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Project AGKARABASA is a reading intervention program that aims to improve the reading skills of Filipino children, specifically children in the Municipality of Villaverde. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Project AGKARABASA on the reading comprehension of Grade-7 students in Bintawan National High School in English. The study employed a quasi- experimental design with a pre-test-post-test control group. The sample consisted of 80 Grade-7 students who were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group underwent the AGKARABASA intervention, while the control group received the regular instruction. A standardized reading comprehension test was administered to both groups as a pre-test and post-test. The results of the study showed that the experimental group had a significantly higher mean post-test score compared to the control group. This suggests that Project AGKARABASA has a positive effect on the reading comprehension of Grade-7 students in Bintawan National High School in English. The study provides insights for educators and policy makers in implementing effective reading intervention programs to improve students' reading comprehension skills.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Expert adult readers process fluent and disfluent fonts differently, at both early perceptual and late higher-order processing stages. This finding has been interpreted as reflecting the more difficult to read disfluent fonts requiring greater neural resources. We aimed to investigate whether neural activity is affected by font disfluency in pre-adolescent readers, and to determine if neural responses are related to reading performance. Thirty-three participants between 8 and 12 years old completed two one-back tasks using letter and word stimuli, where font was manipulated (fluent versus disfluent stimuli), during which electroencephalography was recorded. Event related potentials (ERPs) were calculated relative to non-target stimuli for both tasks. The Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement reading specific tests, and the Castles and Coltheart Test 2 were also collected. Font (fluent versus disfluent stimuli) did not consistently affect neural activity during both the letter and word tasks. Fluent stimuli elicited greater late activity (450–600 ms) than disfluent stimuli during the word task, suggesting easy-to-read fonts may enhance the maintenance of words in visual working memory and facilitate the retrieval of semantic information. However, reading performance was not associated with neural disfluency effects, suggesting that pre-adolescents are still at an early developmental reading period. Font manipulation may be a useful way to track developmental reading trajectories in the brain.

A plethora of previous literature generated the mixture of results by comparing the reading outcome between digital and printed contexts. Further, the cross-sectional study above failed to yield the findings about the multi-session per-formance over a prolonged period of time as the reading activities proceeded. To address the gap, this study further explored the reading performance over a period of 12 weeks by designing the four-session frames for three different reading contexts of print, mobile and social media. Reading performance scores were gathered from186 postgraduate students from a research university in P.R. China. One-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the reading outcome among three reading contexts within each temporal session. The integrated statistical results showed that reading in social media produced the highest performance and reading in mobile the lowest performance across all the four temporal ses-sions. Longitudinal study revealed the consistency of reading performance in social media and in mobile with respectively high and low caliber over the four the reading sessions. Reading in print generated the performance in be-tween except in the second temporal session. Future efforts could direct to the comparison of text length between short and long with different textual genres.

Prior research indicates a gender gap in reading performance among primary school students in which boys underperform compared to girls. Based on theories on gender differences in teacher expectations and how low teacher expectations lead to low student reading performance, we, firstly, examined to what extent teacher expectations can explain this gender gap in reading performance. Secondly, by including theories on gender stereotype threat and stigmatization, we studied the possible 'buffering' effect of high teacher expectations against boys' underperformance in reading. The 2016 Dutch PIRLS data were used to examine the mediating and moderating effect of teacher expectations on the effect of student gender on students' actual reading performance. The conducted multilevel analyses show that, although the gender gap in reading performance indeed exists, teacher expectations do not significantly explain or buffer it. Limitations of the current research and implications for future research are discussed.

Prior research indicates a gender gap in reading performance among primary school students in which boys underperform compared to girls. Based on theories on gender differences in teacher expectations and how low teacher expectations lead to low student reading performance, we, firstly, examined to what extent teacher expectations can explain this gender gap in reading performance. Secondly, by including theories on gender stereotype threat and stigmatization, we studied the possible 'buffering' effect of high teacher expectations against boys' underperformance in reading. The 2016 Dutch PIRLS data were used to examine the mediating and moderating effect of teacher expectations on the effect of student gender on students' actual reading performance. The conducted multilevel analyses show that, although the gender gap in reading performance indeed exists, teacher expectations do not significantly explain or buffer it. Limitations of the current research and implications for future research are discussed.

Psychophysiological studies and MRI neuro-imaging findings provide evidence that heart rate variability (HRV) which is in control of our emotions affects our brain cognitive centers. It has been shown that coherent heart-brain interaction can change the pattern of the afferent cardiac input that is sent to the brain. For this purpose, the Institute of HeartMath (IHM) has proposed a kind of biofeedback training, the TestEdge program, which self-regulates negative emotional learning impediments by increasing HRV measures. It leads to an optimal self-generated psychophysiological state that has an important role in cognitive development through autonomic nervous system dynamics. In the present study, through using IHM self-regulated techniques and tools, the TestEdge program was performed on 63 Iranian EFL learners. In particular, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of HRV measures on reading comprehension performance. The data was measured and recorded by emWave Desktop device. The results confirmed that the intentional heart-focus techniques led to a beneficial mode of psychophysiological coherence of heart-brain interaction. The results indicated significant differences among EFL students with different levels of high, mid, and low coherence and their reading performance.

Purpose: To compare visual outcomes, reading ability, and visual quality between the Symfony extended depth-of-focus intraocular lens (IOL) and the trifocal AT LISA tri 839MP IOL.Setting: University Eye Clinic Maastricht, The Netherlands.Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial.Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to bilateral Symfony IOL or AT LISA tri 839MP IOL implantation. The primary outcome measure was uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA measured at 66 cm). Secondary outcomes included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), reading ability, and comparison of defocus curves, contrast sensitivity, optical adverse effects, and quality of vision.Results: The study enrolled 60 eyes of 30 patients. The mean UIVA was −0.02 ± 0.03 (SD) vs 0.01 ± 0.03 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) in the Symfony and AT LISA tri 839MP groups, respectively (P = .047). The UDVA was 0.01 ± 0.12 and −0.05 ± 0.07 logMAR (P = .11) and the UNVA was 0.09 ± 0.05 and 0.04 ± 0.07 logMAR (P = .052) in the Symfony and AT LISA tri 839MP groups, respectively. Reading ability was similar in both groups at 40 cm and 66 cm (P = .87 and P = .14, respectively). Less than 10% of patients in both groups experienced disabling glare. Patients experienced disabling halos in the AT LISA tri 839 MP group compared to the Symfony group in 39% and 21% of cases, respectively (P = .12). The mean score for visual functioning was 88.0 ± 14.1 n the trifocal group and 88.2 ± 10.9 for the EDOF group (P = .96).Conclusions: The UIVA was better in the Symfony group than in the AT LISA tri 839MP group. No significant differences were seen in the binocular UNVA and UDVA, contrast sensitivity, reading ability, incidence of photopic phenomena, and patient satisfaction.Binocular UIVA was better after Symfony EDOF IOL implantation compared with AT LISA tri 839MP. Furthermore, fewer patients experienced disabling halos after Symfony EDOF implantation.

