bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of independent word practice with segmented and whole‐word sound feedback in disabled readers
Authors: van Daal Victor H.P. , Reitsma Pieter 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTReading‐disabled children seem to have considerable difficulties in acquiring phonological recoding skills, which are considered to be very important in becoming a proficient reader. It is hypothesized that speech feedback may support the development of phonological recoding skills. The aim of the present study is to investigate the use of speech feedback during independent word reading and its effects on the remediation of reading skill. Three different conditions for independent practice were employed. For 17 subjects high‐quality digitized speech was available on call. When speech feedback was requested either whole‐word sound was provided (n = 8) or segmented‐word sound was presented (n = 9). A control group (n=14) did not receive speech feedback at all. In a posttest both practised and nonpractised words were presented. Both help call behaviour during practice and changes in reading rate and accuracy from pretest to posttest were analyzed. It was found that speech feedback requests were not dependent on word difficulty. More calls for whole‐word sound were made than for segmented‐word sound, while latency times for whole‐word sound requests were shorter than for segmented‐word sound requests. Both forms of speech feedback were equally effective in reading practice words which were initially read incorrectly. However, there was a tendency for the learning effect on nonpractised initially hard‐to‐read words to be largest when segmented‐word sound had been available. It is concluded that, whenever the goal of reading instruction is to memorize particular words, whole‐word sound as well as segmented‐word sound can be used. However, when more productive skills are aimed at, the most promising way of giving support is to present segmented‐word sound, although only a nonsignificant tendency for transfer was found in the present study.
Spelling errors and phonemic segmentation ability: the nature of the relationship
Authors: Holligan Christopher , Johnston Rhona S. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTPoor spellers/readers and younger normal children of similar spelling and reading ability carried out phonemic segmentation and spelling tasks. The poor spellers were impaired relative to controls in their ability to detect the odd word out where the middle or final phoneme of the word differed from that of the other items in the list. For example, in the series ‘dot',‘cot',‘pot','bat', the word ‘bat’ differs from the other items in terms of its middle vowel. Spelling errors were classified as being ‘pre‐phonetic',‘phonetic', or ‘transitional’ in character, according to Morris and Perney's (1984) developmental scheme.‘Transitional’ errors indicate a knowledge of English orthography, and are relatively easy for the reader to decode phonetically, for example, green −>‘grene', whereas ‘phonetic’ errors indicate a level of phonetic awareness which is not matched by an ability to represent the word according to the conventions of English spelling, for example green −>‘gren'. Poor spellers were found to make significantly fewer ‘transitional’ errors than controls, there being a non‐significant tendency for them to make more ‘pre‐phonetic’ and ‘phonetic’ errors. It was found that performance on the odd word out task correlated significantly with the occurrence of ‘transitional’ errors, there being no such relationship with ‘phonetic’ errors.
Reading improvement with tinted lenses: a report of two cases
Authors: Hannell Glynis , Gole Glen A. , Dibden; Shirley N. , Rooney Kevin F. , Pidgeon Kenneth J. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThere have been numerous anecdotal reports of an improvement in reading in dyslexic children fitted with tinted spectacle lenses. Few of these cases have been subjected to any sort of scientific scrutiny. We report the findings in two dyslexic brothers each of whom showed a marked improvement in reading facility when reading print material either through a semi‐transparent tinted plastic sheet (overlay) or through tinted spectacle lenses. Other observed effects of the tinted overlays and/or tinted lenses were improved visual acuity, improved figure/ground perception and reduction in apparent distortions and fragmentation of print. Such improvements were noted in either one or both of the boys. A speculative explanation for this effect is that the lenses act by altering the transmission of impulses along the primary visual pathway.
Can imagery training help children who have comprehension problems?
Authors: Oakhill Jane , Patel Sima 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTAn experiment is reported that explored whether training in mental imagery would improve text comprehension in 9‐year‐old children. Two groups of children were compared: good and poor comprehenders. The groups were matched on a test of vocabulary and decoding, but differed on a comprehension test. The results showed that a three‐session programme of training in imagery benefited the poor, but not the good, comprehenders, by comparison with a control group who merely answered questions about the same passages. The results are discussed in relation to possible causes of children's comprehension difficulties.
