Increasing Self‐Selection and Self‐Location of Words by Mildly Retarded Children during Story Writing

Sentence‐writing behaviour, including use of words self‐selected and self‐located independently of teacher modelling, was established with eight mildly retarded children in a special class. The procedure comprised three components: 1) provision of word lists; 2) praise for self‐selecting and self‐locating words from supplied word lists; and 3) response cost for responses dependent on teacher modelling. The latter were termed Words Shown and Words Told, while self‐selected and self‐located responses were termed Words Found. In a sequential component design it was found that after baseline, supplying instructions and a word list (Phase 2) and continuing the use of word‐lists together with praise for self‐managed behaviour (Phase 3) decreased the frequency of Words Told, but Words Found and Words Shown were not appreciably affected. Words Shown decreased with the introduction of response cost for responses dependent on teacher modelling (Phase 4). Also, in Phase 4 Words Found increased substantially above levels in all previous phases and Words Shown decreased to zero frequency. These changes within sentence‐writing behaviour are discussed in terms of the need for accurate discrimination of and selective attention to positive and negative instances in the acquisition of self‐regulation.     

The Philology of Kinesiology

This paper presents a cultural analysis of our field of study through the lens of one word: kinesiology. Through historical, anthropological, and semiological interpretation, the cultural use of the word is discussed within the academic field of physical activity studies in North America. The study of the use, or the philology, of kinesiology within the study of physical activity is traced from its traditionally recognized Greek roots to the present cultural use, which is shown to symbolize the postmodern world. The progression from which kinesiology evolved, fist describing a “course of study,” then meaning a broad academic field, is noted. Throughout the term's existence in the field, common motifs associated with its use are highlighted. These motifs include coupling of the modem word to ancient Greek origins; the signification of “action,” “change,” “unique,” and “special” aspects; the use of the word to denote scientific, disciplinary, and academic characteristics; and the appropriation of the word to symbolize integration and wholeness.     

Training and Abrichtung: Wittgenstein as a tragic philosopher of education

As a landmark philosopher of language and of mind, Ludwig Wittgenstein is also remarkable for having crossed, with apparent ease, the ‘continental divide’ in philosophy. It is consequently not surprising that Wittgenstein’s work, particularly in the Philosophical Investigations, has been taken up by philosophers of education in English. Michael A. Peters, Christopher Winch, Paul Smeyers and Nicholas Burbules, and others have engaged extensively with the implications of the later Wittgenstein’s philosophy for education. One challenge they face is Wittgenstein’s use of the word ‘training.’ It appears throughout his discussions of language learning and in his periodic references to education. This is made all the more problematic by realizing that the German term Wittgenstein uses consistently is Abrichtung, which refers to animal dressage or obedience training, which is currently used in sadomasochistic practice, and which also connotes also the breaking of an animal’s will. I argue that this little-recognized fact has broad significance for many important Wittgenstinian insights into education. I conclude by considering how an unflinching recognition of the implications of Wittgenstein’s word choice might cast him as a pessimistic or tragic philosopher of education and upbringing—following German-language traditions—rather than as thinker more compatible with progressive Anglo-American perspectives.     

Visualisation to support children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder learning to solve mathematical word problems: A randomised controlled trial

This randomised controlled trial experimental study compared the effectiveness of using two different types of visualisation – self-constructed visualisation (SCV) and passively received visualisation (PRV) – to help children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) solve mathematical word problems. While SCV refers to drawings that children create to help solve given word problems, PRV refers to pre-made images that accompany word problems. Twenty children with ADHD in Kuwait, aged nine to 11 years, were randomly assigned to either the SCV or PRV group, where they were taught to use either SCV or PRV to solve word problems across 20 daily one-to-one sessions. The results showed that regardless of the visualisation type, children's word problem-solving ability significantly improved. Children with ADHD should thus be encouraged to use visualisation to help make the word problem-solving process more accessible to them.     