Starting from insights into the inequalities that stem from the effect students’ cultural capital has on their academic achievement, and relatively scarce evidence on whether classroom-level pedagogical interventions could help reduce those inequalities, in this study we aim to explore whether teacher support moderates the relationship between cultural capital and students’ reading performance. In addition, we analysed whether the moderation effect is the same across different education systems, or depends on equity between systems. We used data from PISA 2018 to test a simple moderation model with cultural capital as the independent variable, teacher support – the moderator, and reading performance as the dependent variable. The findings suggest that the correlation between cultural capital and students’ reading performance is moderated by teacher support. However, the nature of the moderation effect differs in education systems with the lowest and education systems with the highest correlation between cultural capital and reading performance. This is the peer-reviewed version of the following article: Radulović, M., Radulović, L., & Stančić, M. (2022). Can teacher support reduce inequalities in education? Re-examining the relationship between cultural capital and achievement. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 43(7), 1012–1031. [ https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2022.2092449]

Senior High School students are expected to have better reading performance. This study intends to determine the reading performance of senior high school students. The researchers used the descriptive type of research to determine the performance of Grade 11 students in one of the Senior High Schools in Batangas, Philippines. The researchers utilized the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) instrument of the Department of Education. The participants were 679 Grade 11 students who are enrolled during the First Semester SY 2019-2020. An expository passage was used to assess learners in oral reading and silent reading. It is composed of five questions, which was used to describe the decoding and word recognition, fluency and comprehension. The learner's performance in decoding and word recognition was measured through a Reading Miscue Inventory. Silent reading comprehension was measured by asking the learners to answer five questions of varying difficulty after the passage has been read. After conducting the study, the researchers formed the following conclusions: 8.47 is the average oral reading miscues of the Grade 11 students, with the STEM strand having the lowest average miscues at 4.92 errors, and with the majority of the learners miscues in pronunciation. There were 231 Grade 11 students at frustration reading level who needed reading intervention to improve their reading performance. The Reading Enhancement and Assessment Plan was developed and needs to be proposed to the school administration for implementation. It is recommended that the Senior High School provide a Reading Clinic for students who need reading intervention, which may improve the learners’ reading skills and comprehension.

Improving the quality of Education leads to the improvement of the social and economic development rates of individuals and countries. Furthermore, few studies seek to identify effective practices in the pedagogical and management areas that can direct educational actors in their actions. Thus, this study aims to identify indicators and goals for increasing school performance in the subject of Portuguese in municipal lower secondary Education. These practices were identified based on the analysis of Brazilian municipal Schools of High Performance. Municipal schools were selected and grouped by socioeconomic level to measure efficiency through the two-stage DEA tool. The results show that the increase in current expenditure is not always accompanied by the improvement in the results. In addition, 45 indicators and goals that can increase the performance of schools in reading and writing teaching were found. They are related to the various actors of the educational process, namely: students, teachers and principals. Of these actors, some were related to the Principal’s management skills, reinforcing his/her role in promoting the quality of teaching.* DEA: Data Envelopment Analysis, em português Análise Envoltória de Dados. Melhorar a qualidade da Educação leva à melhoria das taxas de desenvolvimento social e econômico de indivíduos e países. Poucos estudos buscam identificar práticas efetivas nas áreas pedagógica e gerencial que possam direcionar os atores educacionais em suas ações. Assim, esse estudo tem como objetivo identificar indicadores e metas para o aumento do desempenho escolar na disciplina de português no Ensino Fundamental municipal - nível II. Essas práticas foram identificadas com base na análise das escolas municipais brasileiras de alto desempenho. As escolas foram selecionadas e agrupadas por nível socioeconômico para mensurar a eficiência, por meio da ferramenta DEA de dois estágios. Além disso, foram encontrados 45 indicadores e seus objetivos, que podem aumentar o desempenho das escolas no ensino de leitura de escrita. Eles estão relacionados aos vários atores do processo educacional, como: estudantes, professores e diretores. Alguns indicadores são relacionados às habilidades de gerenciamento do Diretor, reforçando ainda mais seu papel na promoção da qualidade do Ensino. Mejorar la calidad de la Educación conduce a la mejora de las tasas de desarrollo social y económico de individuos y países. En otro ejemplo, pocos estudios buscan identificar prácticas efectivas en las áreas pedagógicas y de gestión que puedan dirigir a los actores educativos en sus acciones. Por lo tanto, este estudio tiene como objetivo identificar indicadores y objetivos para aumentar el rendimiento escolar en la disciplina de portugués en la Escuela Primaria municipal - nivel II. Estas prácticas se identificaron embasadas en el análisis de las escuelas primarias municipales brasileñas de alto rendimiento. La escuela primaria municipal - nivel II fue seleccionada y agrupada por nivel socioeconómico para medir la eficiencia a través de la herramienta DEA de dos etapas. Los resultados muestran que el aumento de las inversiones no siempre va acompañado de una mejora en los resultados. Además, se encontraron 45 indicadores y sus objetivos, que pueden aumentar el rendimiento de las escuelas en la enseñanza de lectura y escritura. Se relacionan con los distintos actores del proceso educativo, a saber: estudiantes, docentes y directores. De estos actores, algunos se relacionaron con las habilidades de gestión del director, reforzando su papel en la promoción de la calidad de la Enseñanza.

Background. Over the last several decades, the world has been made more accessible for people with disabilities. However, many of these achievements have primarily focused on physical limitations, and it is also important that the environment be made easy to understand for those people who may be at risk of social exclusion. Reading competence is one of the fundamental functional skills people need to access communication and culture. Te facilitation of this adaptation is called cognitive accessibility. Cognitive accessibility encompasses everything related to how people understand the meaning of their environment, and especially written documents. Objective. Te main objective of this study was to establish a scale of evaluation of reading competence for adults with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) compared to university students (as a control group). Tus, we sought to establish diferent levels of reading competence relative to the diffculty of various texts (A, B, C), in accordance with the criteria established in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Design. 450 adults with IDD and 200 undergraduate university studentstook part in this study. Tey read and were scored on three texts of diferentlexical and semantic complexity. Results. Te results in three diferent studies showed that adults with intellectual and developmental disability (AIDD) improve their performance in reading comprehension when additional time and support are made available. Conclusion. If a greater amount of time is made available, the performance of a signifcant part of the AIDD population improves considerably, in some cases approaching the level of performance of university students. Tese results raise new lines of research on how to give people with IDD access to more comprehensible and accessible reading material.

BACKGROUND: Reading can be described as a complex cognitive process of decrypting signs to create meaning. Eventually, it is a way of language achievement, communication, and sharing information and ideas. Changing lighting and color are known to improve visual comfort and the perceptual difficulties that affect reading for those with poor vision. AIM: This study aims to investigate the effect of changing the wavelengths and different levels of positional noise on reading performance for participants with best-corrected distant visual acuity (BCVA) of 6/6 or better. METHODOLOGY: Twenty English speakers with BCVA 6/6 or better were asked to read words presented in a printed format. The stimuli were black print words in a horizontal arrangement on matte white card. They were degraded using positional noise produced by random vertical displacements of the letter position below or above the horizontal line on three levels. RESULTS: Introducing positional noise affected word recognition differently with different wavelengths. The role of short wavelength in enhancing orthographic reading and word recognition is clear – they reduce the effects of positional noise. The error rate and duration time have different effects with different wavelengths, even when positional noise is introduced. CONCLUSION: The reading rate is not affected by changing the wavelength of the light. However, the mean differences in wpm were affected by changing the wavelengths. Also, introducing positional noise affects word recognition differently with different wavelengths.

