Examining the Effects of Reading Modality and Passage Genre on Reading Comprehension in Middle School Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of reading modality (oral versus silent) and passage genre (narrative versus expository) on the reading comprehension of middle school students. A normative sample of sixth- and seventh-grade students (n = 175) read narrative and expository texts from the Qualitative Reading Inventory, Fifth Edition (QRI-5; Leslie &; Caldwell, 2011 Leslie, L., &; Caldwell, J. A. (2011). Qualitative Reading Inventory (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. [Google Scholar]) aloud or silently and then answered questions about what they read. General reading skill was assessed by the Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency, Second Edition (TOSCRF-2; Hammill, Wiederholt, &; Allen, 2014 Hammill, D. D., Wiederholt, J. L., &; Allen, E. A. (2014). Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency, second edition. Austin, TX: PRO-ED. [Google Scholar]). A 2 (passage genre) X 2 (reading modality) mixed between-within subjects ANOVA was conducted separately by grade. Findings suggest that text genre influenced reading comprehension across both sixth- and seventh-grade students. Expository text was more challenging than narrative text in terms of students' understanding. Importantly, reading modality was not found to influence the reading comprehension of seventh-grade students and only approached significance for the sixth-grade students. These results suggest that although students may have effectively transitioned to being independent silent readers, additional pedagogical support may be required to develop effective strategies for understanding expository text.     

Phonemic Processes in Children's Listening and Reading Comprehension

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the role of phonemic activation in children's listening and reading comprehension. Phonemically confusing stories were presented in a listening comprehension task to kindergarten and second-grade children and in a reading comprehension task to second-grade children only. Rhymes induced phonemic confusion more consistently than did alliteratives in both the listening and reading tasks at both grade levels, suggesting that rhyme is inherently more confusing than alliteration, and furthermore, that phonemic information is activated in similar ways when children listen and when they read silently. Children's reading skill was also assessed to examine a possible relationship between reading skill and phonemic sensitivity, but no significant interactions between children's reading skill and their sensitivity to phonemic confusion were found in the reading task. In the listening task, all groups showed phonemic confusion in gist recall scores, but prereaders were less likely than readers to exhibit susceptibility to phonemic confusion in verbatim recall scores.     

Effects of Different Listening-While-Reading Rates on Comprehension in Secondary Students with Reading Deficits

Abstract

Effects of instructing students to read silently as another person reads aloud (listening-while-reading) on comprehension in secondary students with learning disabilities were examined. Two separate treatment conditions were implemented. During student rate listening-while-reading, (SLWR), experimenters read aloud at rates that approximated each student's oral reading rate. During fast rate listening-while-reading, (FLWR), experimenters increased their reading rates. A silent reading (SR) control condition was also implemented. Following each intervention the students answered five literal and five inferential questions. SLWR resulted in lower inferential accuracy than FLWR and SR. Discussion focuses on future research and implications for accommodating secondary students with reading skills deficits in general education classrooms.     

Eye movements of highly skilled and average readers: Differential effects of frequency and predictability

This study offers a glimpse of the moment-by-moment processes used by highly skilled and average readers during silent reading. The eye movements of adult readers were monitored while they silently read sentences. Fixation durations and the spatial-temporal patterns of eye movements were examined to see whether the two groups of readers exhibited differential effects of frequency and/or predictability. In Experiment 1, high- and low-frequency target words were embedded in nonconstraining sentence contexts. In Experiment 2, the same participants read high- and low-frequency target words that were either predictable or unpredictable, embedded in highly constraining sentence contexts. Results indicated that when target words appeared in highly constraining sentence contexts, the average readers showed different effects of frequency and predictability from those shown in the highly skilled readers. It appears that reading skill can interact with predictability to affect the word recognition processes used during silent reading.     

Patterns of Silent Reading Rate and Comprehension as a Function of Developmental Status,Genre, and Text Position

This study examined how comprehension-based silent reading rate (CBSRR) is affected by grade, genre, and text position. Second and fourth graders read 2 grade-specific passages (one narrative, one informational) in 4 sections, each followed by 4 comprehension questions. Analyses of rate with a criterion level of comprehension showed higher performances on informational than narrative texts and better performances as students moved through sections of a text. Percentages of students attaining CBSRR decreased across the four sections of both genres and at both grade levels. Implications of findings are discussed and question are raised about text complexity and silent reading patterns.     