How word decoding skill impacts text memory: The centrality deficit and how domain knowledge can compensate

We examined text memory in children with word reading deficits to determine how these difficulties impact representations of text meaning. We show that even though children with poor word decoding recall more central than peripheral information, they show a significantly bigger deficit relative to controls on central than on peripheral information. We call this the centrality deficit and argue that it is the consequence of insufficient cognitive resources for connecting ideas together due to these children’s resources being diverted from comprehension to word decoding. We investigated a possible compensatory mechanism for making these connections. Because a text representation is a synthesis of text information and a reader’s prior knowledge, we hypothesized that having knowledge of the passage topic might reduce or eliminate the centrality deficit. Our results support this knowledge compensation hypothesis: The centrality deficit was evident when poor readers did not have prior knowledge, but was eliminated when they did. This presents an exciting avenue to pursue for possible remediation of reading comprehension in children with word identification difficulties.     

Predicting word reading ability: a quantile regression study

Predictors of early word reading are well established. However, it is unclear if these predictors hold for readers across a range of word reading abilities. This study used quantile regression to investigate predictive relationships at different points in the distribution of word reading. Quantile regression analyses used preschool and kindergarten measures of letter knowledge, phonological awareness, rapid automatised naming, sentence repetition, vocabulary and mother's education to predict first‐grade word reading. Predictors generally varied in significance across levels of word reading. Notably, rapid automatised naming was a significant unique predictor for average and good readers but not poor readers. Letter knowledge was generally a stronger unique predictor for poor and average readers than good readers. Well‐known word reading predictors varied in significance at different points along the word reading distribution. Results have implications for early identification and statistical analyses of reading‐related outcomes. What is already known about this topic

• Early predictors of word reading are well established, with letter knowledge, phonological awareness and rapid automatised naming identified as key predictors.
• These relationships are primarily investigated in average readers, or in groups of good and poor readers separated by an arbitrary cut‐off score.

What this paper adds

• In this study, we used quantile regression to determine significant predictors of word reading across a range of word reading abilities.
• The quantile regression approach avoids the loss of power that can arise when creating subgroups and has none of the issues associated with the use of a single, arbitrary cut-off score to separate good and poor readers.
• Letter knowledge and phonological awareness were significantly predictive of word reading across the distribution of word reading abilities, whereas rapid automatised naming was significant only for good readers, and sentence recall was significant only for poor readers.

Implications for theory, policy and practice

• Results reinforce the usefulness of measures such as letter knowledge, phonological awareness and sentence repetition in the early identification of children at risk for reading disabilities.
• Results also suggest that measures of rapid naming may add little unique information in differentiating between children who subsequently read in the below‐average range.

     

Letter to the Editor

Juliette Goldman and Christine Collier have recently proposed that the editor of Sex Education should adopt a policy of replacing the phrase ‘opposite sex’ with ‘other sex’ in all published articles, on the grounds that the word ‘opposite’ has connotations of hostility or adversity. In this brief reply I argue that their reasoning does not stand up to scrutiny and that their proposal ought therefore to be rejected.     

Utiliser les Préconceptions des Élèves pour construire l'Apprentissage en Sciences

In this article we argue the importance of ‘preconceptions’ of different age pupils in acquiring new knowledge of chemistry whilst at school. This inquiry was made in different situations (in and out of schools) in Belgium, on some 60 pupils of 12‐13 years of age. Six terms were selected that are of common usage in chemistry: element; reaction; model; to dissolve; product; and shape. Pupils had to follow, for each word, the same research procedure mentioned above. The final results show the utility of ‘preconceptions’ in the teaching syllabus.     

“Busting with blood and gore and full of passion”: the impact of an oral retelling of the Iliad in the primary classroom

This paper describes the impact of an oral retelling of Homer's Iliad on pupils' learning in Key Stage 2 classrooms (children aged 9–11) in schools in East London. We argue that the oral nature of the retelling and responses promoted high levels of engagement and inclusion, leading to enhanced understanding by the pupils. The use of a complex and emotionally powerful text also encouraged a changing of the nature of the discourse between teachers and pupils. Finally we argue for the use of texts like the Iliad as an integral part of the literacy curriculum.     