Thesis (PhD(Education)Curriculum, Education Studies)(DUCIER))--University of South Australia, 2021. Includes bibliographical references (pages 240-273) Using a participatory case study design, the teacher-researcher investigated six Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Year 2 students in a regional school in NT of Australia, identifying challenges Aboriginal students faced in reading and factors influencing their reading. The data were collected via the standardized reading tests formally adopted in the current system, the specially designed tests and the narratives extracted from individual interviews. The study showed that Aboriginal students’ reading was shaped by their culture and they struggled in three areas: decoding, using necessary comprehension skills to extract underlying meaning, and applying appropriate world knowledge. Recommendations are offered to increase parental participation, improve school attendance, provide targeted teacher training, modify assessment system and develop partnerships with local Aboriginal communities.

Contemporary European and North American societies have experienced changing demographics due to migration. School classrooms reflect this dynamic. To-date, few studies have examined migration effects on both reading skills and subjective wellbeing from an international comparative perspective. Using the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) dataset, this paper addresses the issue by examining migrant-native gaps in reading, happiness, and life satisfaction among 15-year-old students in four education models. Regression results illustrate that migrant students in general tend to experience a double inequality: they have lower reading performance and report lower life satisfaction when compared to native students (although in some cases they report higher happiness levels). However, such effects are also context-dependent. While a migration background has significant negative effects on students’ reading in Germanic and Nordic schools, its negative effects in Anglo-Saxon systems are above all manifested in students’ level of life satisfaction. In addition, compared to first-generation migrants, being of second generation is positively associated with reading performance in all education models, with the strongest effect in the Nordic countries. Such positive generation effects are statistically insignificant, on the other hand, on students’ wellbeing. Other individual factors such as socio-economic status and gender present mixed correlations with reading and wellbeing. Such findings invite scholars and practitioners to reflect, through the prism of migration, on how reading proficiency and wellbeing can differ in diverse educational approaches, and correspondingly seek context-specific intervention measures.

The aim of this paper was to understand whether and to what extent parenting behaviors mediated the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and 8-year old children’s reading performance. The study used video recordings of parent–child interactions in Danish public schools while the child was assigned a difficult reading task (N = 122). Results showed that low-SES parents tended to get involved in their children’s problem-solving activities in unconstructive ways and that this type of involvement mediated one-third of the association between parental SES and reading performance after controlling for prior measures of children’s academic skills. These results may have important implications for understanding how parents can best assist–or not assist - children in developmental activities such as homework tasks and for interventions aimed at increasing the quality of the time low SES parents spend with their children.

Prior research indicates a gender gap in reading performance among primary school students in which boys underperform compared to girls. Based on theories on gender differences in teacher expectations and how low teacher expectations lead to low student reading performance, we, firstly, examined to what extent teacher expectations can explain this gender gap in reading performance. Secondly, by including theories on gender stereotype threat and stigmatization, we studied the possible 'buffering' effect of high teacher expectations against boys' underperformance in reading. The 2016 Dutch PIRLS data were used to examine the mediating and moderating effect of teacher expectations on the effect of student gender on students' actual reading performance. The conducted multilevel analyses show that, although the gender gap in reading performance indeed exists, teacher expectations do not significantly explain or buffer it. Limitations of the current research and implications for future research are discussed.

Profiling students’ reading comprehension ability provides essential data to educators to identify students struggling with reading. However, tertiary-level test-takers and test-givers are not always aware of the makeup and design of profiles, which creates real challenges in the use of profiling of test results to diagnose problematic areas in reading. This research hoped to unveil the English reading comprehension ability (ERCA) of first-year undergraduate engineers by employing the Thai Reading Evaluation and Decoding System (T-READS). The sample consisted of 751 first-year undergraduate engineers at a Thai public university. Researchers analysed data using descriptive statistics (i.e., T-READS results) and inferential statistics (i.e., one-way ANOVA). Data analysis led to two major findings. First, the data revealed that 74% of undergraduate engineers were at Band 3 and above, which was the minimum university requirement of ERCA. Second, statistically significant differences in the T-READS scores among four groups of performers (Above Standard, Meet Standard, Below Standard and Academic Warning) (F [3, 747] = 1476.66, p = 0.00) were found. Major findings hold pedagogical implications that provide English programme planners at the tertiary level with insights into the reading comprehension difficulties faced by undergraduate engineers and the

Η ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ ΒΡΙΣΚΕΤΑΙ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΟ ΑΡΧΕΙΟ PDF, The abstract is available in the PDF

Training in phonological sensitivities has shown that the ease with which a child learns to read has a positive impact (Gillon, 2004; Perez, 2008). Researchers have shown that young children with phonological education have learned to read more quickly than those who have not received such instructions and are often successful in early reading in the next few years (Snow et al., 1998, Bus & van IJzendoorn, 1999). However, some children need support beyond and beyond classroom instruction. In particular, almost one quarter of young children who are well educated in the classroom still have a lack of awareness (Schuele & Boudreau, 2008). In this light, the researchers have designed this study to improve the phonological awareness of students with reading difficulties.

Background: Reading rate reflects the quality of reading performance, especially in children, not typically measured during routine eye examinations. There is currently no reading rate chart with optometric notations made specifically for children with normal vision and low vision. Aim: To design a chart with optometric notations to measure reading rates in normally sighted and low-vision children. Setting: The study was conducted in an assigned room of a selected school with fluorescent lighting. Methods: Ten words were randomly arranged in each of the 10 rows of the chart. Two font versions were printed in black ink on white cardboards. Reliability and validity of the chart was established with 100 normally sighted children. Data were analysed using paired t -tests, Pearson’s correlation and the Bland and Altman method. Results: Six versions each in Arial and Times New Roman fonts were designed, with equivalent Snellen acuity levels, with each version having four acuity notations. Reliability results were p = 0.29 and R² = 0.95, with the Bland and Altman method revealing a mean difference of −0.58 correct words read per minute (cwpm) with confidence limits of +10.07 and −11.23 cwpm. Validity determined with the Wilkins chart and the new chart were p = 0.01 and R² = 0.99, with the Bland and Altman method showing a mean difference of +0.90 cwpm with confidence limits of +6.33 and −4.53 cwpm. Conclusions: This chart is a reliable and valid tool and can be used for assessing reading rates of normally sighted and low-vision children.

