Mothers’ mental-state discourse with preschoolers during storybook reading and wordless storybook telling

Recent research has shown that parents, through conversations during shared book reading, play a pivotal role in promoting children's social cognition, particularly their theory of mind (ToM). This study compared mothers’ mental-state discourse during two kinds of interactions with their children – storybook reading and wordless storybook telling. In both contexts, mothers were familiar with the books’ texts but relied to a different extent on the texts during the mother–child interactions. Participants were 72 Israeli mothers and their 4- to 6-year-old children, from an upper–middle socioeconomic level. Mothers were instructed to read or tell two stories as they normally would. Two books were used, similar in several major characteristics – author, illustrator, characters, story length, and false belief as a central theme. Main findings revealed that mothers referred to mental states in both situations, but during storytelling, mothers elaborated more, referring to characters’ cognitive states and false beliefs, than during storybook reading. Findings suggest that storytelling encourages rich discussions on important sociocognitive elements. Educators and parents should be aware of the contribution of storybook reading and storybook telling to mental-state talk and of the unique potential of storybook telling to encourage conversation on ToM-related topics.     

Social and behavioral correlates of preschoolers with specific language impairment

The relationship between specific subtypes of speech language impairment (SLI) and concomitant social competence and behavioral adjustment was investigated. Teachers and parents completed behavior ratings of SLI preschoolers enrolled in a language‐based intervention program and preschoolers without language impairment, including the Parent‐Child Rating Scale (P‐CRS), Teacher‐Child Rating Scale (T‐CRS), and Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale (SCBE). Teacher and parent ratings were analyzed across four SLI subtypes: expressive, receptive, pragmatic, and articulation. Results confirmed that children with greater language impairments had significantly more behavioral problems and poorer social competence than those children with articulation‐only disorders and children without any impairments, and these results were observed in both home and school environments. SLI children had particular difficulty with task orientation, assertiveness, peer social skills, and frustration tolerance, and were more likely to be dependent and isolated in the classroom. Implications for assessment and intervention of SLI children were discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 373–387, 2005.     

Efficacy of the TELL language and literacy curriculum for preschoolers with developmental speech and/or language impairment

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of a new preschool oral language and early literacy curriculum package (Teaching Early Literacy and Language [TELL]) for children with developmental speech and/or language impairment (DSLI) either as a primary (e.g., specific to speech and/or language) or secondary impairment (e.g., developmental delay that includes DSLI). Participants included 118 children (30 females, 88 males, M age = 53.58 months) with DLSI and their 29 preschool teachers. The design was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with assignment to experimental versus contrast conditions at the classroom level. Teachers in TELL classes received formal training, in-class support, and mentoring to implement the curriculum. Dependent measures for the children included scores on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool 2nd edition (CELF-P2), the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Preschool (PALS-PreK), the Renfrew Bus Story (BUS), and a receptive and expressive vocabulary measure developed for this investigation (VOCAB). Results indicated that when compared to the contrast group, children in the TELL condition demonstrated greater gains on the phonological awareness subtest of the CELF-P2, the sentence length score of the BUS, the letter sounds, beginning sound awareness, and rhyme awareness subtests of the PALS-PreK, and VOCAB. Results suggest that the TELL curriculum package has promise for promoting gains in early literacy and oral language skills in preschool children with DLSI.     

Joint storybook reading and joint writing interventions among low SES preschoolers: differential contributions to early literacy

This study compared two interventions: one focusing on language and storybook reading and the other on alphabetic skills and writing. Seventy-one preschoolers aged 3–5 from a low SES township in central Israel (35 in the reading program and 36 in the writing program) participated in evaluation of the interventions. Twenty-four untreated preschoolers served as a control group. The children were tested twice, at the beginning and at the end of the school year, in: phonological awareness, word writing, letter knowledge, orthographic awareness, listening comprehension, receptive vocabulary, and general knowledge. Both programs involved games and creative activities. The writing program encouraged letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and functional writing activities. The reading program utilized 11 children's books for focusing on language and exploring major concepts raised by these books. Results indicated that children in the two literacy programs progressed significantly more than the control group on phonological awareness and orthographic awareness. However, the joint writing group significantly outperformed both the joint reading group and the control group on phonological awareness, word writing, orthographic awareness, and letter knowledge. We also found that children as young as 3–4 years gained from literacy programs as much as did older children, aged 4–5, on all the measures assessed in our program.     

