Leveraging reading-writing connections through three transformative reading lenses

ABSTRACT

In surveys and semi-structured interviews, Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) discussed the role of reading in their first-year composition (FYC) courses infused with ‘writing about writing’ and ‘teaching for transfer’ perspectives. Three transformative reading lenses played a pivotal role in instructors’ pedagogies – deconstructing genres, situating texts in discourse communities, and reading like a writer – that each embody a paramount threshold concept in Writing Studies: writing is a social and rhetorical activity. GTAs’ responses indicate that these transformative reading lenses facilitate students’ ability to make reading-writing connections. When students engage texts through these lenses, the act of reading becomes a tool for shaping students’ current and future writing development.     

Making the right connections: Differential effects of reading intervention for subgroups of comprehenders

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different types of questioning interventions on students' reading comprehension. Fourth-grade students (n = 246) were identified as struggling, average, or good readers and assigned randomly within school to one of three questioning interventions: two inferential conditions (Causal or General) or one literal condition (“Who, What, Where, When” or W-questioning). Teachers delivered the interventions for 20–30 min, 2–4 times per week, for 8–10 weeks. All readers made reliable pre- to posttest comprehension gains as measured by story recall (ps < .001 to .04). Differential effects for intervention were found between two subgroups of struggling comprehenders—elaborators and paraphrasers. Elaborators benefited more than paraphrasers from Causal questioning (d = .86) whereas paraphrasers benefited more than elaborators from General questioning (d = 1.46). These findings suggest that identifying subgroups is important in developing and evaluating the effectiveness of reading comprehension interventions.     

Effects of three interventions on the reading skills of children with reading disabilities in grade 2

In a longitudinal intervention study, the effects of three intervention strategies on the reading skills of children with reading disabilities in Grade 2 were analyzed. The interventions consisted of computerized training programs: One bottom-up intervention aimed at improving word decoding skills and phonological abilities, the second intervention focused on top-down processing on the word and sentence levels, and the third was a combination of these two training programs (n = 25 in each group). In addition, there were two comparison groups, 25 children with reading disabilities who received ordinary special instruction and 30 age-matched typical readers. All reading disabled participants completed 25 training sessions with special education teachers. All groups improved their reading skills. The group who received combined training showed higher improvements than the ordinary special instruction group and the typical readers. Different cognitive variables were related to treatment gains for different groups. Thus, a treatment combining bottom-up and top-down aspects of reading was the most effective in general, but individual differences among children need to be considered.     

Effects of intensive reading intervention for eighth-grade students with persistently inadequate response to intervention

The authors report the effects of a yearlong, very small-group, intensive reading intervention for eighth-grade students with serious reading difficulties who had demonstrated low response to intervention (RTI) in both Grades 6 and 7. At the beginning of Grade 6, a cohort of students identified as having reading difficulties were randomized to treatment or comparison conditions. Treatment group students received researcher-provided reading intervention in Grade 6, which continued in Grade 7 for those with low response to intervention; comparison students received no researcher-provided intervention. Participants in the Grade 8 study were members of the original treatment (N = 28) and comparison (N = 13) conditions who had failed to pass a state-mandated reading comprehension test in both Grades 6 and 7. In Grade 8, treatment group students received a 50-minute, daily, individualized, intensive reading intervention in groups of two to four students per teacher. The results showed that students in the treatment condition demonstrated significantly higher scores than comparison students on standardized measures of comprehension (effect size = 1.20) and word identification (effect size = 0.49), although most continued to lack grade-level proficiency in reading despite 3 years of intervention. Findings from this study provide a rationale for intensive intervention for middle school students with severe reading difficulties.     

Student connections with academic texts: a phenomenographic study of reading

Concerns about the ability of post-secondary students to read scholarly materials are well documented in the literature. A key aspect of reading at the deeper level expected of these students is connecting new information to prior knowledge. This study is based on an activity where students were explicitly required to make such connections as part of an in-class workshop on reading. Phenomenographic analysis of these connections showed that students could establish links between the scholarly article and their personal and academic knowledge. It also showed that students read at both surface and deep levels, making connections to the words in the text or on a deeper level, to the meaning of the text. These insights suggest ways of encouraging students to deepen their engagement with academic texts.     

