Exploring Differential Effects Across Two Decoding Treatments on Item-Level Transfer in Children With Significant Word Reading Difficulties: A New Approach for Testing Intervention Elements

In English, gains in decoding skill do not map directly onto increases in word reading. However, beyond the Self-Teaching Hypothesis, little is known about the transfer of decoding skills to word reading. In this study, we offer a new approach to testing specific decoding elements on transfer to word reading. To illustrate, we modeled word-reading gains among children with reading disability enrolled in Phonological and Strategy Training (PHAST) or Phonics for Reading (PFR). Conditions differed in sublexical training with PHAST stressing multilevel connections and PFR emphasizing simple grapheme-phoneme correspondences. Thirty-seven children with reading disability, 3rd to 6th grade, were randomly assigned 60 lessons of PHAST or PFR. Crossed random-effects models allowed us to identify specific intervention elements that differentially impacted word-reading performance at posttest, with children in PHAST better able to read words with variant vowel pronunciations. Results suggest that sublexical emphasis influences transfer gains to word reading.     

The Role of Gender and Reading Competence in the Development of Motivational Orientations from Kindergarten to Grade 1

This longitudinal study examined gender differences in motivation and the role of reading prerequisites, that is phonemic and comprehension skills, in the formation of motivational tendencies from kindergarten up to grade 1. The longitudinal sample consisted of 157 Finnish-speaking children. Teachers rated children's adaptive goals, (i.e. task orientation and social dependence orientation) at four points of time, kindergarten-spring, preschool-fall, preschool-spring and in the fall of grade 1. Children's phonemic awareness and language comprehension skills were assessed in kindergarten at the initiation of the study (i.e. initial phoneme identification, rhyming, writing of the alphabet, listening and instruction comprehension). Word reading and reading comprehension skills were assessed at the end of grade 1 in the three groups of children at risk for reading failure and in children with high reading prerequisites. The results showed that gender and early phonemic and language comprehension differences were associated with divergent motivational-developmental trajectories. Children with low phonemic or low language comprehension skill showed higher social dependence and lower task orientation over time than children with high initial reading prerequisites. In particular, boys with low reading prerequisites underwent a negative motivational change. The group of children who had poor phonemic and poor language comprehension skills showed most unfavorable development of motivation and reading. Findings concerning motivational trajectories are discussed with regard to the lack of fit between child's competence and curriculum demands.     

The Role of Gender and Reading Competence in the Development of Motivational Orientations from Kindergarten to Grade 1

In Canada, child care for kindergartners typically combines part-day school and child care. Exploratory research examined parents', teachers', and child care staff views on coordination between these programs. Community-based research surveyed these three groups. There was general agreement, and some key differences, among the groups in priorities for programs for kindergarten-age children. Social and language skills were generally considered most important; reading and writing least. Parents were particularly enthusiastic about a coordinated, school-based program. Teachers and child care staff were somewhat less enthusiastic about the model, with teachers' reactions the least positive. Teachers' views on the advisability of an integrated program were varied—some thought it would be of benefit to children, others disagreed. All three groups felt that a coordinated program would benefit by being school-based. Direct experience with integrated programs seemed to produce strong opinions about the value of program integration, with those teachers who had on-site child care programs giving the integrated programs the highest and the lowest ratings. Arguments are made for small-scale demonstration programs to expand provision of child care services using kindergarten as a foundation—and for rigorous evaluation of program impacts and outcomes.     