Policy prolepsis in education: Encounters,becomings, and phantasms

We argue that the concept of a policy prolepsis is a category of becoming-policy that actualizes educational practices within spaces of desired policy initiatives and implementations. Policy prolepses represent a range of emergent policy ontologies produced through the interface of educational actors’ senses of policy and their estimations of possible outcomes. We use Deleuze's (1990) logic of sense to argue that becoming-policy occurs in a pre-conscious space, and that this space is produced politically and used strategically for desired, yet ostensibly unformed, policy outcomes. Educational policy, then, is an ontological activity representing a myriad of policy outcomes through the management of semiotic desires and actors’ inferences about these persuasive signs. The paper illustrates the practical idea of policy prolepsis by demonstrating how policy apparitions use fear in becoming-policy. Policy apparitions, then, are just one species of policy prolepses that utilize the affect of fear to manipulate educational actors’ interpretations.     

Factors influencing Filipino children’s solutions to addition and subtraction word problems

Young Filipino children are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, which is not their mother tongue. Because of this, it is often assumed that Filipino children have difficulties in solving problems because they cannot read or comprehend what they have read. This study tested this assumption by determining whether presenting word problems in Filipino or reading them aloud to children in either language facilitated solution accuracy. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, reading word problems aloud did not seem to improve student performance (p > 0.10). In contrast, presenting word problems in Filipino significantly improved solution accuracy (p < 0.0001) and led to differences in error patterns – children were less likely to use an inappropriate arithmetic operation when problems were presented in Filipino. However, the language of the problem had minimal effects on the more difficult Compare problem type. Finally, the benefits of using Filipino were more pronounced for low‐achieving students who may have lower proficiency in English than their high‐achieving peers (p < 0.01).     

Reading Disabled Students’ Word Recognition Abilities: An Elementary and Secondary Perspective

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare three word recognition abilities of reading disabled students. One hundred and fifty (150) reading disabled pupils, 75 elementary and 75 high school, were randomly selected to participate in this study. Correlated t‐test procedures were used to process the data. The dependent variables were the students’ analytical, phonics, and context analysis word recognition abilities as measured by the Wide Range Achievement Test, Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, and 12 cloze passages. Results indicated that elementary and secondary reading disabled pupils have significant differences in their ability to use the three different word recognition abilities investigated. Implications for minimum competency testing in reading were discussed.     

Morphing images: a potential tool for teaching word recognition to children with severe learning difficulties

Children with severe learning difficulties who fail to begin word recognition can learn to recognise pictures and symbols relatively easily. However, finding an effective means of using pictures to teach word recognition has proved problematic. This research explores the use of morphing software to support the transition from picture to word recognition. Morphing software was used to teach word recognition to a group of eight children who were previously unable to recognise words. At the end of 16 teaching sessions, in a related design, the morphing technique was more effective than a word‐alone approach ( p < 0.05, one‐tailed). These results support the use of techniques such as symbol accentuation ( Miller & Miller, 1971 ) and challenge the concept that the use of pictorial information is inherently detrimental to learning in this context, in comparison to the repeated presentation of words alone. The recent advent of accessible morphing software removes previous barriers to this type of approach. The investigation highlights several useful avenues for future research, in particular, the use of mnemonic elements within morphing teaching methods.     

Preventative Reading Interventions Teaching Direct Mapping of Graphemes in Texts and Set-for-Variability Aid At-Risk Learners

We evaluated two experimenter-delivered, small-group word reading programs among at-risk poor readers in Grade 1 classes of regular elementary schools using a two-arm, dual-site-matched control trial intervention. At-risk poor word readers (n = 201) were allocated to either (a) Direct Mapping and Set-for-Variability (DMSfV) or (b) Current or Best-Practices small-group reading programs, typically for 10–11 hr over 10 weeks. Students were matched on baseline reading and language abilities, parent demographic measures, and observed regular classroom teaching quality. Results of hierarchical data modeling showed advantages for the DMSfV program (p < .05 for word reading and spelling at posttest and word reading and sentence comprehension at 5-month delayed posttest), with discernible valued added for the DMSfV condition across all follow-up measures. Results support the use of small-group preventative literacy intervention models that teach both direct mapping of grapheme–phoneme correspondences in text and set-for-variability.     