The role of prior knowledge in inferential processing
Authors: Fincher‐Kiefer Rebecca 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThe present research tested how domain‐related knowledge influences inference generation during text comprehension. Two types of inference were examined, those that maintained referential coherence, referred to as local inferences, and those that were anticipatory in nature, referred to as global inferences. Three groups of subjects, each with differing degrees of domain knowledge, read a domain‐related text that included both types of inference. It was found that all knowledge groups processed sentences involved in local inferences similarly, presumably because establishing text coherence is essential to comprehension. However, knowledge differences emerged in the processing of the sentences involved in global inferences. The results of two experiments suggested that individuals with prior knowledge used their knowledge actively to generate global inferences during reading. It was argued that this anticipatory inferential process guides the construction of a mental model of a text, built partly with explicit information and partly with existing knowledge.
The effect of processing depth on ESL reading comprehension
Authors: Perkins Kyle , Brutten Sheila R. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the effect of depth of processing on second‐language reading comprehension. It was hypothesized that questions which entailed shallow cognitive processing would be easier to answer than questions which entailed deeper cognitive processing. Three of the four research hypotheses were confirmed. Previous training (or lack of it) may account for why one of the predictions was not confirmed. This paper concludes with a cautionary note about the types of reading performance teachers can expect, and the recognition of open‐ended testing techniques in secondlanguage reading assessment.
Reading in a foreign language: how does L2 lexical knowledge interact with the reader's general academic ability'
Authors: Laufer Batia 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTReading in a foreign language is believed to be both a reading problem and an L2 problem. It is still unclear, however, how the two factors interact in determining the reading results in L2. The study investigates how L2 reading is affected by L2 proficiency as reflected in the learners’ lexical level on the one hand and by hidher general academic ability (including the reading ability in Ll) on the other hand. Sixty four EFL learners took part in the study. For each subject, three scores were compared: vocabulary size in L2, general academic ability, and L2 reading. The results show that 1, with vocabulary size of fewer than 3000 word families (5000 lexical items), no amount of general ability will make the learner read well; 2, with vocabulary size of 5000 word families (8000 lexical items), reading in L2 will be satisfactory whatever the general ability; 3, with vocabulary size of 3000–4000 word families (about 5000–6500 lexical items), L2 reading may or may not be influenced by general ability. Practical implications of the results are suggested.
The structure and development of the paired reading technique
Authors: Topping K.J. , Lindsay G.A. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThis paper defines the Paired Reading technique and comments upon minor variations. The historical antecedents for the technique in the international literature are reviewed and the technique is considered in the context of relevant background theory and empirical research. The main strands of theory regarding how and why Paired Reading works are reviewed in the light of summary data on process and reading style changes during PR projects.It is concluded that the effects of Paired Reading are mediated by a number of different factors, and the technique should therefore be widely philosophically acceptable.
Practical literacy of young adults: educational antecedents and influences
Authors: Weinstein Thomas , Walberg Herbert J. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTTo assess the relative influences of education, social environment, and current activities on the practical literacy of young adults in the United States, data were drawn from the 1985 National Assessment of Educational Progress survey of 3,618 21–25 year olds. Oral and written examinations provided reliable measures of comprehension of written language, documentary and writing skills, pictorial and chart understanding, and numeracy; oral and some additional writing skills were assessed with single‐item rating scales. A multidimensional model of literacy distinguished 20 early background characteristics of education, home, and family from 16 literacy‐promoting current adult activities—all of which were coded into scales from respondent reports. Regression and canonical analyses showed that both early experience and current activities powerfully influence young‐adult literacy.‘Matthew effects,’ however, show early environmental advantages yield subsequent advantages that lead to wide disparities in adult literacy skills.
What's the title? A case study of questioning in reading
Authors: van der Meij Hans 
Published: November 2005

RÉSUMÉQu'est‐ce que c'est que le titre?On a observé des paires d'enfants de 4° d 6° année lors de la lecture d'un texte. Les enfants ont pose des questions sur le texte et ont posé ces questions pendant une discussion en classe sur ce texte. Ces observations ont été raealisées dans le but de découvrir les relations entre ce que les enfants demandent, la façon dont ils le demandent et en quoi le contexte affecte le questionnement.En moyenne, les enfants ont posé environ douze questions pour des textes de 400 à 600 mots. A peu près soixante pour cent de ces questions étaient des questions simples portant sur une seule ligne du texte. Une question typique est:‘Quel était le nom du père de Ivik?'. Pour produire une question de ce type il fallait surtout trouver la phrase exacte dans le texte. Par conséquent, la formulation était facile et conduisait presque toujours à une question fermée (par exemple, une question oui/non). Environ vingt pour cent des questions demandaient aux enfants B partager une expérience. Ces questions ouvertes invitaient les autres enfants de la classe àéchanger des idées sur des événements ou des sentiments décrits dans le texte.Les questions ont été posées pour la discussion et cette relation a affecté fortement le questionnement qui a eu lieu. On n'a pas trouvé, par exemple, de véritables questions de recherche d'informations (compte non tenu des questions relatives à une expérience). Dans le contexte actuel, de telles questions n'étaient évidemment pas de très bonnes questions pour une discussion en classe sur un texte. Par contre, des questions simples, explicites dans le texte, de type fermé, aident bien les enfants a contrôler les interactions question‐réponse et, par conséquent, ces questions sont abondantes. Peut‐être le meilleur exemple de la façon dont le contexte a affecté les questions est‐il ce bijou ‘Aimez‐vous la famine?’ pour lequel seules les réponses oui ou non étaient permises.Si les enseignants veulent que les enfants posent plus de bonnes questions en lecture, une recherche comme celle‐ci suggère qu'ils devraient stimuler les habiletés à questionner des enfants et créer un contexte favorable. Le contexte devrait amener les enfants à poser des questions dont ils aimeraient vraiment connaître les reponses. A l'heure actuelle la plupart des écoles sont des lieux où on exerce les enfants à passer maîtres pour répondre aux questions et à rester novices pour les poser.
