Simple View Research Articles

The effect of linguistic comprehension instruction on generalized language and reading comprehension skills: A systematic review.

The effect of linguistic comprehension instruction on generalized language and reading comprehension skills: A systematic review.

The Simple View of Reading Made Complex by Morphological Decoding Fluency in Bilingual Fourth‐Grade Readers of English

AbstractThe authors examined the complexity of the simple view of reading, focusing on morphological decoding fluency in fourth‐grade readers of English in Singapore. The participants were three groups of students who all learned to become bilingual and biliterate in the English language (EL) and their respective ethnic language in school but differed in the home language they used. The first group was ethnic Chinese students who used English as the dominant home language (Chinese EL1); the other two groups were ethnic Chinese and Malay students whose dominant home language was not English but Chinese (Chinese EL2) and Malay (Malay EL2), respectively. The measures included pseudoword decoding (phonemic decoding), timed decoding of derivational words (morphological decoding fluency), oral vocabulary, and passage comprehension. Path analysis showed that oral vocabulary significantly predicted reading comprehension across all three groups, yet a significant effect of morphological decoding fluency surfaced in the Chinese EL1 and Malay EL2 groups but not the Chinese EL2 group. Multigroup path analysis and commonality analysis further confirmed that morphological decoding played a larger role in the Chinese EL1 and Malay EL2 groups. These findings are discussed in light of the joint influence of target‐language experience and cross‐linguistic influence on second‐language or bilingual reading development.

Why reading is a challenge for U.S. L2 learners: The impact of cognitive, ecological, and psychological factors in L2 comprehension

AbstractStudies have shown that U.S. learners’ proficiency in reading and listening comprehension lags behind their ability to decode words. Recent studies have found that even after 3 years of high school L2 courses, U.S. students fail to develop minimal proficiency in reading comprehension. This paper suggests that while cognitive factors (word decoding and listening comprehension) explain the largest amount of variance in learners’ ability to comprehend text, this model, known as the Simple View of Reading, does not consider other factors that may contribute to reading achievement, especially in a largely monolingual English context. In contrast, the Component Model of Reading posits that reading ability is influenced not only by cognitive skills but also by factors in the ecological and psychological domains. In particular, the U.S. social context hampers primarily monolingual English speakers from becoming proficient in L2 oral language and L2 reading comprehension. Pedagogical recommendations are offered.

Compressive Properties of Electron Beam Melted Ti–6Al–4V Porous Meshes with Different Struts Distributions

Structural collapse caused by uneven stress distribution is one of the main failure modes of Electron Beam Melted (EBM) Ti–6Al–4V porous meshes for medical bone implantation. In this paper, two types of porous meshes with different struts distributions are fabricated by EBM methods and experimentally studied through uniaxial compression tests. The first type (mesh 1) with simplified struts distribution consists of horizontal, vertical and diagonal struts, which are connected by one node. The second type (mesh 2) has relatively complicated struts distribution with four structural nodes connected by vertical, horizontal and diagonal struts, and the inclined struts with an angle of 15° to the vertical or horizontal direction. The mechanical properties of solid Ti–6Al–4V alloy are also tested as reference for model-fitting analysis and the test results show that the EBM specimen can achieve comparable tensile strength (1186.5 MPa) and elastic modulus (106.4 GPa) as that of forging specimen. For the porous meshes, the deformation behavior of the struts along the load orientation is dominated by buckling mechanism and the deformation behavior of the struts inclined to the load orientation is governed by both buckling and bending mechanisms. The test results indicate that mesh 1 with relatively less inclined struts can achieve better compressive resistance than mesh 2 when taking the factor of mesh density into consideration. Such results indicate a simple yet meaningful view that struts distributions of the porous meshes should be designed and optimized based on their stress distribution conditions.

Lying and knowing

This paper defends the simple view that in asserting that p, one lies iff one knows that p is false. Along the way it draws some morals about deception, knowledge, Gettier cases, belief, assertion, and the relationship between first- and higher-order norms.

