Readers' tellings: Narrators,settings, flashbacks and comprehension

This research explores the impact of flashbacks and changes in settings and narrators on reader comprehension. Individually, 34 fourth graders (9 and 10 years of age), mostly with above average reading abilities (5.0), orally read the first chapter of a novel. Both publisher and readability formulae estimated the text to be at a fourth‐ grade level. A content analysis of the text indicated no ideas that would have been new or difficult for the students to comprehend. However, across the five story episodes, there was a change in time, place and narrator in the beginning of each new episode. Following the oral reading, retellings were elicited from the students, followed by researcher probes. All readings and retellings were audiotaped. Oral readings were analysed using miscue analysis and retelling ideas were matched, when possible, with ideas in the text. An examination of the miscues indicated that the vast majority of miscues did not change the meanings intended by the author. That is, processing behaviours reflected an understanding of the text. However, there were considerable gaps within the retellings, whether measured on the clause, event or story grammar element level. The constant change in time, place and narrator appeared significantly to impact the reading comprehension abilities of the students. The use of retellings for instructional and future research purposes is recommended.     

Writing through retellings: an exploratory study of language-impaired and dyslexic populations

This study was designed to examine differences and similarities in the writing of 15 language-impaired, 17 dyslexic and 15 typically developing control subjects matched on chronological age. Subjects ranging in age from 11 to 21 years were required to produce a written language sample using an expository text-retell procedure. The writing of these groups was compared on eight variables across discourse, T-unit, sentence, and word levels. Control subjects performed better than language-impaired and dyslexic subjects on all writing variables. Dyslexic subjects showed better performance than the language-impaired subjects on several variables including, (a) number of T-units, (b) number of ideas, (c) total number of words, and (4) number of different words while showing comparable performance on percentage of spelling and production of grammatically correct sentences. These findings support Bishop and Snowling’s [Psychol. Bull. 130 (2004) 858] position that the differences between these two clinical populations exist in the non-phonological dimensions of language.     

Going beyond the author: what retellings tell us about comprehending narrative and expository texts

This research examines the nature of comprehended meanings that do not match those of the author. These meanings were generated by two groups of fourth graders after reading a narrative or expository text. Readers read their respective texts aloud, followed by a recall and probes. Reading behaviours were examined to establish that processing difficulties did not significantly impact reader comprehension. Retold clauses that did not match those in the text were classified using a retelling taxonomy: substitution, addition, summary, conflict, rearrangement, omission. It was discovered that both groups of readers went beyond the information given, approximately 18 per cent of the time for the narration and 59 per cent of the time for the exposition. Additionally, the profiles of this information varied between the two groups. Narrative retellings contained a high percentage of conflicts, with very few substitutions, summaries or rearrangement of ideas. In contrast, expository retellings had significant numbers of substitutions and summaries, with fewer additions and rearrangements. It is hypothesised that reader background knowledge accounted for the variation in the retelling profiles and that this background facilitated as well as inhibited understanding. Given such variation even among these proficient readers, teachers not only need to help students develop background knowledge related to the text, but also encourage readers to cross‐check their understandings with the text. Interestingly, this cross‐checking is especially needed when there is an alignment between reader background and text content.     

Reading difference: picture book retellings as contexts for exploring personal meanings of race and culture

In racially and culturally homogeneous school settings, opportunities for children to interact with those who are unlike themselves are not always available. Picture book retellings provide contexts within which students are exposed to racial and cultural differences by allowing them to engage in vicarious events with people they might not otherwise encounter. In this article, the authors explore two fourth graders' aided and unaided picture book retellings. They argue that retellings are dialogic literacy events that provide children with opportunities to explore difference through social imagination and develop empathetic response to a wide range of fictional others.     

威尔士的文化与传统(之一)

Introduction 简介There are many great traditions of Wales,but threestand out that make it culturally distinct from its neighbors:the Eisteddfod,the Noson Lawen and the Cymanfa Ganu.Of these,the Eisteddfod is probably themost ancient and certainly the most popular.Most townsand villaqes conduct an annual Eisteddfod in one way or     

威尔士双语教育述评

最近几年,双语教育在威尔士开展得有声有色,并且获得了骄人的成就。其成功经验和启示都将对我国的双语教育产生有益的影响。     

Comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of oral and written retellings and passage review as strategies for comprehending text