Predicting word-level reading fluency outcomes in three contrastive groups: Remedial and computer-assisted remedial reading intervention,and mainstream instruction

The aim of the longitudinal intervention study was to build a model of predictive values of reading fluency in three contrastive reading groups: remedial and computer-assisted remedial reading intervention, and mainstream instruction, to identify the most effective type of intervention for children with different profiles of compromised pre-reading skills. The participants were 7-year-old Finnish school beginners (N = 166). Two remedial interventions took place in four weekly sessions of 45 min over a period of 28 weeks in Grade 1. For a child with deficits in the core pre-reading skills (letter knowledge, phonological awareness or rapid automatized naming), the computer-assisted remedial intervention would be the most successful in remediating reading fluency in the transparent Finnish language. Furthermore, children in the computer-assisted intervention were able to reach the average level of the mainstream children by the end of Grade 2.     

Effects of a taped-words treatment on reading proficiency

In an effort to increase reading proficiency, five 9th- and 10th-grade students with behavior disorders were instructed to read along with an audio type of vocabulary words recorded at 80 words per minute. Effects of the taped-words intervention on rate of reading vocabulary words as well as generalization effects of reading passages containing some of the same vocabulary words were assessed within a multiple baseline design. Results suggested significant effects due to practice. Minimal generalization from reading word lists to reading passages was demonstrated. The results of the present study are compared with similar investigations.     

RAN as a predictor of reading skills,and vice versa: results from a randomised reading intervention

Although phonemic awareness is a well-known factor predicting early reading development, there is also evidence that Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) is an independent factor that contributes to early reading. The aim of this study is to examine phonemic awareness and RAN as predictors of reading speed, reading comprehension and spelling for children with reading difficulties. It also investigates a possible reciprocal relationship between RAN and reading skills, and the possibility of enhancing RAN by intervention. These issues are addressed by examining longitudinal data from a randomised reading intervention study carried out in Sweden for 9-year-old children with reading difficulties (N?=?112). The intervention comprised three main elements: training of phonics, reading comprehension strategies and reading speed. The analysis of the data was carried out using structural equation modelling. The results demonstrated that after controlling for autoregressive effects and non-verbal IQ, RAN predicts reading speed whereas phonemic awareness predicts reading comprehension and spelling. RAN was significantly enhanced by training and a reciprocal relationship between reading speed and RAN was found. These findings contribute to support the view that both phonemic awareness and RAN independently influence early phases of reading, and that both are possible to enhance by training.     

Causal connections in beginning reading: the importance of rhyme

Profound misunderstandings of the implications of rhyme and analogy research (sometimes called ‘new phonics’) for classroom teaching still appear regularly in the reading literature. It has been argued that ‘rhyme and analogy’ researchers do not believe in teaching children grapheme-phoneme correspondences (Chew, 1997). Rhyme and analogy has also been branded as ‘analytic phonics’, which is argued to be inferior to ‘synthetic’ phonics (Watson and Johnston, 1999). Such misconceptions are confusing the debate over how best to teach ‘phonics’, following the publication of the National Literacy Framework (DfEE, 1998). For example, some authors are suggesting that teachers should replace an emphasis on phonological awareness and onset-rime with a teaching programme based on ‘synthetic’ phonics (Deavers and Solity, 1998; Watson and Johnston, 1999). This paper discusses the implications of Goswami and Bryant’s (1990) theory about important causal connections in reading for classroom teaching, and reviews more recent ‘rhyme and analogy’ research within this framework. New research on the nature of the English spelling system and the representation of linguistic knowledge is also discussed. The importance of taking a balanced approach to phonics instruction and teaching children correspondences between letters and phonemes and letter sequences and rimes is emphasised.     

Delivering reading intervention to the poorest children: The case of Liberia and EGRA-Plus,a primary grade reading assessment and intervention

As governments, donors and implementation organisations re-focus Education for All Goals in terms of quality of education, increasing concerns have been raised over low literacy levels in developing countries. This paper provides key learning from the application of an early reading intervention applied in post-conflict Liberia, which included a robust assessment tool (Early Grade Reading Assessment) to measure the impact of the programme on students’ reading levels. A rationale for the design and methodology applied by the two implementing organisations (Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and Concern Worldwide) is provided, situated within the Liberian education context. The paper demonstrates the positive impact on programme quality, contextual relevancy and scale-up that a diagnostic baseline assessment has when linked to a tailored literacy intervention. Lessons learnt are presented to guide the identification of best practice in early literacy interventions at national-level and internationally.     