Resumen: Identificar factores instruccionales específicos relacionados con progresos en comprensión lectora es esencial para optimizar el aprendizaje y orientar la intervención, especialmente en contextos de desventaja sociocultural o dificultades de aprendizaje. Este estudio pretende identificar patrones instruccionales de mediación eficaces en la explicación del progreso en comprensión. Se grabaron, transcribieron y analizaron sistemáticamente 82 sesiones-clase, y se registraron pautas de mediación relativas a diferentes procesos lectores. Los patrones de mediación fueron analizados mediante codificación y categorización del contenido con el programa Maxqdea-7. Fueron consideradas 19 categorías, que aglutinaron 178 unidades de información significativas (pautas/conductas de mediación). La muestra estuvo compuesta por 21 docentes y 821 estudiantes de tercero a octavo grado de Educación Básica de escuelas públicas de Chile ubicadas en contextos deprivados socialmente. El progreso lector se midió con la prueba estandarizada CL-PT, aplicada al principio y al final del curso escolar. Los resultados permitieron identificar pautas específicas de mediación significativas en la explicación del progreso, especialmente el patrón M_17 (Mediación del uso de estrategias para la activación e integración de conocimientos previos) explicaba el 26% de la varianza (r = .55, p < .01; R2ajustado = .26, F (1, 19) = 8.19, p = .01). Se discuten las implicaciones educativas de estos resultados. Abstract: Identifying specific instructional factors related to advances made in reading comprehension is essential for optimizing learning and for guiding interventions, especially in socio-cultural disadvantaged contexts or with learning difficulties. This study intends to identify efficient instructional mediation patterns to explain progress made in comprehension. Eighty-two sessions-classes were systematically recorded, transcribed and analyzed, and the mediation patterns related to different reading processes were recorded. Mediation patterns were analyzed by coding and classifying contents with the Maxqdea-7 program. Nineteen categories were considered, which included 178 significant information units (mediation patterns/conducts). The sample was made up of 21 teachers and 821 students of years 3 to 8 of Basic Education in public Chilean schools from socially deprived contexts. Reading progress was measured by the standard CL-PT test, which was applied at the beginning and end of the academic year. The results identified specific significant mediation patterns of progress, especially pattern M_17 (Mediation of using strategies for activating previous knowledge, and for integrating knowledge and experiences with new contents) which explained 26% of variance (r = .55, p < .01; adjusted R2 = .26, F (1, 19) = 8.19, p = .01). The educational implications of these results are discussed.

Resumo A literatura que investiga a interface entre a velocidade de processamento cognitivo (VP) e as aprendizagens da Matemática e da leitura sugere que a VP exerce um papel crucial. Entretanto, resultados ainda controversos têm caracterizado este campo de investigaçâo e, portanto, faz-se necessária a busca de maior entendimento sobre as associações entre a VP e o desempenho acadêmico, assim como as relações entre a VP e a memória de trabalho (MT), outro domínio cognitivo de base. Para contribuir com este debate, o presente estudo buscou verificar a ocorrência de correlaçâo (Spearman) entre a VP e as seguintes variáveis: a) desempenho em competência numérica (aritmética e senso numérico); b) desempenho em leitura; c) memória de trabalho (componente executivo central); d) frequência no uso da estratégia de recuperaçâo da memória; e) número de acertos com a estratégia de recuperaçâo da memória. A pesquisa compreendeu 60 alunos, de 5° e 7° anos, com desempenho médio e baixo na aritmética e na leitura. Os resultados evidenciaram associações significativas e negativas (menor tempo=maior velocidade) entre as variáveis, de modo que a VP está associada tanto com a competência numérica, quanto leitora, assim como com a MT e com as variáveis relacionadas à estratégia de recuperaçâo de fatos básicos da memória. Tais dados indicam que uma fragilidade na VP pode tornar-se um fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de dificuldades naquelas áreas. Destacam-se algumas implicações educacionais e também a necessidade de mais evidência, relacionando as intervenções em VP e MT e o desempenho aritmético e leitor. Abstract The literature investigating the interface between cognitive processing speed (PS) and learning mathematics and reading suggests that PS plays a crucial role in this interface. However, controversial results still characterize this field of investigation and, therefore, it is necessary to research for a better understanding of the associations between PS and academic achievement, as well as the relationship between PS and working memory (WM), another fundamental cognitive domain. In order to contribute to this debate, the present study aimed to verify the occurrence of correlation (Spearman) between PS and the following variables: a) numerical competence performance (arithmetic and number sense); b) reading performance; c) working memory (central executive component); d) frequency in the use of arithmetic-fact retrieval strategies; e) number of correct fact retrievals. The research involved 60 students, in the 5th and 7thyears of Elementary School, with average and low performance in arithmetic and reading. The results showed significant and negative associations (less time = higher speed) between the variables, so that PS is associated with both numerical and reading competence, as well as with WM and with the variables related to the fact retrieval strategy. These data indicate that a weakness in PV may become a risk factor for the development of difficulties in those areas. Some educational implications are highlighted as well as the need for more evidence relating the interventions in PS and WM and the performance in arithmetic and reading.

Βασικός στόχος της παρούσας έρευνας ήταν η καταγραφή της αναγνωστικής επίδοσης των δίγλωσσων μεταναστών μαθητών πρώτης σχολικής ηλικίας που φοιτούσαν σε σχολεία διαφόρων Περιφερειών της ελληνικής επικράτειας. Βασικός στόχος, επίσης, ήταν η διερεύνηση πιθανής επίδρασης της προτιμώμενης γλώσσας επικοινωνίας (γλώσσα χώρας καταγωγής ή γλώσσα χώρας υποδοχής) στην αναγνωστική επίδοση των δίγλωσσων μεταναστών μαθητών και της συχνότητας χρήσης διδακτικών πρακτικών στην αναγνωστική επίδοση τόσο των δίγλωσσων όσο και των μόνόγλωσσων μαθητών. Το δείγμα αποτέλεσαν 158 μαθητές Δημοτικού, 93 δίγλωσσοι μετανάστες και 65 γηγενείς μαθητές, καθώς και οι 16 εκπαιδευτικοί των τάξεων που φοιτούσαν οι παραπάνω μαθητές. Από την ανάλυση των δεδομένων προέκυψε πως οι δίγλωσσοι μετανάστες μαθητές στο σύνολό τους παρουσίασαν μέτρια επίπεδα αναγνωστικής επίδοσης, ενώ αποδείχτηκαν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές στις αναγνωστικές επιδόσεις των δίγλωσσων μαθητών με συχνή χρήση της ελληνικής έναντι των δίγλωσσων που χρησιμοποιούσαν συχνότερα τη γλώσσα της χώρας καταγωγής τους. Ένα ενδιαφέρον εύρημα που προέκυψε ήταν οι μη στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές στις επιδόσεις μεταξύ των μονόγλωσσων και των δίγλωσσων μεταναστών μαθητών με συχνή χρήση της ελληνικής γλώσσας. Σημαντικό, επίσης, εύρημα ήταν ότι δεν παρατηρήθηκε σημαντική επίδραση των διδακτικών πρακτικών στη μέση αναγνωστική επίδοση τόσο των δίγλωσσων μεταναστών μαθητών όσο και των μονόγλωσσων συμμαθητών τους. Η συχνή χρήση κάποιων διδακτικών πρακτικών φάνηκε να επηρεάζει θετικά μόνο την κατάκτηση της ευχέρειας και εν μέρει της αποκωδικοποίησης. The present research examines the reading performance of bilingual immigrant students attending the first grade of primary school and also investigates the potential influence of the preferred language of communication (mother tongue/language of origin country or language of host country, as well as the frequency with which certain didactic practices are used to teach reading skills to both bilingual and monolingual students. The research was conducted in a number in a number of different greek regions. The sample consisted of 158 students who attended the first grade of primary school, out of which 93 were bilingual immigrants and 65 were native students, as well as of their 16 teachers. The analysis of the results concluded that the bilingual immigrant students, in total, displayed moderate levels of reading performance, statistically significant reading performance differences were found between those who used the greek language more frequently in their daily communication, as they demonstrated a higher reading level than the ones who used their mother tongue more often. Furthermore, the study also interestingly demonstrated that there were no statistically significant differences in the average reading performance between monolingual and bilingual immigrant that used the greek language frenquently. Finally, another important finding was that no significant effect of teaching practices was observed on the average reading performance of both bilingual students and their monolingual classmates. The frequent use of certain teaching practices seemed to have a positive effect only as far as fluency and partly decoding acquisition were concerned. 320 σ.