Predictors of Grade 2 Word Reading and Vocabulary Learning from Grade 1 Variables in Spanish‐Speaking Children: Similarities and Differences

We examined the components of first (L1) and second language (L2) phonological processing that are related to L2 word reading and vocabulary. Spanish‐speaking English learners (EL) were classified as average or low readers in grades 1 and 2. A large number of children who started out as poor readers in first grade became average readers in second grade while vocabulary scores were more stable. Binary logistic regressions examined variables related to classifications of consistently average, consistently low, or improving on reading or vocabulary across grades. Good L2 phonological short‐term memory and phonological awareness scores predicted good reading and vocabulary scores. L1 and L2 measures differentiated consistently good performers from consistently low performers, while only L2 measures differentiated children who improved from children who remained low performers. Children who are EL should be screened on measures of pseudoword repetition and phonological awareness with low scorers being good candidates for receiving extra assistance in acquiring L2 vocabulary and reading. This study suggests measures that can be used to select children who have a greater likelihood of experiencing difficulties in reading and vocabulary.     

低年级语文阅读教学方法初探

阅读教学是小学语文教学的重要环节,是习作的基础,是学生获取知识的主要途径。低年级语文阅读教学对提高学生识字、阅读、写作能力都具有重要的意义。本文通过对深土中心学校低年级部分师生的调查,分析了当今农村小学生语文阅读教学存在的问题,结合教学内容、学生的实际情况谈谈如何选择合适的教学方法,敢于创新,提高学生的阅读能力。     

Educator‐Reported Instructional Characteristics of Grade 1 Reading Interventions within a CBM Assessment System

We used data from the 2014–2015 easyCBM assessment system to explore the applied reading intervention characteristics in a sample of 3,074 Grade 1 students (and 5,145 interventions) in school districts applying a multitiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. We describe the number of interventions, number of assessments, the intervention start dates, curricula, instructional strategies, tier, group size, frequency, dosage, total time, and quantitative intensity. We found variance across all instructional variables, with 156 curricula and 59 instructional strategies applied. Based on our data, a “typical” intervention was a Tier 2 intervention that began before October, was delivered for 30 minutes/day for 5 days/week in a group with three to five students, was changed once if at all, and student progress was most likely monitored with word reading fluency measures.     

Effects of a Supplemental Vocabulary Intervention on the Word Knowledge of Kindergarten Students At Risk for Language and Literacy Difficulties

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary intervention designed to supplement research‐based classroom vocabulary instruction, implemented with students who may be at risk for language and learning difficulties. Participants included 43 kindergarten students who received research‐based classroom vocabulary instruction. Students with the 20 lowest scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test‐III administered at pretest received additional small‐group supplemental vocabulary intervention. Results of within‐subjects comparisons indicated that, overall, at‐risk students made greater gains in word knowledge on target words that received the supplemental intervention as compared to words that received only classroom‐based instruction. In addition, at‐risk students who received the supplemental intervention demonstrated word‐learning gains that approached those of their peers who received classroom instruction alone. Implications along with limitations of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.     

Reading the Word and Reading the World: The Impact of a Critical Pedagogical Approach to the Teaching of Criminology in Higher Education

Critical pedagogical approaches are underpinned by the principal that education is an inherently political process which should be concerned with enabling students to be reflective, independent, and critical thinkers. In this paper we argue that facilitating the development of a critical consciousness is an integral part of the teaching of critical criminology in higher education. We contend that it is essential if students are to recognize the broader social and political contexts of their own, and others’, lived experiences and thus be able to challenge political oppressions and domain ideologies. By drawing on a pilot study conducted with final‐year undergraduates from a university in the north west of England, the paper will demonstrate how a critical education (critical in terms of subject content, and teaching practice) can better enable students to develop both academically and, as importantly, with regard to their personal, social, and political consciousness.     

