and quizzes after reading. When correlated with Pearson chi-square, these two variables disclosed no significant relationship. Thus, a pressing need to analyze the gap and resolve writing difficulties aligned with Flower and Hayes' Cognitive Process Writing Theory. Basic writing workshops, online webinars, and instructional material development on improving writing competence are research outputs to orchestrate the best writing techniques to improve writing competence.

Plays or e-Plays? Informing a Theater Collection Strategy Using Student Input

Do theater students prefer to read print or electronic plays? Are there certain use cases, like memorization for audition or reading for coursework, where theater students have a strong preference? This article seeks to convey the findings of a recent survey given to undergraduate theater students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga regarding their format preferences for plays. The respondents indicated that most preferred reading plays in print and indicated a strong preference for print plays in several situations. This analysis contributes to the body of literature on format preferences and is insightful for librarians involved in developing collections in niche areas.

Gender Differences in Chinese EFL Learners’ Comprehension When Reading Across Mediums

As the reading medium shifts from paper to digital devices, there is a notable change in readers’ habits, moving from traditional printed formats to electronic forms. While extensive research has been conducted on gender differences in traditional print reading, studies focusing on gender disparities in mobile reading comprehension are rather limited. This research employed cross-sectional quantitative methods to explore gender differences in comprehension through both print and smartphone-based reading tests. Data was gathered from 190 undergraduates at a local university in China through reading comprehension tests. Participants’ reading results were analyzed using SPSS software for comparison. The findings indicate no significant difference in reading achievements between male and female participants on both paper and smartphone platforms. However, the study found positive trends in female students’ performance on both mediums. The disparity in the mean difference between male and female students’ reading scores was larger in smartphone-based tests, which indicates that digital mediums could either enhance reading performance in female students or potentially have a negative impact on male students.

Print and digital reading habits and comprehension in children with and without special education needs

BackgroundText comprehension is a major obstacle for many Primary school students with special education needs (SEN). Reading episodes bring students opportunities to be exposed to new vocabulary and knowledge, potentially boosting their development of text comprehension skills. AimsOur study seeks to understand how reading frequency (leisure and academic) and reading medium (print and digital) contribute to the development of text comprehension during Primary school in students with and without SEN. Methods and proceduresWe tested 2289 Spanish students from fourth to sixth grade, from which 212 had an official decision of SEN. Students self-reported their reading frequency (as a measure of their reading habits) and completed a standardized text comprehension test. We employed multiple regression models with a robust maximum likelihood estimator to test associations between reading frequency and comprehension. Outcomes and resultsStudents’ comprehension was positively associated with their leisure print reading habits, and negatively associated with their frequency of academic digital reading. Those associations were independent of SEN status. Conclusions and implicationsResults highlight the importance of promoting leisure reading in print to all students, regardless of SEN status. In addition, caution is advised when encouraging Primary school children to use digital texts when the emphasis is on comprehending texts for acquiring knowledge.

Digital Reading: A Complex Endeavor

“Educational Prospects” seeks to be a channel that helps education specialists and policymakers in the Arab World stay updated on international research in the field of education. This issue focuses specifically on the topic of digital reading skills. Research has shown that digital reading is distinct from print reading in a variety of ways and that reading digital texts requires different comprehension strategies. Because print comprehension strategies do not necessarily transfer to digital contexts, teaching students reading skills in a digital age is complex.

Arbitrariness of Speech in Adult Active Internet Users: Types and Intensity of Deformations

Objectives Testing the hypothesis about the presence of a long-term negative effect of Internet practices on the arbitrariness of speech in adults. Methods The study is based on a retrospective approach, which is a combination of an ex post facto research and a cross section. The participants in the control group were adults (n = 50; 20 men, 30 women; age 46.9±6.14) who keep the habit of traditional print reading. The experimental group consisted of individuals (n = 50; 20 men, 30 women; age 45.1±6.16) who abandoned this habit in favor of Internet practices. The evaluation of arbitrariness of speech was carried out using the method of "Opposites" (Susanna Rubinstein). Groups for the cross-sectional study were, on the one hand, a "pre-digital" person (rate of implementation of the method by healthy adults until 2000); on the other hand, modern young people (n=50; 20 young men, 39 young women; age 19.58±0.94). Results The cross section allowed to determine the following hierarchy in order of the arbitrariness deterioration: 1) pre-digital person; 2) modern adult reader; 3) modern active Internet users of different ages. The ex post facto research found significant reductions in the indicators of arbitrariness of speech in the experimental group, which are presented in two types of deformations: “weakening of control” (deformation coefficient – two) and “weakness of control in combination with lexical deficit” (deformation coefficient – seven). Conclusion The results obtained do not contradict the hypothesis about the deformation of cognitive functions in adults as a long-term effect of the Internet use. The idea of cognitive unloading mechanism, which explains the appearance of cognitive deformations through the specifics of Internet information coding, is expressed.