Optimal use of transmedullary support screws and fibular management in distal tibial fracture nailing based on a new biomechanical classification

IntroductionBased on a novel simple frontal view classification, a comprehensive concept for systematic management of intramedullary fixation of distal tibial fractures is introduced. Even the usage of thin (unreamed) nails allows for anatomic reduction and stable fixation if applied in combination with transmedullary support (TMS) screws. Our classification system guides the placement of the TMS screw (medial or lateral) and suggests whether to fix the fibula or not. Patients and methodsThe fixation concept of the classification was applied to 67 distal tibial fracture cases. Patients were followed up until nail removal after at least 12 months. ResultsAll fractures united. Besides 5 cases of slight external malrotation (<5 degrees) no axial malunion was found. Two infections were encountered, but both were treated effectively by exchange nailing, antibiotic therapy until wound healing and C-reactive protein normalization.Final functional assessment according to Olerud/Molander Score was 85 pts (100 pts. possible, range 50–100 pts). DiscussionThe stability we achieved even with single screw interlocking was high due to anatomic reduction with interfragmental compression in the lowest fracture line. In cases of fracture extension into the ankle joint, interfragmental compression screws were applied before nail insertion. In more comminuted fracture types additional screws are advisable. ConclusionsThe frontal view classification has proven to be a reliable guideline for effective intramedullary fracture fixation by minimally invasive means, allowing for optimized soft tissue protection.

A global view of the inner accretion and ejection flow around super massive black holes

Context.Understanding the physics and geometry of accretion and ejection around super massive black holes (SMBHs) is important to understand the evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and therefore of the large scale structures of the Universe.Aims.We aim at providing a simple, coherent, and global view of the sub-parsec accretion and ejection flow in AGN with varying Eddington ratio,ṁ, and black hole mass,MBH.Methods.We made use of theoretical insights, results of numerical simulations, as well as UV and X-ray observations to review the inner regions of AGN by including different accretion and ejection modes, with special emphasis on the role of radiation in driving powerful accretion disk winds from the inner regions around the central SMBH.Results.We propose fiveṁregimes where the physics of the inner accretion and ejection flow around SMBHs is expected to change, and that correspond observationally to quiescent and inactive galaxies; low luminosity AGN (LLAGN); Seyferts and mini-broad absorption line quasars (mini-BAL QSOs); narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) and broad absorption line quasars (BAL QSOs); and super-Eddington sources. We include in this scenario radiation-driven disk winds, which are strong in the highṁ, largeMBHregime, and possibly present but likely weak in the moderateṁ, smallMBHregime.Conclusions.A great diversity of the accretion/ejection flows in AGN can be explained to a good degree by varying just two fundamental properties: the Eddington ratioṁand the black hole massMBH, and by the inclusion of accretion disk winds that can naturally be launched by the radiation emitted from luminous accretion disks.

Reading and Deafness: State of the Evidence and Implications for Research and Practice

Over the years, persistently low achievement levels have led scholars to question whether reading skill development is different for deaf readers. Research findings suggest that in order for deaf students to become proficient readers, they must master the same fundamental abilities that are well established for hearing learners, regardless of the degree of hearing loss or communication modality used (e.g., spoken or signed). The simple view of reading (SVR), which hypothesizes the critical role both language abilities and phonological skills play in development of reading comprehension, provides a model for understanding the reading process for a wide range of students and has the potential to shed light on the challenges deaf students have historically experienced in achieving age-appropriate outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the components of the SVR and use this conceptual model as the basis for exploring and discussing both historical and current research evidence in reading and deafness, with a particular focus on phonological skills. Recommendations for future research and practice based on the existing body of literature will also be provided.

Examining Sources and Mechanisms of Reading Comprehension Difficulties: Comparing English Learners and Non-English Learners within the Simple View of Reading.

