Improving reading outcomes for children with learning disabilities: using brief experimental analysis to develop parent-tutoring interventions

The present study assessed the effects of summer parent tutoring on 3 children with learning disabilities using empirically derived reading interventions. Brief experimental analyses were used to identify customized reading fluency interventions. Parents were trained to use the intervention strategies with their children. Parents implemented the procedures during parent-tutoring sessions at home and results were measured continuously in high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages to determine whether generalization occurred. Parent and child satisfaction with the procedures was assessed. Results demonstrated generalized increases in reading fluency in both high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages as a function of parent tutoring. Also, acceptability ratings by children and their parents indicated that they viewed the interventions as acceptable and effective. Results are discussed in terms of structuring reading fluency interventions that promote generalization and maintenance of treatment effects.     

Cumulative Keyword Index for Volumes 93-95

Individuals with autism frequently show impairments in text reading comprehension. This often is attributed to poor ability to draw inferences during reading and to inadequate access to relevant knowledge. The current study tested this hypothesis by measuring the time taken to read the same question, relating to either physical or social world knowledge, when it was either relevant or irrelevant to the bridging inference evoked by a preceding two-sentence vignette. In the study, 16 normally developing adolescents and 16 adolescents with autism were matched on word reading accuracy, chronological age, and vocabulary but differed significantly in text comprehension. A strong priming effect was found, robust over participants and over items; participants read those questions that were relevant to the inference evoked by the vignette faster than they read those questions that were irrelevant, and no interaction with group membership or type of knowledge was found. This indicates that readers with autism, just like controls, were activating appropriate world knowledge primed by implicit inferences while reading the vignettes. Thus, the comprehension problems in these readers cannot be attributed to an inability to make implicit inferences or to draw on relevant world knowledge. Instead, we suggest that these problems must be sought at a higher level of text processing.     

阅读中文时信息整合的即时性

通过两个实验对中文语篇理解中相关背景信息的激活与整合到底是即时发生抑或延时进行这一问题进行了探讨。研究所用的阅读材料都包含一个目标句,它与局部语境一致,但与前文提供的背景信息冲突或无关。实验一采用自定步速逐行阅读技术,考察了一致性条件以及句子结束的标记（即句号）是否存在对目标句阅读时间的影响。结果发现,句子结束的标记是否存在并不影响目标句整合加工的进行。实验二运用眼动追踪技术着重探讨信息整合加工能否在目标句关键区中即时进行,实验条件仍为当前信息与背景信息的一致性,重点考察其对目标句中关键前区、关键区及关键后区的作用。结果表明,自变量的操纵导致关键区中反映初次加工的指标产生可靠的效应。这一结果表明中文语篇理解中整合加工的过程开始得非常迅速,是一个即时引发、而非延时进行的过程     

Social priming of dyslexia and reduction of the Stroop effect: What component of the Stroop effect is actually reduced?

Recently, Goldfarb, Aisenberg, and Henik (2011) showed that in a manual format of the Stroop task, dyslexia priming eliminates the normal magnitude of the interference-based Stroop-like findings otherwise exhibited by individuals participating in such research. Goldfarb et al. (2011) consequently concluded that the effect of word reading in a Stroop task (i.e., one automatic behavior) can be effectively controlled through an automatic instruction “do not read” (i.e., another automatic behavior). The present study further investigated these ideas by examining when and how dyslexia priming controls different processes involved in a Stroop task. To this end, the original finding was first replicated (Experiment 1) and subsequently extended to the vocal (instead of manual) response modality to examine whether previously reported eliminations of the Stroop effect persist with this response format (i.e., format producing larger Stroop effects). Since past work (e.g., Augustinova & Ferrand, 2012a; Brown, Joneleit et al., 2002; Ferrand & Augustinova, 2013) had suggested that various interventions were likely to reduce (rather than eliminate) the interference-based Stroop-like findings with vocal responses, a further aim of these experiments was to identify the component of these findings that dyslexia priming actually reduces. To this end, the effects of this intervention were examined in a more fine-grained variant of the Stroop task that distinguished between interference resulting from task-irrelevant processes involved in computing the lexical and semantic representations of the word (i.e., a written distractor to ignore) and task-relevant processes involved in the selection of a response (i.e., a color target to name) that are both involved in this task. In line with our past work (e.g., Augustinova & Ferrand, 2012a; Ferrand & Augustinova, 2013), the results of two experiments (Experiments 2 and 3) showed that in the vocal format, dyslexia priming reduces but does not eliminate the normal magnitude of the interference-based Stroop-like findings and that this reduction is solely due to the control of processes involved in the selection of a response (i.e., a color target to name) – processes that are known to be controllable in this format (Ferrand & Augustinova, 2013). Given that in this format, dyslexia priming had no effect on task-irrelevant processes involved in computing the lexical and semantic representations of a written distractor to be ignored – processes that are known to be automatic – further implications for the control of automatic processes via dyslexia priming are considered and an interpretation in terms of a unitary control mechanism for both the manual and vocal formats is proposed.     