Do New Forms of Reading Pay Off? A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Leisure Digital Reading Habits and Text Comprehension

Previous research has evidenced a strong positive relationship between leisure print reading habits and reading comprehension across the lifespan. The rapid evolution of new forms of leisure digital reading could modify such a relationship. This meta-analysis extends previous research by analyzing the relationship between leisure digital reading habits and reading comprehension. We analyzed 40 effect sizes using multilevel analysis. Data involved 469,564 participants from studies published between 2000 and 2022. The average effect size reflects a small significant effect on reading comprehension (r = .055), which contrasts with the medium size effects found in the literature related to print reading habits and comprehension. This relationship is significantly moderated by the reader’s educational stage. At early stages (primary and middle school) negative relationships are observed between leisure digital reading and text comprehension, while at later stages (high school and university) the relationship turns positive. We highlight the different contributions that reading modalities and technological contexts have on our reading comprehension, especially across the lifespan. In sum, leisure digital reading does not seem to pay off in terms of reading comprehension, at least, as much as traditional print reading does.

Visual acuity and reading print size requirements in children with vision impairment

ABSTRACT Clinical Relevance The support of students with a vision impairment throughout education could be enhanced by assessing the functional reading ability of the individual. This visual assessment could inform educators of individualised student needs and potentially improve the academic achievement for these students. Background Support for children with a vision impairment within a classroom is typically based on clinical findings of distance visual acuity and visual fields. Therefore, determining optimal print size for reading is essential to ensure best academic outcomes. Secondary aims were to investigate the possible impact of underlying pathology on reading ability. Methods Forty-seven participants were recruited from a state-wide support service for children with a vision impairment in South Australia. Three visual acuity groups were formed based on World Health Organisation definitions of mild, moderate, and severe vision impairment. Correlation between clinical measures of distance visual acuity using the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test, were compared with reading acuity and critical print size (smallest font before reading speed reduced) using Minnesota low vision reading chart (MNREAD). Results No significant correlations were found for mild (0.20–0.49 logMAR) and severe (1.00–1.52 logMAR) vision impairment groups between distance visual acuity and reading acuity read (p = .64, CI [−.585, .395]/p = .82, CI [−.48, .58]) or critical print size (p = .78, CI [−.57, .45]/p = .43, CI [−.34, .68]. A significant correlation was found for the moderate vision impairment group: 0.50–0.99 logMAR for minimum reading acuity (p < .001, CI [.44, .91]) and critical print size (p = .03, CI [.05, .80]). Conclusions Standard clinical measures of distance visual acuity are an unpredictable estimate of reading ability in children with mild and severe vision impairment. Additional measures of functional near reading ability could provide a more meaningful indicator of reading ability and help provide optimum support to students through education.

Technē: Christian Visions of Technology

Technē: Christian Visions of Technology

Indonesian EFL Learners’ Digital Reading Habits

Reading has long been one of the most crucial skills individuals should master to function effectively in society. Due to the revolutionary penetration of information and communication technology (ICT) into almost all aspects of human life, reading has transformed from paper-based to screen-based. Thus, facilitating students to cultivate digital reading should be one of the educational priorities. This study aims at exploring the digital reading habits of students majoring in English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesian context. Employing a mixed-methods design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected using an online questionnaire including close-ended and open-ended questions from 79 students of the English Language Education Study Program of Universitas Kristen Indonesia, Jakarta. The results show that a majority of the participants prefer to read in English in digital reading mode due to several reasons. Their most favorable tool for reading is smartphones. Additionally, a majority of them prefer to read at home as far as they have good access to the internet. Finally, based on the analysis of the motivational and de-motivational factors of reading, the participants’ preference towards digital reading has a stronger motivational foundation than print reading.