In the present study, we compared the extent to which linguistic comprehension (vocabulary and listening comprehension) and word reading explain reading comprehension differentially for English learners (ELs) and non-ELs with reading difficulties, and we investigated whether different mechanisms of reading comprehension failure exist for each group. Using the simple view of reading as our framework, we tested a model in which vocabulary exerts a direct effect on reading comprehension and indirect effects through listening comprehension and word reading. Results from a multigroup structural equation model with a sample of 446 struggling fourth-grade readers (n = 229 for ELs; n = 211 for non-ELs) demonstrated both similarities and differences in the sources and mechanisms of reading comprehension difficulties for ELs and non-ELs with reading problems. Word reading was an important source of reading comprehension difficulty for both groups. For non-ELs, the effect of word reading was larger than the effects of linguistic comprehension (vocabulary and listening comprehension combined); however, for ELs, the effects of linguistic comprehension were greater than the effect of word reading. Vocabulary had indirect effects via both listening comprehension and word reading for ELs, but it demonstrated a direct effect on reading comprehension for non-ELs. These results suggest that developing a range of linguistic comprehension skills (e.g., word-level and sentence-level language skills) may be important for ELs with reading comprehension difficulties in the upper-elementary grades.

Writing and Deafness: State of the Evidence and Implications for Research and Practice

Although reading and writing play equally important roles in the literacy development of deaf individuals, far more attention has been paid to reading than to writing in both research and practice. This is concerning as outcomes in writing have remained poor despite changes in communication philosophies (e.g., spoken and/or signed) and pedagogical approaches. Although there are indications of a positive shift as the context for deaf education has been transformed with advances in hearing technologies, challenges are ongoing. In order to better understand why deaf learners struggle to achieve age-appropriate outcomes in written language, the goal of this paper will be to take stock of the available research evidence in writing and deafness, and interpret it in light of both the Simple View of Writing (SVW), in which ideation or text generation is linked to oral language, and current models of the composing process. Based on this overview and analysis, implications and directions for future research and practice will be discussed.

MODERATISME HUKUM SEBAGAI FONDASI MASYARAKAT ISLAM

This study is a discussion on the concept of moderate (wasatiyyah) in Islamic law from the perspective of Yusuf al-Qaradawi. It aims to provide an understanding of the concept of wasatiyyah in the face of two extreme streams: modernism and liberalism. The concept of wasatiyyah is characterized by ijtihad based on maqasid (the goals of Law), integration between shari'a, simple view, performing fiqh al-waqi ', dialogue (hiwar) and tolerance. While the basis of its application is based on ijtihad maqasidi, understanding the text within the framework of the current situation, distinguishing between eternal maqasid and changing wasilah, adjusting the qat'i and zhanni, distinguishing the meaning between mu'amalah (custom) and excess in worship (ifrat) and neglect (tafrit). The correct understanding and implementation of the comprehensive wasatiyyah concept will prove that Islam is a religion that brings tranquility and happiness to all human beings on earth based on rahmatan li al-'alamin. This study found that Yusuf al-Qaradawi wasatiyyah thought was based on the goal of Islamic Law (maqasid al-syari’ah). It is precisely the practice of wasatiyyah to be in line with the maqasid al-syari’ah in the framework of making Islamic shari'ah a solution to the problems of the umma.

Pathways to reading comprehension: A longitudinal study from 4 to 9 years of age.

The two major determinants of reading comprehension are language comprehension and decoding, but prior studies of the development of reading comprehension from an early age show inconsistent results. To clarify these inconsistencies we report a 6-year longitudinal study (starting at Age 4 years) where we control for measurement error and track the development and interrelationships between a range of predictors of reading comprehension (language, decoding, and cognitive skills). We found two main pathways to reading comprehension: a highly stable language comprehension pathway (reflecting variations in vocabulary, listening comprehension, grammar, and verbal working memory) and a less stable code-related pathway (reflecting variations in phoneme awareness, letter knowledge, and rapid automatized naming). Early language comprehension at Age 4 years is strongly related to code-related predictors (phoneme awareness, letter knowledge, and rapid naming), and influences decoding indirectly through these constructs. Early oral language skills predicted initial levels of reading comprehension and its growth between the ages of 7 and 9 years. Strikingly, language comprehension and decoding, together with their interaction and curvilinear effects, explain almost all (99.7%) of the variance in reading comprehension skills at 7 years of age. Our study adds to prior knowledge in several important ways and provides strong support for an elaborated version of the simple view of reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Multiple Pathways by Which Compounding Morphological Awareness Is Related to Reading Comprehension: Evidence From Chinese Second Graders