The Reading Development of Swedish L2 Middle School Students and Its Relation to Reading Strategy Use

This two-year longitudinal study investigated Swedish L2 middle school students’ reading development and its relation to reported strategy use. Reading comprehension was measured on three occasions and strategy use was examined using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) scale. The results show that student reading comprehension scores develop significantly over the last two years of middle school (grades 5–6). As expected, second-generation immigrant students score higher than first-generation immigrants, but the differences are not statistically significant. The study shows no gender-related differences in relation to reading strategy use. Boys and girls use strategies to a similar extent. However, good readers reported using all types of reading strategies, particularly global strategies, to a greater extent than poor readers. Interestingly, the reading achievement of boys was strongly correlated to the reported use of global strategies, while the reading achievement of girls was not correlated to strategy use at all. Implications of the study and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

Effect of the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend Intervention on the Reading Achievement of Middle and High School Readers Who are Deaf

Two studies were conducted to determine if the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) repeated reading fluency intervention is effective in improving the reading achievement of deaf middle school and high school students. Participants included six middle school students and eight high school students. We found consistently good comprehension during the interventions sessions and consistent improvement in ability to read fluently increasingly more difficult passages in both studies. We also found statistical and practical significance for pre- and post-tests on the Woodcock-Johnson for reading comprehension for the high school students but not for the middle school students and no statistical significance for reading fluency in either study.     

Assessing the format of the presentation of text in developing a Reading Strategy Assessment Tool (R-SAT)

We are constructing a new computerized test of reading comprehension called the Reading Strategy Assessment Tool (R-SAT). R-SAT elicits and analyzes verbal protocols that readers generate in response to questions as they read texts. We examined whether the amount of information available to the reader when reading and answering questions influenced the extent to which R-SAT accounts for comprehension. We found that R-SAT was most predictive of comprehension when the readers did not have access to the text as they answered questions.     

Identifying Children in Middle Childhood Who Are at Risk for Reading Problems

The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate a universal screening battery for reading that is appropriate for older elementary students in a response to intervention model. Multiple measures of reading and reading correlates were administered to 230 fourth-grade children. Teachers rated children's reading skills, academic competence, and attention. Children were classified as not-at-risk or at-risk readers based on a three-factor model reflecting reading comprehension, word recognition/decoding, and word fluency. Predictors of reading status included group-administered tests of reading comprehension, silent word reading fluency, and teacher ratings of reading problems. Inclusion of individually administered tests and growth estimates did not add substantial variance. The receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis yielded an area under the curve index of 0.90, suggesting this model may both accurately and efficiently screen older elementary students with reading problems.     

Reading Comprehension: Effects of Individualized,Integrated Language Arts as a Reading Approach with Struggling Readers

This study examined the effects of individualized, integrated language arts as a reading approach on struggling readers' comprehension scores obtained from oral narrative, silent narrative, and silent expository passages at three levels: below-grade, on-grade, and above-grade levels. Students (N = 93) in grades four through eight, who were reading below grade level, participated in the study. Treatment group students (n = 51) received individualized, integrated language arts as a reading approach once a week in place of basal reading instruction. Comparison group students (n = 42) received basal reading instruction for the duration of the study. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze posttest Analytical Reading Inventory (ARI) comprehension scores. Several statistically significant (p < .001) differences in comprehension performance were found for on-grade-level scores and for above-grade-level scores, but few differences were found between treatment and comparison groups on below-grade-level scores. All statistically significant differences favored students in the treatment group. The findings of the study strongly suggest that the use of individualized, integrated language arts as a method for teaching reading is an effective approach for improving the reading comprehension performance of struggling readers.     

Reading Rate in Informational Text: Norms and Implications for Theory and Practice in the Primary Grades

The purpose of this study was to explore reading rates in informational text for children in the primary grades (1–3) by analyzing a large, preexisting statewide dataset (n?=?21,005). The results indicated that children in the primary grades read informational text at approximately two-thirds the rates that would be anticipated based on previous studies, and that these reading rates increased sporadically and slowly over the course of the school year. In addition, when cut scores or minimum rates from previous studies were applied to this sample, one-half to three-fourths of all students were identified as at-risk. Alternative norms for reading rate in informational text in grades 1–3 are provided, and implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

学生快速阅读过程的信息加工实质的研究

本研究主要探讨学生快速阅读过程的信息加工活动的实质。根据快速阅读理解测验成绩选出小学六年级优生、中等生、差生各 3 0名 ,共 90名 ,随机分成两个等组。首先对两个组的被试进行阅读预期测验 ,测定他们根据文章的部分信息预期文章基本内容的水平 ;第二步进行阅读找错测验 ,要求实验组快速阅读而对照组以平常速度阅读一篇有若干明显错字的文章 ,然后要求他们在作业卷上标出这些错字。研究结果表明 ,学生的快速阅读水平越高 ,他们对阅读材料的预期成绩也就越高 ;同时 ,被试在快速阅读的情况下发现文章中错字的数量要比正常阅读的情况下要少。据此初步认为 ,学生快速阅读文章的过程 ,是一种更多地利用概念推动 ,较少地需要材料信息的“预期—证实”的信息加工过程。     

The Relationship Between Students’ Reading Orientations and their Strategic Activity During a Collaborative Reading Task

This study examined the connection between middle school students’ beliefs about reading and their use of comprehension strategies during a collaborative reading activity. Seventy-one fifth- and sixth-grade students were videotaped while they worked in small groups to read and discuss short texts describing the reading habits and abilities of four fictitious readers. Students’ conceptions of successful reading were determined based on their rankings of these fictitious readers, and their strategic activity was indexed by coding their use of strategies and the participation roles they assumed while working together. The analyses revealed a strong relationship between students’ conceptions of reading and their patterns of interaction during the collaborative activity. The findings enrich our understanding of this relationship and raise important questions for future investigations.     

