Browsing by Subject "reading comprehension"
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Item Academic Language Proficiency Development and Its Impact on Reading Comprehension: Within and Across Languages(2012-07-16) Spies, TracyA path model of second language (L2; English) oral language and reading comprehension variables was tested on a sample of 100 Spanish-speaking English-language learners enrolled in a transitional bilingual program over a 3-year period. The data collected were a part of a longitudinal, federally funded experimental project entitled English Language and Literacy Acquisition (Project ELLA). The purpose of this study was (a) to test a path model on discrete L2 academic language proficiency variables on L2 reading comprehension, (b) to test a path model on discrete L2 academic language proficiency variables and L2 reading comprehension on L1 reading comprehension, and (c) to compare the influence of L2 language development on reading comprehension development in L2 and L1 between students enrolled in transitional bilingual education experimental (TBE-E) classrooms and those enrolled in the transitional bilingual education control or typical (TBE-T) classrooms. Results indicated the two groups did not differ significantly in their overall levels of achievement. However, striking differences were noted in how the academic language proficiency variables influenced reading comprehension outcomes. English listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar had significant influences on reading comprehension in the TBE-E group while English listening comprehension was the only predictor variable for the TBE-T group. Cross-linguistic transfer was established in the TBE-E group from English reading comprehension to Spanish reading comprehension whereas no transfer was detected in the TBE-T group. It is evident that high quality comprehensive ESL instruction develops academic oral language proficiency that contributes to effective reading comprehension while students continue to learn in their native language. However, in the absence of a high quality ESL instruction, students may develop academic oral language proficiency, but are ineffective in utilizing these skills for reading comprehension. It is also evident that time spent developing quality L2 reading comprehension influences L1 reading comprehension even though less time is spent in L1, suggesting cross-linguistic transfer from L2 to L1. More effective English skills coupled with effective native language skills suggests the TBE-E students have added cognitive benefits of bilingualism while the TBE-T students remain ineffective in using available language proficiency skills for effective reading comprehension.Item Engagement in Reading and Access to Print: The Relationship of Home and School to Overall Reading Achievement Among Fourth Grade English Speakers(2013-04-05) Allaith, Zainab A.The present study puts forward two models which examine the relationship between at home at school variables of (1) engagement in shared and independent reading and (2) access to print with reading achievement. Participants were fourth grade English speakers from Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia), New Zealand, England, and USA. Data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) questionnaires and reading achievement test were used to design the two models, and Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to analyze the data where students (Level-1) were nested within classrooms (Level-2). The results of the Engagement in Reading Model demonstrate that activities of shared reading at home and at school did not statistically significantly relate or related negatively with reading achievement. Parents helping their children with school readings emerged as the strongest negative predictor of reading achievement in the entire model. However, the relationship between how often participants talked with their families about what they read on their own and reading achievement was positive. Additionally, independent reading at school, reading for fun at home, and reading printed material (books and magazines) at home predicated reading achievement positively; reading for homework did not predict reading achievement; and reading for information and reading on the internet at home predicted reading achievement negatively. The results of the Access to Print Model demonstrate that while access to books and other reading material at home related positively with reading achievement, access to books and other reading material at school did not overall relate to students? reading achievement. Additionally, access to the library, generally, did not relate to reading achievement; and when statistical significance was found it was not replicated in all or even most of the countries. Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended that fourth graders be given ample opportunities to read books of their own choosing independently at school, and to develop students? habits and motivation to read for leisure during their free after school time. Additionally, children should be provided with ample access to reading material at home which is geared towards their interests.Item Revising Selected Written Patient Education Materials Through Readability and Concreteness(2011-10-21) Goolsby, Rhonda DeniseThe current state of much research on written patient education materials (WPEM) suggests that they are written in a manner that is too difficult even for educated patients to understand and remember. Much of the research in this area is focused on modification of the readability of WPEM, which has shown to be relatively ineffective. In this study, an attempt was made to determine if a theory-based method in revising WPEM for improved comprehensibility and memorability was effective. The effectiveness of three versions of WPEM regarding breast self-exams (BSEs) was examined; the original version without illustrations obtained from the American Cancer Society website, a version that was written at a lower readability level as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid readability formula, and a version with a lower readability level as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid readability formula and the increased use of concrete language as suggested by Dual Coding Theory. The researcher compared the percentage of recall of idea units recalled by 76 participants at two time periods: immediately after reading the randomly assigned version of WPEM and seven days after the initial reading. The WPEM that contained the lower readability level and concrete language was