增值理念下的新疆双语教学质量评价——对小学五年级汉语学科的实证研究

增值性评价作为一种新的教育评价思路,近年来得到越来越广泛的关注。它以"增值"作为评价指标,关注学生的进步,能够实现对学校和教师效能的客观评价。本文采用阶层线性模型,利用新疆双语教学小学五年级汉语学科的相关数据进行增值评价研究。研究计算出了学生、教师、学校的不同增值,对影响学生学业成绩的不同层次因素进行了分析。学习兴趣、学习策略等学生自身因素,教龄、职称等教师因素对学生的汉语学习起着显著的促进作用。据此,本文提出了相应的教学改进及教学质量评价建议。     

Focusing Attention on Decoding for Children With Poor Reading Skills: Design and Preliminary Tests of the Word Building Intervention

This study examined the reading skills of children who have deficient decoding skills in the years following the first grade and traced their progress across 20 sessions of a decoding skills intervention called Word Building. Initially, the children demonstrated deficits in decoding, reading comprehension, and phonemic awareness skills. Further examination of decoding attempts revealed a pattern of accurate decoding of the first grapheme in a word, followed by relatively worse performance on subsequent vowels and consonants, suggesting that these children were not engaging in full alphabetic decoding. The intervention directed attention to each grapheme position within a word through a procedure of progressive minimal pairing of words that differed by one grapheme. Relative to children randomly assigned to a control group, children assigned to the intervention condition demonstrated significantly greater improvements in decoding attempts at all grapheme positions and also demonstrated significantly greater improvements in standardized measures of decoding, reading comprehension, and phonological awareness. Results are discussed in terms of the consequences of not fully engaging in alphabetic decoding during early reading experience, and the self-teaching role of alphabetic decoding for improving word identification, reading comprehension, and phonological awareness skills.     

泛中有精 语用为本——关于泛读教学的思考

泛读是高校英语专业的基础课之一 ,因其课时短 ( 2节 /周 )而长期滞留在“边缘”地带——不受青睐 ,更不用说对这片“荒漠”进行整治。本人以为泛读的深层含义应该是理解性的多读 ;泛读教学应体现泛中有精 ,语用为本的原则。笔者根据该课特点 ,在教学中采取了如下几点做法 :第一 ,加强语境教学 ;第二 ,注意文化知识的积淀 ;第三 ,掌握课文结构 ;第四 ,强化考试手段     

小学诗歌教学法点滴

在“九义”小语课本中 ,有几十首诗歌。诗歌成为小语教学重点之一。诗歌有它的特点 :言简成行押韵 ,世间风物万象 ,意义含蓄深远 ,思想情感丰富等。通过教学 ,不但要学生掌握全面的知识 ,还要使学生领会思想感情 ,从中受到教育、启迪、陶冶等。因此 ,诗歌教学也是难点。对此 ,诗歌教学应打破老式方法 ,开辟采用新颖独特的教学方法。一、识图补充法。小语诗歌多半配有彩图 ,利用彩图有效促进诗歌教学 ,是较好的途径。识图是直观教学 ,包含两层意思 :一是分别指导认识彩图上的景物 ;二是讲求顺序性和连贯性 ,不能东拉西扯 ,东拼西凑。补充 ,指…     

亲职教育在幼儿园开展情况的研究——以某市幼儿园为例

做好学前儿童教育成为当前社会尤为重视的话题,家长作为幼儿的重要他人,需要进行相应的亲职教育。因此,幼儿园做好对幼儿家长的亲职教育尤为重要。本研究采用观察法和访谈法对某市五所幼儿园的亲职教育情况进行调查,分析得出:幼儿园对亲职教育的重视程度普遍低,其内容缺乏系统性和完整性,目标不明确,形式缺乏创新,效度低且缺少反馈,亲职教育人员缺乏专业性。针对上述调查结果,笔者提出相应的建议:增强家园责任意识,普及亲职教育的重要性;制定合理的亲职教育体系,增强教育的科学性和系统性;发掘新颖高效的亲职教育形式,提高家长参与度;提高师资的专业能力,建立评价机制。     

Curriculum-Based Measurement as a Predictor of Performance on a State Assessment: Diagnostic Efficiency of Local Norms

With the concurrent emphasis on accountability, prevention, and early intervention, curriculum-based measurement of reading (R-CBM) is playing an increasingly important role in the educational process. This study investigated the differences in diagnostic accuracy and utility between commercial norms and local norms when making high-stakes, local decisions. Scores on Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills Oral Reading Fluency for 1,374 students in Grades 2 to 5 were used to predict outcomes the Georgia reading achievement test, the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests. Local norms were generated using logistic regression and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. The generated cut scores were compared to the commercial norms for differences in diagnostic efficiency. The generated cut scores were lower than the commercial norms and had improved diagnostic efficiency. Implications related to educational policy and the use of R-CBM are discussed.     