颜色交替文本促进小学高年级聋生篇章阅读的眼动研究

聋生由于听力损失,导致其在阅读方面存在一定的困难。如何提高聋生的阅读效率是一个具有重要的实践价值的课题。本研究采用眼动追踪技术,以29名小学高年级聋生为研究对象,考察颜色交替词标记形式对小学高年级聋生篇章阅读的促进作用。结果发现,无论是眼动指标的整体分析还是局部分析,均支持颜色交替词标记文本可以有效地提高小学高年级聋生的语篇阅读效率。本研究结果对于训练提高小学高年级聋生的阅读效率具有一定的启发意义。     

颜色交替文本促进小学高年级聋生篇章阅读的眼动研究

聋生由于听力损失,导致其在阅读方面存在一定的困难。如何提高聋生的阅读效率是一个具有重要的实践价值的课题。本研究采用眼动追踪技术,以29名小学高年级聋生为研究对象,考察颜色交替词标记形式对小学高年级聋生篇章阅读的促进作用。结果发现,无论是眼动指标的整体分析还是局部分析,均支持颜色交替词标记文本可以有效地提高小学高年级聋生的语篇阅读效率。本研究结果对于训练提高小学高年级聋生的阅读效率具有一定的启发意义。     

A Comparison of Reading Rates,Comprehension, and Stamina in Oral and Silent Reading of Fourth-Grade Students

This study examined the relationships between silent and oral reading fluency and comprehension. Findings indicated that fourth grade students had consistent levels of comprehension in both reading modes. Students of all reading levels showed a similar pattern across the segments of a text set in both oral and silent reading—a gradual increase in rate from texts one through three, a drop-off on text four, and the fastest speed on text five. A portion of the sample engaged in abnormally rapid silent reading relative to their oral reading rates coupled with low comprehension. Implications for instruction are discussed.     

Effects of a Peer-Delivered Corrective Reading Program

The effects of a peer-delivered Corrective Reading program (CRP) (Engelmann, Hanner, & Johnson, 1989) with repeated reading on the reading performance of at-risk high school students were examined. High school peer instructors and students in need of reading remediation were randomly assigned to dyads or triads. Peer instructors presented the CRP, conducted repeated reading trials, and took rate and accuracy measures. Pre to post test data were collected on vocabulary and comprehension subtests of the Gates–MacGinitie Reading Tests, oral reading fluency (words read per minute) and accuracy, number of repeated readings on initial and final lessons, and lessons completed. Results indicated that students' performance on the standardized reading assessment increased as did their oral reading fluency. In general, the number of repeated readings decreased from the initial lesson to the final lesson. Implications for further research are discussed.     

An Examination of the Effects of Repeated Readings with Secondary Students

Reading is a fundamental skill for success in school and as an adult. However, many children and adults experience difficulties reading. Previous research has demonstrated that repeated readings is an effective intervention for increasing both fluency and comprehension for elementary age readers of all skill levels. However, the impact of repeated readings on fluency and comprehension has not been examined with secondary students with reading deficits. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of repeated readings for increasing four secondary student's fluency on passages at their instructional level, at the ninth grade level, and on generalization passages from their school curriculum. Furthermore, the effects on comprehension were also explored. A comparison group of average readers served as an estimate for how fluently secondary students read. The results of this study demonstrated that fluency improvements were achieved for all of the participants with just ten additional hours of practice. Effects on comprehension were not as clear. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.     

Effects of Advance Questions on Reading Comprehension

Based on research on working memory and on advance organizers, the author hypothesized that advance information could have a negative effect on reading comprehension. College students read two expository passages and then responded to multiple-choice comprehension questions. In Experiment 1, advance information in the form of stems of multiple-choice comprehension questions was provided to participants in one condition, whereas participants in a control condition received no advance information. Participants who had received information about comprehension questions in advance of reading the text did not perform better in answering comprehension questions than those who did not receive advance information. In Experiment 2, readers were allowed to refer back to the text after encountering the comprehension questions. Those who received advance information on the questions made more errors than participants who did not receive advance information.     

学生认知方式影响文章阅读理解的实验研究

以初二学生为被试 ,考察了不同认知方式学生对不同体裁文章以及对有无标记说明文的学习效果。结果表明,(1)不同认知方式学生对散文的学习无明显差异,对说明文的学习场独立学生要好于场依存者;(2)场独立者对有标记的说明文的学习效果要好于场依存者;对无标记说明文的学习,场独立与场依存者之间不存在明显差异。