Similarities and differences in the neural correlates of letter and speech sound integration in blind and sighted readers

Learning letter and speech sound (LS) associations is a major step in reading acquisition common for all alphabetic scripts, including Braille used by blind readers. The left superior temporal cortex (STC) plays an important role in audiovisual LS integration in sighted people, but it is still unknown what neural mechanisms are responsible for audiotactile LS integration in blind individuals. Here, we investigated the similarities and differences between LS integration in blind Braille (N = 42, age range: 9–60 y.o.) and sighted print (N = 47, age range: 9–60 y.o.) readers who acquired reading using different sensory modalities. In both groups, the STC responded to both isolated letters and isolated speech sounds, showed enhanced activation when they were presented together, and distinguished between congruent and incongruent letter and speech sound pairs. However, the direction of the congruency effect was different between the groups. Sighted subjects showed higher activity for incongruent LS pairs in the bilateral STC, similarly to previously studied typical readers of transparent orthographies. In the blind, congruent pairs resulted in an increased response in the right STC. These differences may be related to more sequential processing of Braille as compared to print reading. At the same time, behavioral efficiency in LS discrimination decisions and the congruency effect were found to be related to age and reading skill only in sighted participants, suggesting potential differences in the developmental trajectories of LS integration between blind and sighted readers.

Digital Reading Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers

The study explored the attitudes of pre-service teachers of two different groups majoring in numerical and verbal fields towards digital reading in terms of different variables. By examining variables such as daily digital reading time, daily print reading time, number of books read from digital devices, the level of digital reading attitudes of pre-service teachers in numerical and verbal fields were examined and the findings were discussed. Selected using the convenient sampling method among the non-random sampling methods, the study sample consisted of a total of 100 participants, 56 of whom were majoring in Mathematics Education and 42 of whom were majoring in Social Studies Education at a state university in Central Anatolia. The "Attitude Scale Towards Digital Reading for Pre-Service Teachers" developed by Yurdakal and Susar Kırmızı (2021) was utilized as the data collection tool. The study revealed that while the digital reading attitudes of pre-service teachers showed a statistically significant difference according to their daily reading duration from printed sources, reading books from any kind of digital devices, digital reading competencies and the number of books they read in a year, there was no significant difference according to the program they were in, daily digital reading duration and electronic text that can be read in an internet-free environment. In line with the study results, suggestions were provided for educators regarding digital reading, which are believed to improve the quality of education.

Singing in Preschool Promotes Literacy Development

AbstractConcepts of print are essential, foundational literacy understandings about words in their written, or print form. Concepts include discerning pictures from written words, reading print from top to bottom and left to right with one‐to‐one correspondence between words read and words in print. Reading aloud from a big book is widely accepted and implemented to teach the concepts of print. We present the repeated singing of a shared text as an alternative or complementary instructional method for teaching concepts of print in the preschool classroom. This article reports major findings that showed substantial developments in preschool student's understanding of print concepts after just 2 weeks of singing a shared text. Additionally, we comment on the joyfulness that song can bring into the early childhood classroom. Based on these findings, we suggest engaging students in repeated singing of a shared text as an instructional approach for teaching concepts of print to preschool students.

Re-Purposing the Physical Space of an Academic Library in the Digital Era: A Case Study of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University, New Delhi (India)

Objectives – The issue/return of books and other reading materials available on shelves in academic libraries has declined. Round-the-clock availability of information resources, high-speed internet, cheaper cost of data download, laptops, and smartphones are some of the reasons behind decreased usage of print reading materials. Users are spending more time studying, accessing e-resources, socializing with friends, and discussing with peer groups in the library building. Libraries in developed countries have already recognized the need of the hour and redesigned their spaces to create a variety of reading spaces, creative spaces, quiet spaces, and so forth in the existing building. But the libraries of the higher education institutions in India have not considered the users' needs concerning the library space. No such study has been conducted at large universities in India. This study was conducted with library users of the central library of two large universities located in New Delhi to find users' opinions and views to re-purpose the library space to meet users' needs. Methods – The survey method has been used to understand the use of the existing format of knowledge resources and the need of library users. The central point of the research questionnaire is to optimize the library space of the central libraries of the universities under study. Printed questionnaires were distributed to the users present in the reading halls of the libraries at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, and Delhi University (DU), New Delhi, and online questionnaires were distributed to faculty members. The collected data were analyzed with Microsoft Excel, and various hypotheses were tested using non-parametric tests such as the sign test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results – Students and research scholars visit daily and spend more than four hours in the library building. They use their time in study, accessing e-resources in the reading halls of the library more than any other place. The users opined the reading halls should have wi-fi facilities, a power source to charge laptops and mobile phones, washrooms near every reading hall, a quiet reading space, and a clean ambient environment for long hours of study in the library building. Conclusion – Library users in the 21st century want more physical space to study, concentrate, socialize, and learn in the informal learning environment. They need library space with the latest infrastructure to connect to the digital world to retrieve study materials and print copies of study materials. Educational institutions should create more varied reading spaces for serious reading, pleasure reading, in-depth reading, and interactive learning spaces in new library buildings.