Literacy skills in children with cochlear implants: the importance of early oral language and joint storybook reading

The goal of this study was to longitudinally examine relationships between early factors (child and mother) that may influence children's phonological awareness and reading skills 3 years later in a group of young children with cochlear implants (N = 16). Mothers and children were videotaped during two storybook interactions, and children's oral language skills were assessed using the "Reynell Developmental Language Scales, third edition." Three years later, phonological awareness, reading skills, and language skills were assessed using the "Phonological Awareness Test," the "Woodcock-Johnson-III Diagnostic Reading Battery," and the "Oral Written Language Scales." Variables included in the data analyses were child (age, age at implant, and language skills) and mother factors (facilitative language techniques) and children's phonological awareness and reading standard scores. Results indicate that children's early expressive oral language skills and mothers' use of a higher level facilitative language technique (open-ended question) during storybook reading, although related, each contributed uniquely to children's literacy skills. Individual analyses revealed that the children with expressive standard scores below 70 at Time 1 also performed below average (<85) on phonological awareness and total reading tasks 3 years later. Guidelines for professionals are provided to support literacy skills in young children with cochlear implants.     

The pleasure of recognition: intertextuality in the talk of preschoolers during shared reading with mothers and teachers

Mature readers draw on a complex web of previous experiences when interpreting written and visual texts. Yet very little is known about how preschool children, who cannot yet read, make connections between texts. This study explores how 13 4‐year‐old children made intertextual connections during shared reading with their mothers (seven children) and their preschool teachers (six children). The findings indicate that very young children actively draw on their knowledge of other texts, and their personal lived experiences, to reflect on the meanings they encounter in unfamiliar picture books. The functions served by the children's intertexts ranged from the simple pleasure of recognition to more sophisticated comparisons between texts in terms of theme and plot. The extent to which the adults were able to integrate the children's intertexts into the discussions varied. An awareness of the important role played by intertextuality in children's interpretations of texts may provide early childhood professionals with a framework within which to plan systematically for the language and literacy development of young children in their care.     

Vocabulary use during storybook reading: Implications for children with augmentative and alternative communication needs

Storybook‐reading interactions are a critical component of emergent literacy, contributing to later development of conventional literacy skills. Children with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) needs must be provided with appropriate vocabulary to actively participate in storybook interactions in a manner similar to that of their typically developing peers. This study examined vocabulary used by typically developing kindergartners while being read a storybook. Words used by the kindergartners were compared to vocabulary on premade, commercially available storybook communication displays marketed for individuals with AAC needs. Results revealed that vocabulary on commercially available communication displays did not include the words used most frequently by the kindergartners. Results suggest that practitioners who use commercially available communication displays may need to modify the materials to provide children with AAC needs sufficient vocabulary to enhance their participation during storybook‐reading interactions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The roles of cognitive and language abilities in predicting decoding and reading comprehension: comparisons of dyslexia and specific language impairment

This study aimed to (a) explore the roles of cognitive and language variables in predicting reading abilities of two groups of individuals with reading disabilities (i.e., dyslexia and specific language impairment) and (b) examine which variable(s) is the most predictive in differentiating two groups. Inclusion/exclusion criteria applied to categorize the two groups yielded a total of 63 participants (n = 44 for the dyslexia; n = 19 for the specific language impairment). A stepwise multiple regression approach was conducted to examine which cognitive and/or language variables made the largest contribution to reading abilities (i.e., Phonetic Decoding Efficiency, Word Attack, Sight Word Efficiency, and Passage Comprehension). Results revealed that there were significant differences in which measures of cognitive and language ability predicted individuals with dyslexia and speech and language impairments reading ability, showing that the cognitive and language variables underlying their difficulty with reading abilities were not the same across the two groups. A discriminant function analysis showed that a measure of Verbal Comprehension, Phonological Awareness, and Phonetic Decoding Efficiency can be used to differentiate the two groups. These findings support the tenet that dyslexia and specific language impairment are two subgroups of reading disabilities and that thorough diagnostic evaluations are needed to differentiate between these two subgroups. Distinctions of this nature are central to determining the type and intensity of language-based interventions.     

Print and reading: What do preschoolers know?

John Downing, an eminent reading researcher at Canada's University of Victoria, says that many children come to school in a state of cognitive confusion about the functions of reading and the terms we use when we start to teach them to read formally. Adults take for granted that young children know what they mean when they talk about a word, a letter, a sound, and other print-related terms. In his studies done in England and in Canada, Downing (1970; 1973–74) has found that many children, especially those who have not been read to regularly, simply don't understand the conventions of print and really don't understand what reading is all about.Joan T. Feeley is Professor of Reading and Language Arts at William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey.     

Neurological basis of language and reading

The central theme of this article is that contemporary neuroanatomical-neurolinguistic models which conceptualize language and reading as multidimensional, interactive functional systems are more able than earlier localizationist viewpoints to contribute to our understanding of individual differences. After providing a theoretical rationale for this position based on Luria (1973,1980), three modern neuroanatomical-neuroloinguistic models, derived from the extensive case study literature of adult asphasia, alexia, and acquired dyslexia, are discussed. Specifically, the Geschwind-Dejerine model of reading which stresses involvement of classical perisylvian structures in the left hemisphere, Bastian's (1898) competing model which postulates more bihemispheric involvement in reading, and a neurolinguistic model to account for the different ways surface, phonological, and deep dyslexics access meaning, are critically evaluated in terms of their empirical validation, utility, and limitations for understanding individual differences. Finally, suggestions for future research are offered.     