Beginning reading intervention as inoculation or insulin: first-grade reading performance of strong responders to kindergarten intervention

This study examined the first-grade reading progress of children who participated in an intensive beginning reading intervention in kindergarten. Specifically, the study investigated whether kindergarten intervention could prevent first-grade reading difficulties, or produce an "inoculation" effect, for some children under certain instructional conditions. Participants included children at risk for developing reading difficulties who received a 7-month beginning reading intervention in kindergarten. In October of first grade, 59 children who had achieved criterion levels on measures of phonological awareness and alphabetic knowledge were randomly assigned to one of two types of first-grade reading instruction: (a) code-based classroom instruction and a supplemental maintenance intervention, or (b) only code-based classroom instruction. February posttest measures assessed oral reading fluency, word reading, nonword reading, and comprehension. Between-group analyses indicated that instructional groups did not differ on any posttest measure. The students' absolute levels of achievement were compared to national and local normative samples. These results indicated that between 75% and 100% of students in both conditions attained posttest levels and demonstrated growth comparable to their average-achieving peers. These results support the hypothesis that strong responders to kindergarten intervention can experience an inoculation effect through the middle of first grade with research-validated classroom reading instruction.     

Enhancing student access to science curricula through a reading intervention

The current study explored whether a reading intervention combining flexibly applied multisyllabic word‐decoding strategies with evidence‐based fluency strategies was effective in improving the science text reading skills of upper‐elementary struggling readers. Four students, three in fourth and one in fifth grade, participated in the study. A delayed multiple baseline design was utilized, with a staggered 3‐week baseline followed by 8 weeks of reading intervention. Three students demonstrated small to moderate gains in reading fluency on science instructional passages, but no generalized gains in reading fluency on standardized passages. All students demonstrated direct gains in multisyllabic word‐decoding accuracy on science instructional passages, but no generalized gains in decoding accuracy on standardized passages. Participating students rated the intervention favorably and perceived gains in their reading skills. These findings support the use of science curricular passages when implementing reading interventions to enhance students’ ability to access the curriculum.     

Promoting gains in reading fluency: a comparison of three approaches

On the ground that reading fluency entails appropriate phrasing or prosody as well as facile word recognition, we investigated the effectiveness of text-based and word-based repeated readings procedures for promoting fluency of reading aloud and comprehension in second-grade children. Repeated readings of text printed with spaces between phrases and ends of lines at clause boundaries (phrase-cued text), repeated readings of text printed with conventional layout (standard text), and repeated readings of lists of difficult words from text were compared. Computer-based, guided repeated reading training intervened between a pretest and post-test reading of text. Each training condition led to significant benefits on one or more of the experimental measures obtained from reading aloud. Repeated readings with text resulted in greater gains in fluency than repeated readings with word lists. Reading with natural prosody was most strongly facilitated by repeated readings of phrase-cued text, which provided visible support for sentence structure.

Effects of simultaneous auditory feedback on reading accuracy during reading development

Five groups of twelve right-handed male children from the second to the sixth grade with normal reading efficiency were tested under three conditions of simultaneous amplified auditory feedback, binaurally, to the left and to the right ear, on reading aboud two separate classes of words, nouns and nonwords. Lateralized feedback was supposed to shift auditory attention towards the source of input and modify as a consequence, the functionality of the contralateral hemisphere. Right ear feedback improved reading accuracy with respect to the control (binaural) or left ear condition in the first three grades. No effect was observed in the fifth grade whereas in the sixth grade, the condition of left ear feedback improved only the reading of nouns. Changes in reading accuracy are interpreted according to an hypothesis of a decrement of the left hemisphere involvement during the course of reading development. These changes are discussed in relation to Frith's (1985) psycholinguistic model of reading acquisition.     

Computer-assisted reading intervention in a secondary school: an evaluation study

There is widespread concern over literacy standards in UK schools and growing evidence that problems become increasingly intractable as children grow older. Computer-based reading instruction may provide a 'fresh start' that helps a child to rediscover the path to literacy. Recent controlled studies demonstrated that infant and junior school children could be given very cost-effective support using RITA, a computer-based literacy support system that assists, rather than replaces, the teacher in providing support tailored to each child's profile of reading attainments. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of RITA in secondary school with 8 children (mean age 11.7 years) who were initially very seriously disadvantaged in terms of literacy skills (mean reading age 7.3 years). The RITA intervention over a 10 week period led to effective and cost-effective literacy gains. Significant overall improvements were made in the skills targeted, including reading standard scores, and reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. All children reacted positively to the RITA lessons, and most made good progress towards their Individual Education Plans. It is suggested that computer-assisted reading support can be effective in supporting the majority of children with reading failure, even in secondary school.     