浅谈在八年级语文教学中培养聋生阅读理解能力的一点尝试

作为聋校语文教学一线工作者,立足于聋人特点和教育规律,结合聋校八年级语文教学实际,在探索有效教学方式、充实教育内容方面,对培养聋生阅读理解能力进行了尝试。     

Teaching Phonological Awareness and Metacognitive Strategies to Children with Reading Difficulties: A comparison of two instructional methods

This paper describes an applied training study which investigated the differential effects of two instructional methods on the reading performance of primary school children with reading difficulties. Sixty five children aged 7-10 participated. Twenty five children were assigned to each of two experimental groups: direct instruction in phonological awareness and the alphabetic principle, or the same direct instruction in phonological awareness in conjunction with training in specific metalinguistic concepts and metacognitive strategies. Fifteen children were selected as controls. Reading performance from baseline was measured within a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest experimental design. Data and results are presented on 60 children owing to attrition. Results showed that direct instruction in phonological awareness improved the reading performance of children with reading difficulties over time. However, direct instruction in phonological awareness in conjunction with explicit training in specific metalinguistic concepts and metacognitive strategies was more advantageous overall.     

Assessment of the Reading Skill Improvement in the Computer-Assisted Teaching of a Foreign Language

This article reports the findings of a case study on the influence that the computer-assisted teaching of a foreign language has on the reading skill of elementary school pupils. In fact, it has been investigated the degree to which abilities inferred from the reading process are improved by delivering a typical introductory course of the French language to a Greek speaking target group, based on the use of the generic functions that most of the computer-assisted instructional tools provide. The study was focused on the abilities of perception, information retrieval and concentration and was conducted over a period of three years. It was based on the design and execution of pupil assessment tests on a control and an experimental group per year. At each year, the control group was taught the subject in the traditional textbook-based approach and the experimental group by a computer-assisted approach. The presentation of the textbook teaching material was enhanced with features that only the use of the generic functions of a computer-assisted teaching could offer. An extensive statistical evaluation of the results has disclosed that the use of the computer had definitely a positive influence on the abilities of perception and information retrieval.     

面向对外汉语教学的形容词词义模糊性研究

模糊语言学进入人们研究视野的时间很短,还是一个年轻、不够成熟的学科。对外汉语教学中对语言模糊性的研究很少,重视不够。但是,学习"汉语热"的浪潮急需一些相关的研究成果出现。由于现代汉语形容词在词义方面具有模糊性从而使形容词教学成为汉语作为第二语言教学的一项关键内容。形容词词义的模糊性主要体现在性质形容词和状态形容词两个方面。对外汉语教学中,准确分析性质形容词和状态形容词词义的模糊性有助于教师的教和留学生的学。     

The Effectiveness of a Color‐Coded,Onset‐Rime Decoding Intervention with First‐Grade Students at Serious Risk for Reading Disabilities

This study was an investigation into the effectiveness of a color‐coded, onset‐rime–based decoding intervention with first‐graders at serious risk for reading disabilities using a single‐subject multiple probe design. Students increased their ability to decode instructional words on average 73% over baseline. For novel words from instructed rime patterns, scores increased by an average of 56%. Transfer at the vowel level to uninstructed rime patterns was limited, with scores improving by an average of 29%. Students maintained decoding gains at 1‐week and 1‐month maintenance. While acknowledging the difficulty in predicting reading disabilities based on first‐grade performance, the effectiveness of the early intervention is a promising step in finding an instructional approach that is successful with the most at risk or disabled students who often do not respond to effective remedial programs.