A case study of an implementation of the ‘new literacy’ paradigm
Authors: Botel Morton , Ripley Patricia M. , Barnes Lisa A. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTWithin this article, the authors discuss a research project which entailed using teacher journals as a source of program development, assessment and change. Over the course of one year, teachers from the West Deptford school system voluntarily participated in a professional development program entitled the PENN Literacy Network. This training program was led by a member of the West Deptford school district, and its aim was to promote new ways of integrating reading, writing and talking into language arts classrooms and across the curriculum. During the course of this training year, teachers were asked to keep journals detailing their experiences and understanding of the critical experiences which they were presented with, and these journals were responded to by the facilitator of the course and were read by researchers associated with the PENN Literacy Network in order to answer questions and identify emergent themes.This paper addresses some findings, analysis and interpretation of the qualitative evaluation research project which grew out of a university/school district collaboration. It describes the Pennsylvania Framework and the critical learning experiences associated with this Framework and details, using journal citations, teachers’ reactions to the changes taking place within their classrooms and their teaching philosophies as they adapt such critical experiences to their own daily practice. The changes which occur in the program due to teacher feedback and concerns are discussed.Throughout this case study, the authors seek to answer the following questions:‘In what ways have teachers who participated in the professional development program utilized the concepts and practices of the new literacy effort in their classrooms?’ and ‘How do these teachers feel about these changes?’ They believe that using such questions to analyze the journals helps to provide validation data supporting the assumption that the PENN Literacy Network does facilitate change and this data helps the facilitator of the course, the organizers of the Network and the university researchers to integrate teacher voices into the program itself. In addition, teachers are able to use the journals to experiment and learn while sharing their thoughts and feelings with their colleagues as a form of teacher research.
Reading comprehension and information processing strategies
Authors: Sahu Shantilata , Kar Abantika 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated the relationship between the reading comprehension and information processing strategies of relatively fluent oral readers of Oriya orthography. The study was necessary, because Oriya orthography has some significant differences from English orthography and these differences could bear implications for the reading strategies and processes. Hence, it was envisaged that findings in the field of reading research using English orthography may not hold good for the readers of Oriya orthography.One hundred students of grade V were taken as subjects in the present study. Reading comprehension tasks simultaneous and successive information processing tasks and a nonverbal measure of intelligence were administered to all the subjects.Results show that good comprehenders were relatively more intelligent than the poor comprehenders. So far as their performance on simultaneous and successive information processing strategies were concerned good cornprehenders were better off on both types of coding tasks and these differences were found to be statistically significant even after the effect of intelligence was partialled out. However, no differential proficiency on either of these coding strategies was observed neither for the good nor for the poor comprehender group.
Reading habits of university ESL students at different levels of English proficiency and education
Authors: Mokhtari Kouider , Sheorey Ravi 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a research study which examined the degree to which the levels of English proficiency (high vs. low) and education (graduate vs. undergraduate) of students for whom English is a second language (ESL) were associated with differences in their reading behavior patterns. Subjects completed a survey which elicited information about several aspects of their reading behavior patterns including the type of materials read, the amount of time devoted to each type of reading, perceptions of their own reading ability, weaknesses, and needed improvements in reading. The results revealed that many of the mean scores obtained differed significantly, a fact indicating that the subjects’ levels of education and English proficiency were indeed associated with their reading behavior patterns. The paper concludes with a discussion of the instructional implications of the findings.
