中小学生语文阅读理解能力结构及其发展特点研究

本文从实证的角度探讨了中小学生语文阅读理解能力的结构组成及其发展特点。结果认为,被试阅读理解能力的水平主要是受其阅读理解能力结构的发展水平制约,因为即使在同一个年级组里。高水平被试组的阅读理解能力结构也比低水平被试组的阅读理解能力结构更复杂。而阅读理解能力水平的发展一般遵循量的累加与质的飞跃的过程,质的飞跃意味着阅读理解能力结构的发展与分化。     

不同阅读水平儿童中央执行系统比较研究

本研究通过两部分实验探讨汉语发展性阅读障碍儿童与正常儿童中央执行系统的容量差异和这种差异的性质。通过比较匹配生理年龄的不同阅读水平儿童在自定步速和固定步速的复杂阅读广度测验中的成绩,发现发展性阅读障碍儿童在两种阅读广度测验中都表现出中央执行系统容量的缺陷,这种缺陷既不能用加工效率理论,也不能用资源分配理论来解释,而符合一般容量假设。因此,本研究支持发展性阅读障碍儿童存在实时加工和存储信息的一般容量缺陷。     

时间信息在情景模型建构中的作用

考察时间信息在情景模型建构中的作用 ,探讨被试能否把一系列相关的事实整合进基于时间组织的情景模型中。实验一、二考察明确的空间信息条件下 ,被试能否把绝对和相对的时间信息整合到情景模型中 ;实验三考察无明确的空间信息条件下 ,被试能否把绝对的时间信息整合到情景模型中。运用扇效应研究的提取干扰技术评定是否出现了整合。 3个实验结果一致表明 ,当几个相关的事实发生在相同的时间段时 ,都发现被试建构了基于时间的情景模型的证据。实验三结果同时也表明 ,无明确的空间信息的条件下 ,阅读材料中时间信息本身足以使被试建构基于时间组织的情景模型。     

The blocking effect of pictorial prompts on sight-word reading

This study replicates and extends previous work showing that pictorial prompts can interfere with the learning of sight words by students with moderate mental retardation. Effects of training with 6 students were assessed during five conditions using an alternating treatments design. In four conditions, words were presented either alone or with a corresponding picture. In a fifth condition, pictures were used to provide feedback. The results showed that acquisition was achieved fastest during the word-alone conditions with 5 students.     

Identity matching of consonant-vowel-consonant words by prereaders

Using an identity matching-to-sample procedure, normally developing prereaders who matched individual letters with high accuracy (e.g., m and s) did not show high accuracy in matching three-letter printed words that differed only in the first letter (e.g., mad and sad). Teachers and researchers should not assume that children who can discriminate individual letters can also discriminate minimally different words that contain those letters.     

Recombinative generalization of within-syllable units in prereading children

This study demonstrates recombinative generalization of within-syllable units in prereading children. Three kindergarten children learned to select printed consonant-vowel-consonant words upon hearing the corresponding spoken words. The words were taught in sets; there were six sets, presented consecutively. Within sets, the four words that were taught had overlapping letters, for example, sat, mat, sop, and sug. Tests for recombinative generalization determined whether the children selected novel words with the same components as the trained words (e.g., mop and mug). Two children demonstrated recombinative generalization after one training set, and the 3rd demonstrated it after two training sets. In contrast, 2 other children, who received tests but no training, showed low accuracy across six sets. The 3 experimental children then demonstrated highly accurate printed-word-to-picture matching, and named the majority of the printed words. These findings are a promising step in the development of a computerized instructional technology for reading.     

Increasing intervention implementation in general education following consultation: a comparison of two follow-up strategies

This study examined two strategies for increasing the accuracy with which general education teachers implemented a peer tutoring intervention for reading comprehension. The intervention was implemented for 5 elementary school students who had been referred for consultation services. Initial implementation of the intervention by the teachers was variable, and the data exhibited a downward trend. When consultants held brief daily meetings with the teachers to discuss the intervention, implementation improved for 2 of 5 participants. Four of the teachers implemented the intervention at levels substantially above baseline during the performance feedback condition, whereas implementation for 1 teacher increased following discussion of an upcoming follow-up meeting with the principal. Student reading comprehension scores improved markedly during the peer tutoring intervention. Three students maintained these gains 4 weeks after the intervention ended. The implications of these findings for the maintenance of accurate treatment implementation in applied settings are discussed.     

Naming Speed Performance and Stimulant Effects Indicate Effortful, Semantic Processing Deficits in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This study investigated rapid automatized naming and effects of stimulant medication in school-age children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with and without concurrent reading disorder (RD). Two ADHD groups (67 ADHD only; 21 ADHD + RD) and a control group of 27 healthy age-matched peers were compared on four variables: color naming speed, letter naming speed, phonologic decoding, and arithmetic computation. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was conducted to predict group membership. The four variables loaded onto two discriminant functions with good specificity: phonologic decoding, letter naming speed, and arithmetic defined the first function; color naming speed defined the second function. Both ADHD groups were significantly slower in color naming than controls, but did not differ from one another. DFA correctly classified 96% of the control group, 91% of ADHD + RD, and 82% of ADHD only. A subset of children in the ADHD groups participated subsequently in an acute, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with three single doses (10, 25, 20 mg) of methylphenidate. Methylphenidate selectively improved color-naming speed but had no effect on the speed of naming letters or digits. These findings challenge the tenet that naming speed deficits are specific to RD and implicate naming speed deficits associated with effortful semantic processing in ADHD, which are improved but not normalized by stimulant medication.     

Rapid word identification in pure alexia is lexical but not semantic

Following the notion that patients with pure alexia have access to two distinct reading strategies-letter-by-letter reading and semantic reading-a training program was devised to facilitate reading via semantics in a patient with pure alexia. Training utilized brief stimulus presentations and required category judgments rather than explicit word identification. The training was successful for trained words, but generalized poorly to untrained words. Additional studies involving oral reading of nouns and of functors also resulted in improved reading of trained words. Pseudowords could not be trained to criterion. The results suggest that improved reading can be achieved in pure alexia by pairing rapidly presented words with feedback. Focusing on semantic processing is not essential to this process. It is proposed that the training strengthens connections between the output of visual processing and preexisting orthographic representations.     

Classroom applications of stimulus equivalence technology

We review basic concepts and methods of stimulus equivalence research and suggest applications in teaching rudimentary language arts skills in the classroom. We describe methods of establishing equivalence-based networks of matching-to-sample, writing, and naming performances. The methods may be used as a supplement to classroom instruction to assess whether standard curriculum-based approaches establish such integrated networks. Methods derived from equivalence research may be useful for remediation when traditional teaching approaches fail. Recent research suggests that direct focus on spelling performances may be required if entire networks of language arts skills are to be acquired. In addition, the equivalence relations themselves may require concentrated teaching in some children.