AbstractMorphological awareness, or the knowledge and awareness of morphemes and morphological structures in a language, has been shown to be important to reading. The authors investigated multiple pathways by which compounding morphological awareness is related to reading comprehension: indirect pathways via vocabulary, word reading, and listening comprehension, as well as a direct relation. This question was addressed using data from 325 Chinese (Mandarin)‐speaking second graders. The authors tested alternative structural equation models that compared variations of direct and indirect relations. Results revealed that the two predictors according to the simple view of reading, word reading and listening comprehension, explained 80% of the variance in reading comprehension. Importantly, compounding morphological awareness was directly related to reading comprehension, as well as indirectly via vocabulary, word reading, and listening comprehension. Together, they explained 87% of the total variance in reading comprehension. Moreover, the total effect of compounding morphological awareness on reading comprehension, after accounting for the direct effect (0.18) and indirect effects (0.32) via multiple pathways, was substantial (0.49 standardized regression weight). These results add to growing evidence on the important role of morphological awareness in reading comprehension and highlight the multiple ways that morphological awareness makes a contribution to reading comprehension in Chinese.

The tigerish nature of legal normativity

This response to Brian Bix’s recent article on legal normativity considers the potential benefits of Bix’s approach in the light of contemporary debate upon the subject but argues for an alternative approach that focuses on the finding of legal normativity within a specific system of law and recognizes a normativity for those subject to that law whether they are well disposed to it or not. Three different ways in which a quality of normativity might be found for a legal provision concerning the conduct of a person are distinguished, so offering a richer and more illuminating analysis of the individual subject’s attitude or choice towards legal normativity. However, it is claimed that the overall picture advanced here supports a simple view of legal normativity, avoiding entanglement with moral controversies and complex theoretical speculations.

Operationalizing the Simple View of Writing with the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 3rd Edition

The simple view of writing suggests that written composition results from oral language, transcription (e.g., spelling/handwriting), and self-regulation skills, coordinated within working memory. The model provides a number of implications for the interpretation of psychoeducational achievement batteries. For instance, it hypothesizes that writing skills are only partially related to each other through a hierarchy of levels of language (e.g., subword, word, sentence, discourse levels) and that transcription skills such as spelling mediate the effects of language skills on composition. We evaluated implications of the simple view of writing in the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 3rd Edition (WIAT-III). Using structural equation modeling, we established that WIAT-III writing tasks are only partially related to each other within both the battery’s normative sample and an independent sample of students referred for special education. We also described how lower level writing skills mediated the effects of language skills on higher level writing skills. However, these effects varied across normative and referral samples.

Socio-technological tool for mapping susceptibility to urban flooding

The intensification of flooding in urban areas and the management of susceptibility areas has become a global issue and has been the subject of several studies in recent decades. The integration of alternative approaches, such as socio-hydrological and socio-technological sciences, has gained prominence in urban space planning and development. The mapping of environmental susceptibility represents a promising alternative for the integrated management of natural disasters. However, for this to be used as a socio-technological tool, transiting to a participative management of urban environment, it is necessary to simplify and reduce the associated costs. In this sense, the objective of this study was to propose a socio-technological tool for the punctual and spatial mapping of the susceptibility to the occurrence of flooding in urban regions. The method is designed to combine ease and low cost of application with a simplified but physically sensitive socio-hydrological assessment of eight factors of influence. The methodological tool was tested in a Brazilian district where entire socio-hydrological scenario of urban flooding in developing countries is observed. The results show that the method can provide a simple and consistent view, reaching an overall accuracy of 73.67% of the flooding points. In general, the method provides information that can support decision-making by government agencies in developed and developing countries, as well as civil society, in relation to participatory urban zoning, drainage management, and water conservation.

Personal Identity: The Simple and Complex Views Revisited

Abstract Eric Olson has argued, startlingly, that no coherent account can be giv- en of the distinction made in the personal identity literature between ‘complex views’ and ‘simple views’. ‘We tell our students,’ he writes, ‘that accounts of personal identity over time fall into [these] two broad categories’. But ‘it is impossible to characterize this distinction in any satisfactory way. The debate has been systematically misdescribed’. I argue, first, that, for all Olson has said, a recent account by Noonan provides the coherent characterization he claims impossible. If so we have not been wrong all along in the way he says in what we have been telling our students. I then give an account of the distinction between the reductionist and non-reductionist positions which makes it differ- ent from the complex/simple distinction. The aim is to make clear sense of the notion of a not simple but non-reductionist position — which seems an eminently reasonable possibility and something it may also be useful to tell our students about.