The effects of linearity on sentence comprehension in oral and silent reading

This study examined the effects of linearity of language (e.g., de Saussure, 1916/1972) on performance on a sentence comprehension task, manipulating (a) presentation method (simultaneous, phrase, or flow) and (b) reading method (oral or silent reading). The study also examined the predictive powers of the digit span test (DST) and the reading span test (RST) for task performance. Fifty‐four undergraduate and graduate students participated in the experiment. The results showed that the DST score predicted performance on both garden‐path (GP) and non‐garden‐path (NGP) sentences, whereas the RST score did so only for GP sentences. This suggests that the sentence comprehension task requires not only comprehension but also temporarily storing verbal information, and that the RST score reflects the degree of tolerance for deviation from linearity. The results also revealed that silent reading has an advantage over oral reading in simultaneous presentation and vice versa in flow presentation, whereas the difference between reading methods disappeared in phrase presentation. This suggests that oral and silent reading require different strategies to facilitate sentence comprehension.     

读后续写在医学生叙事能力培养中的应用

叙事性阅读和写作能力是叙事能力的重要组成部分,在叙事能力培养过程中应得到充分的重视。读后续写作为一种把语言的输入和输出紧密结合的语言教学方法,对于培养学生的阅读和写作能力有重要作用。所以,在叙事能力培养的过程中,尤其是初级阶段,读后续写可用于训练和培养学生的叙事性读写能力。通过教学实践发现,读后续写把叙事性阅读和写作联系起来,能提高学生的叙事性阅读和写作能力,并帮助学生进行换位思考,提高其共情能力,最终提升学生的整体叙事能力。     

识图方式与地图难度对定向运动员识图决策绩效与视觉搜索特征的影响

目的：研究旨在探究定向运动员在识别定向运动地图时的决策绩效与视觉搜索特征。方法：研究采用组内设计,操控地图难度（简单和复杂）和运动员识图方式（精确识图和概略识图）对高水平定向运动员进行实验研究。结果：（1）随着地图难度的加大,定向运动员识图准确性下降,概略识图反应时增加。（2）识图时,简单地图比复杂地图注视频率和眼跳距离更大,注视次数更少;概略识图比精确识图注视次数更多、注视频率更高、眼跳距离更大;概略识图时,简单地图条件下运动员从起点开始正向搜索,复杂地图条件下从终点开始逆向搜索,注视区域面积大且分散;精确识图时,无论是简单地图还是复杂地图,所有运动员均首先搜索检查点说明表和终点,注视区域面积小且集中。结论：地图难度制约着定向运动员的识图决策绩效。定向运动员识图的视觉搜索特征受识图方式与地图难度影响,表现出不同的视觉搜索策略。     

中文惯用语的加工：结构和熟悉性的作用

为探讨结构和熟悉性在惯用语加工中的作用,本研究操纵惯用语的结构（偏正、动宾）和熟悉性（高、低）,采用Eyelink 1000 plus记录104名大学生阅读包含惯用语的句子时的眼睛注视过程。结果发现：高熟悉惯用语的第一遍注视时间和总注视时间均短于低熟悉惯用语;只有加工低熟悉惯用语时,偏正结构惯用语的总注视时间短于动宾结构惯用语。结果说明,结构只影响低熟悉惯用语的晚期加工,偏正结构比动宾结构惯用语语义整合更容易;熟悉性影响惯用语整个加工过程,高熟悉比低熟悉惯用语加工更快。实验结果支持惯用语的混合模型。     

自读、伴读和指读对2~3岁幼儿图画书阅读中文字注视的影响

幼儿对文字的关注是内化文字形式和功能（文字意识）的基本途径,如何有效提高年幼儿童对文字的关注是一个具有重要实践意义的课题。本研究以54名2~3岁幼儿为研究对象,记录和分析幼儿在自读、伴读和指读三种方式下阅读图画书的眼动行为。结果发现：1）自读和伴读方式下,2~3岁幼儿对文字和图画的关注具有相同的眼动模式,并且对文字的关注程度均较低;2）指读可显著提高幼儿对文字的关注频率,同时对文字注视时间、次数以及关注速度均表现出一定的促进作用;3）对图画的整体分析显示,指读与伴读/自读方式之间的眼动模式差异不显著;而进一步对图画的局部分析表明：指读不影响幼儿图画关注的全面性和有效性。综上所述,指读在一定程度上能够促进年幼儿童对文字的关注,同时动态手势也不抢占儿童阅读图画的注意资源。     

阅读投入对阅读素养影响的跨文化比较研究——以PISA 2009为例

基于PISA2009的数据,从国际比较的视角出发,使用两水平线性模型,考察阅读投入对15岁学生阅读素养成绩的影响,并分析该影响模式在中国上海、韩国、芬兰和美国之间的异同。结果发现:(1)总体上,在四种不同文化背景下,学生的阅读投入均与阅读素养表现关系密切。(2)具体到构成阅读投入的各个变量,阅读兴趣、控制策略、理解和识记元认知策略以及总结元认知策略均对阅读素养表现有正向预测作用,这在不同文化背景中表现出基本一致的模式;阅读时间量、阅读材料的多样性、网上阅读活动的多样性、校内阅读变量、记忆以及精细化加工策略对阅读素养表现的影响在不同国家/地区表现出不同的关系模式。此外,本研究探讨了从增加个性化阅读时间、增加阅读文本的多样性以及进行有效学习策略的指导三个方面培养学生的阅读投入。