most recalled by participants both at immediate recall and delayed recall. In fact, the delayed recall of the WPEM that contained the lower readability level and concrete language after the seven-day period was almost equivalent to the immediate recall of the participants in the other two groups. A significant main effect was found for the forms of WPEM, F(2, 73) = 27.69, p = .00, n2 p = .43 with an observed power of 1.00. A significant main effect was found for time, F(1, 73) = 161.94, p <.00, n2 p = .69 with an observed power of 1.00. A significant interaction of WPEM and time was found, F(2, 73) = 5.07, p = .01, n2 p = .12 with an observed power of .80. Reported levels of frequency of performing BSEs and levels of confidence in performing BSEs were also analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test in relation to the three WPEM versions over time. Reported frequency was significantly greater after seven days, regardless of form of WPEM (WPEM A, p = .32; WPEM B, p = 1.00; WPEM C, p = .74). Levels of confidence were significantly greater after seven days, regardless of form of WPEM (WPEM A, p = ..02; WPEM B, p = .00; WPEM C, p = .00). Overall results indicate that combining reduced readability and increased concrete language is beneficial. The writing of WPEMs in a way that patients can understand should be supported by a theory, and infusing Dual Coding Theory in the writing of selected WPEMs may be beneficial for patients.Item Testing a Multicomponent Model of Reading Comprehension for Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Students(2013-04-27) Smith, Stacey RaffertyReading is a complex construct with multiple components that have been theorized and empirically tested. Two multicomponent reading comprehension models were tested in this study to extend understanding of the relation of components skills and to extend prior research by adding a new component of motivation. A battery of reading measures were completed by 172 seventh- and eighth-grade students that consisted of reading comprehension, vocabulary, background knowledge, inference, motivation, and sentence comprehension fluency. This study examined a full sample of students as well as a subset of students identified as struggling readers for those scoring less than the 25th percentile on comprehension. Two models were tested for best fit for the Modified DIME and the Multicomponent Model of Reading Comprehension (MMRC). The Modified DIME Model accounted for 63.1% of total variance in reading comprehension. The MMRC also accounted for 63.5% of total variance in reading comprehension after motivation was included as a component of comprehension. Consistent with prior research, findings corroborated the direct influence of multiple components on reading comprehension; most notably vocabulary and the ability to make inferences. Vocabulary provided the largest direct and overall effect in both models. In the Modified DIME Model, vocabulary made the largest direct (.428) and overall contribution (.654) to reading comprehension; vocabulary also held the largest influence for the MMRC both directly (.429) and in overall influence (.653) to reading comprehension. Inference-making was the second-largest direct and overall contributor for both the Modified DIME (.398) and the MMRC (.390). Findings were consistent for both struggling and typical readers in both models. In this study, there was no direct path from motivation to comprehension; however, when direct and indirect relationships were combined, motivation became the third largest contributor to reading comprehension (.186). Motivation was significantly and directly related to comprehension for typical readers (.171, p < .05), but not for those who struggle to read (-.043, p > .05). The findings suggest typical readers with higher motivation perform better on reading comprehension tasks, but there is no direct relationship for struggling readers. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are also discussed.Item The Development of Listening and Reading Comprehension Screening Measures to Inform Instructional Decisions for End-of-Second-Grade Students(2012-07-11) Carreker, Suzanne 1954-The premise of the Simple View of Reading is that reading comprehension is the product of two components ? decoding and language comprehension. Each component is necessary but not sufficient. To support teachers in identifying end-of-second-grade students who may have difficulties in one or both of the components, parallel listening comprehension and reading comprehension screening measures were developed and investigated in two preliminary pilot studies and one large-scale administration. The first pilot study, conducted with 41 end-of-second-grade students, established administration times for the listening comprehension screening (LCS) and the reading comprehension screening (RCS) and confirmed the appropriateness of the 75 items on each of the measures. The second pilot study, conducted with 12 end-of-second- grade students with varying reading levels, demonstrated that the LCS and RCS could differentiate readers with good comprehension from readers with poor comprehension. The large-scale administration, conducted with 699 end-of-second-grade students, aided in the development of shorter final versions of the LCS and RCS and provided data to determine the score reliability and validity of the final versions of the measures, each of which had 42 items. Item response theory (IRT) was used to identify the most apposite and discriminating items for use on the final versions of the LCS and RCS. Score reliability (Cronbach?s alpha) on the final LCS was estimated to be .89 and was estimated to be .93 on the final RCS. Various sources provided content and criterion-related validity evidence. In particular, criterion-related validity evidence included strong correlations with the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests and strong sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive indices. Construct validity evidence included group differentiation and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), all of which supported a single underlying construct on the LCS and a single underlying construct on the RCS. In a subset of 214 end-of-second-grade students from the larger study, partial correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses supported the discriminant validity of the LCS and RCS as measures of comprehension. The listening and reading comprehension screening measures will assist second-grade teachers in identifying student learning needs that cannot be identified with reading-only comprehension tests.