Rita Mencucci, Eleonora Favuzza, Orsola Caporossi, Stanislao Rizzo Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, Eye Clinic, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Purpose: To evaluate visual outcome, reading performance, contrast sensitivity, and patient satisfaction after cataract surgery with implantation of a diffractive trifocal intraocular lens (IOL).Patients and methods: A total of 42 eyes (21 patients) underwent cataract surgery with implantation of the trifocal IOL AT LISA tri 839MP. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and patient satisfaction were evaluated 3 months postoperatively. Reading performance was evaluated at 3 months postoperatively with the MNREAD charts.Results: All eyes achieved a 3-month postoperative monocular uncorrected distance visual acuity of 0.10 logMAR or better (Snellen 20/25). Likewise, 97.62% and 85.71% of eyes achieved a postoperative monocular uncorrected intermediate, and near visual acuity of 0.20 logMAR (Snellen 20/30) or better. All patients achieved postoperative binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity, uncorrected intermediate, and uncorrected near visual acuity of 0.20 logMAR (Snellen 20/30) or better. Mean photopic reading acuity and speed were 0.24±0.07 logMAR and 177.61±20.67 words per minute, respectively. Postoperative contrast sensitivity values were within the ranges of normality for all spatial frequencies evaluated. Postoperative spectacle independence and patient satisfaction was very high, with most of the patients reporting a good or very good visual quality at far, intermediate, and near distances. All patients would choose the same lens again.Conclusion: The evaluated trifocal IOL provides an effective restoration of the visual function after cataract surgery, with high levels of distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity, strong reading performance, and patient satisfaction. Keywords: trifocal, intraocular lens, IOL, reading performance, cataract, presbyopia

This study presented a secondary analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset. The paper explored the differences between fourth grade reading scores by examining (1) how often the fourth graders discuss their school work at home with family and (2) how often the fourth graders discuss what they were reading with friends. The results by NAEP Data Explorer indicate that the average scale score (M=214, SD=36) of students who report “never or hardly ever” talking about studies at home was significantly (p

Asma AA Zahidi,J Margaret Woodhouse,Jonathan T Erichsen,Matt J Dunn Research Unit for Nystagmus, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK Abstract: Infantile nystagmus (IN), previously known as congenital nystagmus, is an involuntary to-and-fro movement of the eyes that persists throughout life. IN is one of three types of early-onset nystagmus that begin in infancy, alongside fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome and spasmus nutans syndrome. Optometrists may also encounter patients with acquired nystagmus. The features of IN overlap largely with those of fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome, spasmus nutans syndrome, and acquired nystagmus, yet the management for each subtype is different. Therefore, the optometrist’s role is to accurately discern IN from other forms of nystagmus and to manage accordingly. As IN is a lifelong condition, its presence not only affects the visual function of the individual but also their quality of life, both socially and psychologically. In this report, we focus on the approaches that involve optometrists in the investigation and management of patients with IN. Management includes the prescription of optical treatments, low-vision rehabilitation, and other interventions such as encouraging the use of the null zone and referral to support groups. Other treatments available via ophthalmologists are also briefly discussed in the article. Keywords: eye movements, visual acuity, reading performance, low vision, null zone, optometric investigation

Infantile nystagmus (IN), previously known as congenital nystagmus, is an involuntary to-and-fro movement of the eyes that persists throughout life. IN is one of three types of early-onset nystagmus that begin in infancy, alongside fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome and spasmus nutans syndrome. Optometrists may also encounter patients with acquired nystagmus. The features of IN overlap largely with those of fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome, spasmus nutans syndrome, and acquired nystagmus, yet the management for each subtype is different. Therefore, the optometrist's role is to accurately discern IN from other forms of nystagmus and to manage accordingly. As IN is a lifelong condition, its presence not only affects the visual function of the individual but also their quality of life, both socially and psychologically. In this report, we focus on the approaches that involve optometrists in the investigation and management of patients with IN. Management includes the prescription of optical treatments, low-vision rehabilitation, and other interventions such as encouraging the use of the null zone and referral to support groups. Other treatments available via ophthalmologists are also briefly discussed in the article.

Background: Dyslexia refers to a kind of learning difficulty, a combination of strengths and weaknesses which affects the reading and spelling learning process. Objectives: The aim of current research was to develop an instructional package based on visual spatial abilities and examine its efficacy on the reading performance of students with dyslexia. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test design and control group. The statistical population included dyslexic students in the elementary schools of Hamadan City, Iran in the academic year 2016-2017. The sample size was 60 students that were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups (n=30 in each group). This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of an educational package based on visual-spatial abilities in reading performance of dyslexic students. To achieve this aim, we designed an educational package based on visual-spatial abilities presented in 10 forty-minute sessions. Before training the package, the experimental and control group were taken a pre-test of reading abilities and the same test was repeated after receiving the package training. The data gathering tools were reading and dyslexia tests. The covariance test was used to analyze the research data. Results: The result indicated that the intervention was significantly effective in the subscales of words reading, word chain, word comprehension, text comprehension, and naming of the images. The results also showed that the educational package was not effective in other areas of reading, including rhyming, reading the non-words, removing the voices, marks of letters, and words. Conclusion: Based on the results, the visual-spatial package was effective in improving the reading skills of dyslexic students.

The aim of this study was to predict 8-11 years old childeren’sreading performance based on the short term storage (phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad) and central executive of working memory. The study was correlational and the statistical population consisted of 43304 students in primary schools of Tabriz in second and fifth grades from among whom, via multistage random sampling, 352 individuals were selected. The measuring tools were forward digit span task, Kim Carrad test, counting span task and a researcher-made reading comprehension test. The data were analyzed using stepwise multivariate regression analysis. Among the components of working memory, phonological loop in the second grade (p=0/000) and central executive in the fifth grade (p=0/000) could predict reading comprehension more than other components. Based on the results, it can be said that working memory, as a primary means of facilitating learning, can help improve reading performance

This study was aimed to examine the effectiveness of linguistic plays program on reading performance of male students with dyslexia. The study conducted under the experimental method with pre- and post-test along with the control group. The sample of the study included 30 subjects (15 for experimental group and 15 for control group), were selected by purposive sampling Method, among 8 to 12 age elementary students in Rodaki Learning Disorders Center. Subjects randomly assigned in experimental and control groups. Reading Distinction Test of Shirazi and Nilipour were used as a tool of data collection in before and after intervention. Experimental group sequentially received 16 sessions of linguistic plays program in 8 week. The data were analyzed by using of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results showed that the linguistic play program have a significant effect on reading performance (reading comprehension skills, reading speed and reading accuracy skills) of male students with dyslexia (P