Anatomical Correlation of the Helical Structure of the Ventricular Myocardium Through Echocardiography

The helical structure of the ventricular myocardium provides a simple view of cardiac anatomy, based on physiological evidence that has been broadly demonstrated in experimental and imaging studies, and helps to explain the electromechanical contraction of the myocardium during the cardiac cycle. The aim of this study was to standardize and provide a detailed description of the technique for preparing and manually dissecting the myocardium proposed empirically by Torrent-Guasp. A further aim was to anatomically and topographically correlate the helical band with echocardiographic long-axis, short-axis, and 4-chamber projections. We dissected 42 hearts-20 bovine, 20 porcine and 2 human hearts-to standardize the myocardial dissection technique. Subsequently, the distinct segments were color coded to correlate the anatomical specimens with echocardiographic projections. Loss of 38% of the myocardial mass after boiling was sufficient to standardize myocardial dissection and allowed an efficient technique. No morphological differences were found between the bands of the hearts studied. The 4 myocardial segments could be identified in the echocardiographic projections. Standardization of the technique is useful to dissect any type of heart. Echocardiography is useful to assess the distinct segments that compose the myocardium. More research is needed to generate practical applications of this knowledge to echocardiography and other fields.

Decoding and reading comprehension: A test of the decoding threshold hypothesis.

We report results of 2 studies examining the relation between decoding and reading comprehension. Based on our analysis of prominent reading theories such as the Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986), the Lexical Quality Hypothesis (Perfetti & Hart, 2002) and the Self-Teaching Hypothesis (Share, 1995), we propose the Decoding Threshold Hypothesis, which posits that the relation between decoding and reading comprehension can only be reliably observed above a certain decoding threshold. In Study 1, the Decoding Threshold Hypothesis was tested in a sample of over 10,000 Grade 5–10 students. Using quantile regression, classification analysis (Receiver Operating Characteristics) and broken-line regression, we found a reliable decoding threshold value below that there was no relation between decoding and reading comprehension, and above which the two measures showed a positive linear relation. Study 2 is a longitudinal analysis of over 30,000 students’ reading comprehension growth as a function of their initial decoding status. Results showed that scoring below the decoding threshold was associated with stagnant growth in reading comprehension. We argue that the Decoding Threshold Hypothesis has the potential to explain differences in the prominent reading theories in terms of the role of decoding in reading comprehension in students at Grade 5 and above. Furthermore, the identification of decoding threshold also has implications for reading practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

ProxInLAS, a software program for detecting coal layers and estimating parameters of layers, using geophysical well-logs

The present paper describes the algorithm and working method for detection and estimation of proximate parameters of coal beds based on digital well-log data. Designed and developed by the authors in Visual Studio using C#, ProxInLAS is used to define a threshold value on each log to distinguish between coal and non-coal layers, followed by estimating each of the coal proximate parameters by importing the data pertaining to a particular borehole: the reference borehole. Inputs of the software include the reference borehole data, target functions for accepting a layer as coal, and the methods employed to estimate the proximate parameter. The software relies mainly on two algorithms, a detection algorithm for detecting coal layers, and an estimation algorithm for estimating proximate parameters of the detected layers. Loaded by the well-log and core-sampling data, the detection algorithm calculates a set of threshold values to distinguish between the coal and non-coal layers based on the frequency distribution function of the well-log values near coal beds. ProxInLAS offers four methods for estimating proximate parameters: (1) a method based on the regression between the considered parameter and a particular log, (2) a method based on a combination of several linear relationships, (3) radial basis function (RBF) method, and (4) geostatistical interpolation method. In addition to numeric records, the software can present its outputs graphically to provide a simple and instant view of the results. The case study used to evaluate the performance of ProxInLAS.