L2‐reading in the content areas: text comprehension in secondary education in the Netherlands
Authors: Hacquebord Hilde 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTIn the Netherlands, as in other Western European countries, many minority children are unsuccessful in their school careers. Their lack of achievement is associated with language and literacy problems. In secondary education they are faced with the task of text comprehension in the content areas, which is a reading task and a learning task at the same time.This study will report on the assessment of text comprehension in relation to vocabulary, grammar, non‐verbal IQ and background knowledge about topics used in the text‐comprehension test. Turkish and Dutch pupils took these tests during the first three years of their secondary schooling. In order to relate students’ different reading styles to their linguistic background (L1 or L2), three different subtests of text comprehension were used, each referring to a certain discourse level.It was found that the L2‐readers tend towards a top‐down approach of reading, which implies a stronger reliance on conceptual guidance than in L1‐reading. With respect to the childen's reading development there was a significant increase in their scores for Word Knowledge and Non Verbal IQ, but there was no progress in the scores for Text Comprehension. Especially, Turkish pupils in the lowest type of the Dutch secondary‐school system showed no progress at all.
Pause, Prompt and Praise: The need for more research
Authors: Goyen Judith D. , McClelland David J. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to evaluate Pause, Prompt and Praise as a cross‐age peer‐tutoring procedure in the primary school. The 18 tutees and 18 tutors were all poor readers, the tutees being selected from Year 4 and the tutors from Year 6. The tutor‐tutee pairs were randomly divided into three treatments: (a) tutors trained to use the Pause, Prompt and Praise procedure; (b) tutors not given any explicit training; and (c) a control group of Year 4 and Year 6 students not involved in any peer‐tutoring experience. Results varied according to the method of analysis used. Subjective interpretation of gain scores seemed to suggest that Pause, Prompt and Praise was the most effective treatment for both tutees and tutors, while the ANOVA of gain scores suggested that it was the tutoring experience that was effective, not Pause, Prompt and Praise. The more rigorous ANCOVA, on the other hand, suggested that neither tutoring condition was effective for either the tutees or tutors. The use of gain scores in previous evaluations of Pause, Prompt and Praise was questioned.
The first and second reading Standard Assessment Tasks at Key Stage 1: a comparison based on a five‐school study
Authors: Davies Julie , Brember Ivy , Pumfrey Peter 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThis paper assesses the value that can be put on the reading (National Curriculum En 2) Standard Assessment Task scores as indicators of what children are achieving in reading and whether reading standards are rising. The results of a cross‐sectional study of a sample of all the Year 2 children (171 in 1991; 171 in 1992) from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority (LEA) are presented. Pupils’ scores on The Primary Reading Test (PRT) (France, 1981) and the reading Standard Assessment Task score elicited by them in the previous half term are compared. Results show an improvement in the attainment level of children in 1992 compared to those in 1991 on Standard Assessment Tasks with a higher percentage achieving Level 3 and fewer on Level 1. However, examination of the means for each year group indicates that the mean PRT score for each Standard Assessment Task level is significantly lower in 1992 than 1991. Conclusions, based on such a small study, are tentative. However, it would seem that there is a need to view apparently rising standards, as measured solely by the Standard Assessment Task results, with a degree of caution.
Which cognitive abilities at age four are the best predictors of reading ability at age seven?
Authors: Grogan S.C. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTA longitudinal study investigated the relationship between cognitive abilities at age four and reading at age seven. Reading ability was significantly positively correlated with knowledge of grapheme‐phoneme correspondence, visual memory, auditory sequential memory, and Draw‐a‐man scores (intelligence). Once age (20ro) and intelligence (12%) were partialled out, auditory sequential memory scores at age four accounted for 13% of the variance in reading scores with visual sequential memory scores predicting a further 5%. Implications of results are discussed.
The ability to label the letters of the alphabet at school entry: a discussion on its value
Authors: Riley Jeni L. 
Published: November 2005

ABSTRACTThe article discusses the main findings of a research project into the development of reading in the first year of school. The research questions were addressed by: 1) assessing the range of literacy development exhibited by 191 children on entry to school; 2) identifying the entry skills that most reliably predict success in reading by the end of the first year of school; and 3) considering the extent to which reception teachers facilitate a mastery of literacy by both capitalising on, and teaching to, each pupil's prior knowledge.The findings from the data related to the first two research questions are the focus of this paper. The analyses showed that the ability to identify and label the letters of the alphabet and to write one's own name at school entry were the most powerful predictors of successful reading by the end of the year. Understandings of the conventions of print, although weaker, still had a positive relationship with reading, both at school entry and at the end of the reception year.An explanation of these findings is offered.