阅读的心理过程模式与外语阅读教学

20世纪60年代以来,随着认知心理学和心理语言学的发展,阅读的心理过程研究先后出现了"自下而上"的信息加工模式;"自上而下"的语言心理模式以及"交互模式和图示理论.其中的交互模式与图式理论对外语教学有较大的影响.     

Examining the relations between reading fluency and reading comprehension for english language learners

This study examined the relations between reading fluency and comprehension among elementary school students (N = 171) in Grades 2, 3, and 5, all of whom were designated as English language learners (ELL) at some point in their educational careers. Although the overall relation between reading fluency and comprehension (r = .56) was consistent with previous research using non‐ELL student samples, results also revealed a substantial number of students (55.5%) who exhibited a significant gap (SD, 0.67 ) between their scores on reading fluency and comprehension assessments. In addition, the prevalence of students with fluency/comprehension gaps varied significantly across grade and English language proficiency levels. The results suggested that, although reading fluency and comprehension are significantly related for ELL students, practitioners should be cautious when making identification and instructional decisions for ELL students based solely on oral reading fluency data. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

商务日语阅读与语言经济学

本文引入语言经济学理论,提出了商务日语阅读课程与语言经济学理论结合的改革新思路,探讨了经济原则与效用原则在商务日语学习中的作用,为更好地推动商务日语教学和商务日语学科的建设提出了尝试性建议。     

Predictors of reading literacy for first and second language learners

In this study an attempt was made to construct a multi-factor model predicting the development of reading literacy in the upper grades of primary school in the Netherlands for subgroups of 729 first language (L1) learners and 93 second language (L2) learners. Following a longitudinal design, it was explored to what extent the variation in reading literacy development in L1 and L2 from grade 4 to grade 6 can be explained from children’s word decoding, language, mathematics and nonverbal reasoning skills, reading motivation and self confidence as well as their home reading resources. The results showed that L1 and L2 learners differed in reading literacy skills, language, mathematics, and reasoning skills. Structural equation modelling showed that the reading literacy development in both L1 and L2 learners could be explained from decoding, language, mathematics and reasoning skills, as well as their motivation and self-confidence. A striking difference was the fact that home reading resources had an impact on reading literacy in L1 learners but not in L2 learners.     

初中语文课前预习与课堂阅读结合方法新探——接读法

"能用普通话正确、流利、有感情地朗读"是《新课标》对初中生的阅读要求,语文课前预习和课堂结合的阅读方法对提高语文课堂阅读教学效率,培养学生"自主学习"和"实践能力",具有不可忽视的作用,"接读法"有效的将两者充分结合,促进语文阅读高效有趣展开。     

Early literacy interventions: The relative roles of storybook reading, alphabetic activities, and their combination

The study examined the differential contributions on vocabulary and alphabetic skills of three literacy programs: (a) storybook reading program; (b) alphabetic skills program; and (c) a combined program. It was expected that storybook reading would enhance primarily vocabulary while alphabetic skills training would promote primarily alphabetic skills. Program by age interactions were examined in two age groups (3–4 and 4–5 years old) to test whether the storybook reading program may be more productive for the younger children whereas alphabetic skills program more productive for the older children. Twelve low-SES preschools participated in the study, three in each program and three as a comparison group. Results indicated that the children in the three intervention programs progressed significantly more than the comparison group on name writing, letter knowledge and phonological awareness. Further, the alphabetic skills program outperformed the other groups on word writing, letter knowledge and initial letter retrieval, whereas the storybook reading program outperformed only the comparison group. Results on the combined program were mixed – enhancing more initial letter retrieval and book vocabulary than storybook reading program. In general, no differences emerged in the progress of younger versus older children except on receptive vocabulary – the younger surpassing the older in all programs.     

Toward modeling reading comprehension and reading fluency in English language learners

This study investigated the adequacy of an expanded simple view of reading (SVR) framework for English language learners (ELLs), using mediation modeling approach. The proposed expanded SVR included reading fluency as an outcome and phonological awareness and naming speed as predictors. To test the fit of the proposed mediation model, longitudinal data from 308 ELLs from different linguistic backgrounds were analyzed using structural equation modeling. We examined the mediating role of Grade 2 word-level reading skills in the association between Grade 1 phonological awareness, naming speed, and listening comprehension and Grade 3 reading comprehension and reading fluency. The results indicated that word-level reading skills fully mediated the association between phonological awareness, reading comprehension and reading fluency. Word-level reading skills partially mediated the association between naming speed and reading fluency. Listening comprehension contributed directly to reading comprehension and reading fluency. It appears that reading development in ELLs is better understood when reading fluency is added to the SVR framework as an outcome and naming speed as a building block of SVR. Theoretical aspects of the mediation model in relation to ELL reading development are also addressed.