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada no ISPA – Instituto Universitário para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Educacional. o presente estudo foi realizado com 221 crianças a frequentarem o 3º ano em estabelecimentos de ensino público com o objetivo principal de analisar quais os perfis motivacionais leitores destes alunos e relacioná-los com o desempenho para a leitura e com alguns hábitos e práticas leitoras. Para o efeito foi construído um questionário que visa o conhecimento de práticas e hábitos de leitura destas crianças e foram utilizadas duas escalas, uma de autoperceção leitora e outra de motivação para a leitura. Aos professores foi pedido para avaliarem o desempenho leitor das crianças e para referirem estratégias leitoras que possam ser sugeridas aos pais. Os principais resultados, com base numa análise de cluster, evidenciaram três perfis motivacionais distintos, onde se verificou que o grupo com crianças mais motivadas para a leitura, ou seja, que apresentavam simultaneamente uma elevada motivação em todas as dimensões exceto no evitamento e dificuldade percebida, apresentavam melhores desempenhos na leitura, uma maior frequência leitora e mais prazer em ler durante os tempos livres. Constatámos ainda que as crianças como uma dificuldade percebida elevada, com valores muito abaixo da média nas variáveis autoeficácia leitora, progresso, comparação social, feedback social e atitudes face à leitura obtiveram os piores desempenhos na leitura. The present study with 221 grade 3 students from public elementar school intends to analise the children’s profiles of reading motivation and correlated them with the habits and pratices to reading. With this aim we created a questionnaire about reading habits and practices and we administered the reader self perception scale and the reading motivation scale. We asked teachers to evaluate the performance of their students and to write reading’s strategies that they could suggest to parents. A major finding in this study was that children more motivated for reading, which can be characterized as highly motivated across all dimensions except work avoidance and perceived difficulty, present a better performance, a more reading frequency and a more reading pleasure. Additionally, results revealed that children who reported a high perceived difficulty and a low sense of reading efficacy, progress, observational comparison, social feedback and reading attittudes had the worst reading performance.

Purpose:The aim of the study was to investigate the extent students’learning strategies and reading enjoyment variables predicted PISA 2009 reading achievement,and to examine whether reading enjoyment had a mediator effect in therelationship between reading achievement and learning strategies.Methods: Inthis correlational study, Turkey PISA 2009 reading comprehension cognitive testand student questionnaires were used fordata collection. Learning strategies and reading pleasure which was related to students' reading comprehension achievement wereidentified as predictive variables and index values of these variables wereused. The data wereanalysed using hierarchical linear models (HLM).Findings: Theresults of the HLM analysis showed that the students who used controlstrategies more frequently hadhigher reading scores. Memorization was negatively associated with readingliteracy and the elaboration strategies had no effect on achievement. Readingenjoyment was identified as a variable that improved students' reading performance. It was found out that control andelaboration strategies directly affected student's reading enjoymentwhereas memorisation didnot have such a direct effect. The results related to theindirect effect between variables showed that reading enjoyment had a partialmediator effect for the control strategy and had a full mediating effect forelaboration.Implications forResearch and Practice: Teachers are encouraged to use deep learningstrategies instead of surface learning strategies. Teachers can inform theirstudents about what deep learning strategies are, why they are more effectivethan others, and how to use them. The think aloud technique can be used to showhow this strategy can be used in daily life., Problemdurumu:Gelişen ve sürekli rekabetin yaşandığı dünyamızda, okuduğunu anlayan bireyleryetiştirmek önemlidir. Bireyin kişisel, sosyal ve ekonomik olarak kendiningeliştirebilmesi için okuma önemli bir role sahiptir. Bireylerin okuduğunuanlama sürecinde, ilişki kurma, karşılaştırma yapma, kanıt sunma, genellemeyapma, çıkarımda bulunma ya da olayları yordama gibi daha karmaşık düşünmesüreçlerini kullanmaları gerekmektedir. Buda akademik başarıyı destekleyen bir faktördür. Bu bakımdan öğrencilerinokuduğunu anlama performansı bakımından durumlarının değerlendirilmesi, bubeceriyi geliştirmek üzere yapılacak uygulamalara yön vermesi açısından bubeceriyle doğrudan ya da dolaylı olarak ilişkili faktörlerin belirlenmesigiderek daha önemli hale gelmektedir. Son yıllarda okuma becerisiningeliştirilmesi için öğrencinin kullandığı stratejiler ve metodlar üzerindeağırlıklı olarak durulmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, öğrencilerin okuma performansıile ilişkisini belirlemek üzere metabilişsel stratejiler (kontrol, ezberleme vedetaylandırma) ele alınmıştır. Ayrıca, bu iki değişken arasındaki ilişkideokumaktan zevk almanın olası aracı etkisi de incelenmiştir. Araştırmanınamacı: Buçalışmanın amacı, öğrencilerin kullandıkları öğrenme stratejileri ve okumaktanzevk alma değişkenlerinin öğrencilerin PISA 2009 okuma başarılarını ne dereceyordadığı ve okuma başarısı ile öğrenme stratejileri arasındaki ilişkideokumaktan zevk alma değişkeninin aracı etkisinin olup olmadığınınincelenmesidir. AraştırmanınYöntemi: İlişkiseltarama modelindeki bu araştırmada örneklemi, PISA 2009 uygulamasına katılan 170okuldan4996 Türk öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Verilerindüzenlenmesinden sonra analizler 4648 öğrenci ve 169 okul üzerindenyürütülmüştür. Araştırmada, Türkiye PISA 2009okuduğunu anlama bilişsel alan testi ve öğrenci anketinden toplanan verilerkullanılmıştır. İlgili veriler OECD’nin resmi web sayfasından elde edilmiştir. Öğrencilerinokuduğunu anlama başarısı ile ilişkili olduğu düşünülen “öğrenme stratejilerive okumaktan zevk alma” yordayıcı değişken olarak; öğrenme stratejiler olaraktanımlanan kontrol, hatırlama ve detaylandırma stratejileri içsel değişkenler,okumaktan zevk alma ise aracı değişken olarak belirlenmiştir. Kurulan modelyoluyla okuma başarısı üzerinde öğrenme stratejilerinin dolaylı etkisiincelenmiştir. Ölçeklerin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışmaları PISA 2009 teknikraporunda ayrıntılarıyla raporlanmıştır. Araştırmada PISA örnekleme yaklaşımının hiyerarşik yapısı dikkatealınarak HLM’ye dayalı analizler yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın Bulguları: Öğrenme stratejilerinin okuma performansıüzerindeki doğrudan etkileri test edilmiş, kontrol stratejisi vehatırlama stratejisi kullanma sıklığının öğrencilerin okuma performansınıyordamada anlamlı bir değişken olduğunu (p0.01).Kontrol ve detaylandırma stratejilerini kullanım sıklığı, öğrencilerinokumaktan zevk almasını anlamlı bir şekilde yordamakta (p0.01). Bu bakımdan hatırlama stratejisininokuma başarısı üzerinde dolaylı etkisi olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Okumaktan zevkalma değişkeninin aracı etkileri test edildiğinde ise kontrol stratejisi,hatırlama stratejisi ve okumaktan zevk alma stratejisinin okuma performansınınanlamlı olarak yordamış (p0.01). Okumaktan zevk alma değişkenininaracı etkisiyle, kontrol ve detaylandırma stratejilerinin okuma puanlarıüzerindeki etkisi incelenmiş; bu iki stratejinin kullanım sıklığının okumaktanzevk alma değişkeni üzerinden öğrencilerin okuma performansını anlamlı olarakyordadığı görülmüştür (p