Early intervention with children of dyslexic parents: Effects of computer-based reading instruction at home on literacy acquisition

The hereditary basis of dyslexia makes it possible to identify children at risk early on. Pre-reading children genetically at risk received during 14 weeks a home- and computer-based training in phonemic awareness and letter–sound relationships in the context of reading instruction. At posttest training effects were found for both phonemic awareness and letter knowledge. Trained at-risk children (n = 31) made more progress than untrained at-risk controls (n = 26) and kept up with untrained not-at-risk controls (n = 16). However, the headstart of the trained group did not affect beneficially first and second grade reading and spelling proficiency. Following the start of phonics-based instruction at school, the trained at-risk children could not be discriminated from the untrained at-risk controls, and they were delayed relative to the not-at-risk controls. In order to promote long-term benefits and prevent undoing the advantage of early intervention, delivery should be both home- and school-based and more effort needs to be put in throughout first grade.     

A quasi-experimental study of a peer-assisted strategy-based reading intervention in elementary school

Promising methods of reading instruction for elementary school students incorporate peer-assisted learning routines and reading strategies. In addition, models of reading comprehension point to the importance of various determinants of reading competence such as reading fluency and vocabulary knowledge. Multicomponent reading intervention programs need to be evaluated to determine IF and HOW they unfold their effects on the reading competence of elementary school students on the basis of such theoretical and empirical models. Accordingly, the present study was designed as a quasi-experimental study of a 20-lesson peer-assisted and strategy-based multicomponent intervention for whole-class instruction in elementary school. Linear mixed models and latent growth models were used to analyze the longitudinal data (pre-, post- and follow-up test) on the reading competencies (reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge, reading strategy competence, reading comprehension) and intrinsic reading motivation of students in the intervention (N = 187) and control group (N = 177). The results showed an interaction between the groups and the change in reading comprehension, indicating a significantly increased score in the intervention group at the posttest (d = 0.15) but not at the follow-up test (d = 0.12). The results of the latent growth model point to the importance of designing interventions that explicitly integrate reading strategies, reading fluency and vocabulary knowledge and also foster intrinsic reading motivation. In addition, reading fluency was revealed to be the strongest predictor of reading comprehension and the change in fluency over time was closely linked to reading comprehension development.     

The effects of a comprehensive reading intervention programme for Grade 3 children

A group of 37 8‐year‐old children who had scored below the 20th percentile on a national reading test were offered intensive reading instruction in groups of four during Grade 3 in two periods (10 and 5 weeks). The intervention was delivered by six teachers who received training in a comprehensive reading intervention programme called Epi‐Meta‐Mastery‐Approach, designed on the basis of the theory of metalinguistic development ( Gombert, 1992 ). A control group of 36 children received increased instructional intensity during the same periods. The intervention group showed gains in comparison with the control group on measures of word and non‐word reading and spelling.     

Effects of a peer-mediated phonological skill and reading comprehension program on reading skill acquisition for middle school students with reading disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a peer-mediated instructional approach on the teaching of phonological skills and reading comprehension for middle school (sixth- to eighth-grade) students with reading disabilities. All students (n = 38) were identified as having learning disabilities and reading at the third-grade level or below. One group was taught using a peer-mediated phonological skill program, Linguistics Skills Training (LST), and a peer-mediated reading comprehension program, Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). The contrast group was taught in the more traditional whole-class format using a widely implemented remedial reading program. The results showed significant differences between conditions, with students receiving the LST/PALS instruction outperforming the contrast group on Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, and Passage Comprehension using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement-III. Furthermore, large effect sizes for growth were found on Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, and Passage Comprehension for the LST/PALS treatment group. No differences were found between conditions for reading fluency. Findings are discussed in regard to instruction delivery format (peer tutoring vs. whole class) with respect to best practices for middle school students with reading disabilities.     

Using QR code enhanced authentic texts in EFL extensive reading: a qualitative study on student perceptions

Education and Information Technologies - Increased use of recent technological devices by language learners at all ages and various levels stimulates the integration of the latest technological...