The purpose of this study was to compare the instructional effectiveness and efficiency of oral retelling, written retelling, and passage review comprehension strategies on third‐grade students' accuracy and rate of answering reading comprehension questions. A modified alternating treatment design was used to compare the effects of oral retelling, written retelling, and passage review strategies. Each strategy occurred within the context of repeated readings with phrase drill error correction. This study extended previous research findings by examining the effects of oral and written retelling as strategies for improving both literal and inferential comprehension and by investigating the efficiency of retelling procedures. Findings revealed that students' accuracy in answering reading comprehension performance was better under both retelling conditions than the passage review condition. The oral retelling coupled with repeated readings and phrase drill error correction was the most efficient instructional method for answering comprehension questions correctly. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

National Curriculum Tests for Mathematics in English and Welsh: creating matched assessments

This paper aims to add to the growing literature on test translation and parallel development. After providing a brief overview of bilingual education in Wales and national assessment arrangements, the paper goes on to consider the experience gained over recent years in preparing matched mathematics assessments in English and Welsh. Although the paper focuses on the above experience a number of issues are highlighted which should be of interest to readers who may be concerned or involved with cross‐cultural, cross‐linguistic test development elsewhere.     

Counseling Attitudes of American and Welsh Counselor Education Students

The purpose of this study was to look at the attitudes of those students entering a new counselor education program in Wales to see if changes in counselor attitudes took place as a result of a year-long program. Minimal change appeared to have taken place. The second portion of this investigation compared these students with a sample of United States students. There were significant differences between the two groups at both the beginning and the end of the programs.     

Through a different lens: exploring Reggio Emilia in a Welsh context

In Wales, concerns about the perceived over‐formalisation of young children’s educational experiences led to the introduction of a Foundation Phase Framework for children aged three to seven years that advocates a more holistic, play‐based approach. Following the staging of the Reggio Emilia travelling exhibition, funding was secured for a project in which teachers explored Reggio philosophy and practices as a means of gaining insight into their thinking and pedagogy. Given the introduction of the Foundation Phase, the project also intended to support teachers’ explorations of child‐led learning. Looking at their practice ‘through another lens’ exposed teachers’ commitment to an approach dominated by prescribed, subject‐related outcomes. This approach influenced the way in which the teachers interpreted key aspects of Reggio philosophy and contributed to their difficulties with ‘supporting’ child‐led learning. The paper concludes that moving away from a ‘subject‐centred’ approach, particularly when the Framework includes prescribed learning outcomes, may be extremely challenging for teachers.     

Creating matched National Curriculum assessments in English and Welsh: test translation and parallel development 1

ABSTRACT

This article considers the emphasis on scientific evidence in the practical science curriculum in England and Wales, paying particular attention to some recent research findings concerning children's understanding in this area. The findings suggest that children's ability to conduct investigations in science appears to decline in the early years of secondary school. The authors discuss possible explanations for this decline which, it is suggested, contributes to a general failure among school children to make progress to higher levels of investigative work and in the acquisition of a real understanding of the nature of science itself.     

From Partnership to Collaboration: aspects of theory and practice in the Welsh quality assessment methodology

This paper outlines the fundamental principles of the quality assessment method used in Wales. It describes how these principles may be put into practice, and provides case studies from actual assessments to substantiate them. The paper draws on experiences from two perspectives: that of a quality assessment manager who is responsible for employing the method, and that of senior member of staff with responsibility for quality assurance at an institution which has been assessed. Although the case studies concentrate on the experiences gained at the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI), background material is drawn from across the Principality.     

The impact of attaining the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma on academic performance in bioscience higher education

Since the introduction of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma Qualification (WBQ) in 2003, an increasing number of students are applying to higher education institutions (HEIs) with this qualification. The advanced-level WBQ is regarded as equivalent to one General Certificate of Education A-Level (GCE A-Level). This study assesses the impact of attaining the WBQ in addition to three GCE A-Levels on overall university degree performance in comparison to attaining four GCE A-Levels, in three cohorts of undergraduate students (Year 1?=?318, Year 2?=?280, Year 3?=?236) studying Biosciences from 2005 to 2011 at a UK HEI. Binary logistic regression was used to compare the academic attainment of students who had achieved four GCE A-Levels to those who had achieved three GCE A-Levels in addition to the WBQ. Comparisons were also made between students who had achieved three GCE A-Levels and those who had achieved three GCE A-Levels in addition to the WBQ. The results suggest that students who achieved the WBQ qualification in its current form, in addition to three GCE A-Levels, performed less well academically in undergraduate studies than those who achieved four GCE A-Levels. Furthermore, this effect was still present when the balance between coursework and examination was considered, and when students who had achieved the WBQ in addition to three GCE A-Levels were compared to students who had achieved three GCE A-Levels.