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the extent students' learning strategies and reading enjoyment variables predicted PISA 2009 reading achievement, and to examine whether reading enjoyment had a mediator effect in the relationship between reading achievement and learning strategies. Methods: In this correlational study, Turkey PISA 2009 reading comprehension cognitive test and student questionnaires were used for data collection. Learning strategies and reading pleasure which was related to students' reading comprehension achievement were identified as predictive variables and index values of these variables were used. The data were analysed using hierarchical linear models (HLM). Findings: The results of the HLM analysis showed that the students who used control strategies more frequently had higher reading scores. Memorization was negatively associated with reading literacy and the elaboration strategies had no effect on achievement. Reading enjoyment was identified as a variable that improved students' reading performance. It was found out that control and elaboration strategies directly affected student's reading enjoyment whereas memorisation did not have such a direct effect. The results related to the indirect effect between variables showed that reading enjoyment had a partial mediator effect for the control strategy and had a full mediating effect for elaboration. Implications for Research and Practice: Teachers are encouraged to use deep learning strategies instead of surface learning strategies. Teachers can inform their students about what deep learning strategies are, why they are more effective than others, and how to use them. The think aloud technique can be used to show how this strategy can be used in daily life. (C) 2019 Ani Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved C1 [Tavsancil, Ezel] Ankara Univ, Fac Educ Sci, Ankara, Turkey. [Yildirim, Ozen] Pamukkale Univ, Fac Educ, Denizli, Turkey. [Bilican Demir, Safiye] Kocaeli Univ, Fac Educ, Kocaeli, Turkey.

Esta dissertação, inserida no campo da Psicologia Cognitiva na interface com a Educação, tem como objetivo examinar a relação entre desempenho leitor, compreensão leitora e memória de trabalho, em alunos concluintes do Ensino Médio. Para averiguar essas relações, serão apresentados dois estudos: O primeiro examina a relação entre o desempenho de alunos do 3º ano do Ensino Médio em uma tarefa adaptada das provas de linguagens, códigos e suas tecnologias do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio – Enem – e uma tarefa Cloze de compreensão leitora. O segundo estudo pretende evidenciar a relação entre a compreensão leitora, o desempenho leitor e a memória de trabalho. Para o segundo estudo serão aplicadas as seguintes tarefas: 1) um instrumento de compreensão leitora utilizando-se um texto ajustado à técnica Cloze; 2) uma tarefa de desempenho leitor adaptada das provas do Enem e 3) uma tarefa de dígitos na ordem direta e inversa da memória de trabalho. Esta pesquisa foi realizada em uma escola pública estadual de Porto Alegre e aplicada em 80 estudantes do 3º ano do Ensino Médio. A literatura aponta um forte indício da relação entre esses constructos (compreensão leitora e memória de trabalho), realçando que, prejuízos associados a algum deles pode comprometer fortemente o desempenho dos estudantes, seja nos anos iniciais da escolarização, seja ao final da educação básica. Evidenciou-se, no primeiro estudo, uma alta correlação entre a tarefa de desempenho e compreensão leitora (Enem e a técnica Cloze). Os resultados do segundo estudo mostraram que houve correlação entre a memória de trabalho com a tarefa de compreensão leitora (Cloze). No entanto, não houve correlação significativa entre a memória de trabalho e a tarefa de desempenho a partir do Enem. Os achados da dissertação foram analisados com base no referencial teórico apresentado e discutido ao longo da dissertação. Os dois estudos apontam para o baixo desempenho evidenciado por grande parte dos alunos participantes desta pesquisa, tanto no desempenho leitor quanto na compreensão leitora. É destacada como uma importante implicação educacional a necessidade urgente de políticas abrangentes que tenham como ênfase a leitura compreensiva nesta etapa da escolaridade, com foco em programas de intervenção que privilegiem a compreensão leitora, o desempenho leitor e a memória de trabalho. É consenso a necessidade de mais pesquisas, nacionais e internacionais, que abordem tais temáticas em alunos do Ensino Médio. This dissertation, inserted in the field of Cognitive Psychology in the interface with Education, aims to examine the relationship between reading performance, reading comprehension and working memory, in high school students. To examine these relationships, two studies will be presented: The first examines the relationship between the performance of students in the 3rd year of High School in a task adapted from the tests of languages, codes and their technologies of the National High School Examination - Enem - and one Cloze task of reading comprehension. The second study aims to highlight the relationship between reading comprehension, reading performance and working memory. For the second study the following tasks will be applied: 1) an instrument of reading comprehension using a text adjusted to the Cloze technique; 2) a task of reading performance adapted from the tests of the Enem and 3) a task of digits in the direct and inverse order of working memory. This research was carried out in a state public school in Porto Alegre and applied to 80 students of the 3rd year of High School. The literature points to a strong indication of the relationship between these constructs (reading comprehension and working memory), emphasizing that the damages associated with any one of them can strongly compromise students' performance, being in the initial years of schooling or at the end of basic education. In the first study, a high correlation between the task of performance and reading comprehension (Enem and the Cloze technique) was evidenced. The results of the second study showed that there was a correlation between the working memory and the reading comprehension task (Cloze). However, there was no significant correlation between the working memory and the performance task from Enem. The findings of the dissertation were analyzed based on the theoretical reference presented and discussed throughout the dissertation. The two studies point to the poor performance evidenced by a large part of the students participating in this research, both in reading performance and reading comprehension. It is highlighted as an important educational implication the urgent need for comprehensive policies that emphasize on comprehensive reading at this stage of schooling, concentrating on intervention programs that focus on reading comprehension, reading performance and working memory. The consensus is the need for more research, national and international, to address these issues in high school students.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of working memory training on reading performance among students with learning disability. The research method was quasi- experimental and the statistical population included boys’ elementary school students (3rd grade) with reading disability residing in Yazd, among them 32 students were selected via cluster multistage random sampling and then divided into experimental and control groups. The assessment tools included Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Reading and Dyslexia Test and the Clinical Interview Form. Data were analyzed through covariance analysis. The results showed that working memory training can improve reading performance of students with reading disability (p

Turkish students on average had lower scores than OECD countries on mathematics, science, and reading at international assessment programs. As PISA measures the extent to which 15-year-old students are prepared to handle the challenges they may encounter in their future lives, and evaluates students’ ability to reflect and to apply their knowledge and experience to real-life situations, low scores on this assessment should be investigated carefully. Therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the relationships between new literacy skills, reading, mathematics, and science performance of Turkish students. The results showed that new literacy skills measured in PISA had two dimensional structure including at and outside of school new literacy skills. These new literacy skills were shown to predict reading performance significantly, at school negatively and outside of school positively. It was also shown that reading performance and new literacy skills were effective in the prediction of both mathematics and science performances.