Overcoming challenges in learning probability vocabulary

Students can struggle to understand and use terms that describe probabilities. Such struggles lead to difficulties comprehending classroom conversations. In this article, we describe some specific misunderstandings a group of students (ages 11–12) held in regard to vocabulary such as certain, likely and unlikely. We discuss our efforts to help the students use such terms appropriately. In particular, we show how engaging students in a game requiring the use of the terms helped them begin to develop their vocabulary more fully. We also explain how a probability ladder visual organizer helped students begin to organize their thinking about the meanings of terms relative to one another.     

Impact of the word “bully” on the reported rate of bullying behavior

This study examined whether the definition and use of the word “bully” would result in lower self‐reports of bullying behavior by providing students with one of three versions of a self‐report measure with: (a) no reference to the word bully or its definition, (b) the definition of the word bully followed by use of the word in each item, or (c) the definition of the word bully and no further mention of the word bully in the item stems. Participants (N = 114) completed surveys, and statistical comparisons examined the impact of the word bully on reports of bullying behavior. Analyses indicated that respondents provided with a definition of and repeated exposure to the word bully reported significantly less bullying behavior than those who were not exposed to the word or its definition. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Relation Between Preschoolers’ Vocabulary Development and Their Ability to Predict and Recognize Words

By age 2, children are developing foundational language processing skills, such as quickly recognizing words and predicting words before they occur. How do these skills relate to children’s structural knowledge of vocabulary? Multiple aspects of language processing were simultaneously measured in a sample of 2-to-5-year-olds (N = 215): While older children were more fluent at recognizing words, at predicting words in a graded fashion, and at revising incorrect predictions, only revision was associated with concurrent vocabulary knowledge once age was accounted for. However, an exploratory longitudinal follow-up (N = 55) then found that word recognition and prediction skills were associated with rate of subsequent vocabulary development, but revision skills were not. We argue that prediction skills may facilitate language learning through enhancing processing speed.     

Neoliberalism is not a theory of everything: a Bourdieuian analysis of illusio in educational research

Despite the frequency with which the concept of neoliberalism is employed within academic literature, its complex and multifaceted nature makes it difficult to define and describe. Indeed, data reported in this article suggest that there is a tendency in educational research to make extensive use of the word ‘neoliberalism’ (or its variants neoliberal, neo-liberal and neo-liberalism) as a catch-all for something negative but without offering a definition or explanation. The article highlights a number of key risks associated with this approach and draws on the Bourdieuian concept of illusio to suggest the possibility that when as educational researchers we use the word ‘neoliberalism’ in this way, rather than interrupting the implementation of neoliberal policies and practices, we may, in fact, be further entrenching the neoliberal doxa. That is to say, we are both playing the neoliberal game and inadvertently demonstrating our belief that it is a game worth being played. In so doing, this article seeks to extend understandings of what illusio means within the context of educational research.     

An investigation of Grade 5 children's knowledge of the doubling rule in spelling

The goal of this study was to investigate Grade 5 children's knowledge of a common word pattern in English, to double the final consonant of a one‐syllable word when adding –ed. Significant correlations were found between –ed spelling and general spelling ability, as well as correct pronunciation of –ed words in isolated word reading and spelling. The correlation between –ed spelling and –ed word reading (r=0.31) is lower than one would expect to find in general spelling and reading ability. Individual interviews were conducted to assess children's explicit awareness of the doubling rule, followed by a measure of consistency in spelling a selected number of –ed words. Performance on an artificial grammar task indicated a correlation between implicit learning of nonsense letter strings and spelling ability. Overall results point to the unstable nature of children's knowledge of the doubling rule. Implications for instruction are discussed.     

词语义项在语言实际中的应用及其价值

表示词义的单义义项在语言实际中的应用表现在各个方面。多义词在具体语境中一般只使用一个具体的义项,同义词、反义词一般是指一组词的某个义项之间的相同相近或相反相对,词库词、词典词、应用词中的义项各不相同。义项在词汇量测量、词频统计及语言教学中都有重要意义。