Over the last decade, the idea of providing students with choices in their learning experience has attracted academic interest (Flowerday & Shraw, 2000; Katz & Assor, 2007; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008). Although some previous research has suggested that choice is beneficial to language learning, other research has indicated that choice has negligible (Iyengar & DeVoe, 2003) or even damaging effects (D’Ailly, 2004; Stefanou, Perencevich, DiCintio, & Turner, 2004) on language acquisition. Considerable differences in the focuses of previous research can explain the conflicting results of these choice studies (Iyengar & DeVoe, 2003; Schwartz, 2004); however, researchers agree that choice is closely associated with motivation (Stefanou et al., 2004). For instance, various motivational models, such as self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), include the concepts of choice, autonomy, and control as key elements of intrinsic motivation and performance. This study had three main purposes, the first of which was to quantitatively examine the relationships among Reading Anxiety, Autonomy, Interest, Reading Self- Efficacy, and Reading Proficiency in Japanese EFL students in a first-year pre-intermediate reading course. The second purpose was to quantitatively examine the effect of having No Choice, Option Choice, and Active Choice (Reeve, Nix, & Hamm, 2003) on Reading Anxiety, Reading Autonomy, Reading Interest, Reading Self-Efficacy, and reading performance over one academic year in a foreign language reading curriculum. The final purpose was to qualitatively corroborate and support the quantitative findings through a series of structured interviews based on students’ beliefs and attitudes toward the provision of choice in the reading curriculum. A quantitative quasi-experimental design supported by a qualitative phenomenological component was used during the year-long longitudinal study with 201 first-year Japanese EFL students at a private university in Japan. Nine intact classes were randomly assigned into three groups: No Choice (n = 66), Option Choice (n = 67), and Active Choice (n = 68), as defined by Reeve et al. (2003). Affective Variable Questionnaires were administered to measure the levels of Reading Anxiety, Reading Autonomy, Reading Interest, and Reading Self-Efficacy before, during, and after a 32-week treatment. The results of reading performance measures, including Vocabulary Definition and Vocabulary in Context quizzes, Intensive Reading tests, Extensive Reading quizzes, Timed Reading assignments, Composite TOEFL, and TOEFL Reading component scores were tracked over the academic year. The results showed low to medium Pearson correlations ranging between r = - .39 to r = .29 among Reading Anxiety, Reading Autonomy, Reading Interest, and Reading Self-Efficacy. In addition, a stable, significant relationship was found between Reading Self-Efficacy and Reading Proficiency, as measured by students’ TOEFL scores and TOEFL Reading Component scores at the start and end of the academic semester. Initially, no such relationship was found between Reading Anxiety, Reading Autonomy, Reading Interest, and Reading Proficiency. However, by the end of the academic year, significant correlations were found among the Reading Autonomy, Reading Interest, Composite TOEFL, and TOEFL Reading component scores. The results indicated significant changes in the affective variables within each group over the academic year. Over the year, significant decreases in Reading Anxiety, and significant increases in Reading Self-Efficacy in each of the three groups were particularly salient. In addition, there were significant changes in many of the Reading Performance measures for each of the groups; however, only the Active Choice group had significant changes in all seven Reading Performance measures over the year. In terms of the effect of choice on the affective variables, students in both the Active Choice and the Option Choice groups had significantly higher Autonomy gains than students in the No Choice group over the academic year. Thus, giving students any type of choice in their reading curriculum exerted a positive effect on Reading Autonomy. With regards to the effect of choice on reading performance, mixed results were found in the reading components among the three groups. First, in the Intensive Reading and Timed Reading components, students in the Active Choice group performed significantly better than students in the Option Choice and No Choice groups. This finding indicated that when choice is given to students, it is necessary that the locus of control be with the student. With respect to Vocabulary Definitions and Vocabulary in Context components, both the Active Choice and Option Choice groups had significantly higher scores than the No Choice group. In other words, any choice was considered better than no choice. The type of choice had no effect on the Vocabulary components. In Extensive Reading, the Active Choice group significantly outperformed the No Choice group in the Extensive Reading quizzes; however, the Option Choice group was not significantly different from the other two groups. The results indicated that only autonomous choice led to greater self-determination, and increases in performance. Finally, no differences were found among the three groups in the Composite TOEFL scores and the TOEFL Reading component scores. The quantitative findings were corroborated by interviews with 18 students with a wide range of motivation and reading performance, as measured by the Affective Variables Questionnaire and the reading performance measures. The students were interviewed about the treatment process and their feelings about having choice in the reading curriculum. Common themes derived from the interview data indicated that choice affected students’ sense of Reading Autonomy. A common pattern emerged from the data indicating that students in the Active Choice group with lower levels of affect and reading performance were less comfortable making choices than students with higher levels of affect and reading performance abilities. Additionally, students in the No Choice group with higher levels of affect and reading performance were frustrated by the lack of choice in the reading course. The study contributed four unique points to the field of choice in language learning. First, choice was found to increase students’ sense of Reading Autonomy, a key component in intrinsic motivation and successful learning (Littlewood, 1999). Next, having any type of choice was found to be beneficial in Vocabulary acquisition. Moreover, only autonomous choice was found to be advantageous in the more complex tasks of Intensive Reading, Extensive Reading, and Timed Reading. Finally, the benefits of choice did not extend to performance on the Composite TOEFL and TOEFL Reading components. The testing environment and the lack of choice available in standardized testing were demotivating and contributed to a decrease in reading performance. The mixed results of this study indicate that choice is a complex phenomenon. The field of choice in education and language learning offers a wealth of teaching and research possibilities for future study.

Este artículo aborda una investigación sobre el valor predictivo del conocimiento de las grafías para el rendimiento lector. Los estudios precedentes han mostrado una fuerte relación entre el conocimiento delas grafías en edades tempranas y los procesos de decodificación. Nuestro estudio indaga sobre el proceso de aprendizaje del código alfabético español centrado en los grafemas y analiza el poder predictivo del conocimiento de las grafías para las habilidades de decodificación en la lectura inicial. Para ello, se apoya en una metodología longitudinal prospectiva y en el uso de instrumentos estandarizados (PROLEC-R yBIL) aplicado a 362 alumnos y alumnas de 4 y 5 a˜nos. Los datos obtenidos se analizan mediante regresión múltiple, utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales. Nuestra investigación subraya la relevancia de la secuencia de aprendizaje de los grafemas en edades tempranas, diferenciándose la secuencia de aprendizaje en español con respecto a la lengua inglesa. En español, la secuencia de aprendizaje de los grafemas es independiente de la secuencia de aprendizaje de los fonemas. Asimismo, este artículo subraya la importancia de una secuencia de aprendizaje de estas grafías para predecir el desarrollo de las habilidades de decodificación. Este estudio concluye que las prácticas educativas tempranas que consideran el nombre y fonema de las grafías y la secuencia determinada en el aprendizaje de los grafemas optimizan el rendimiento lector de los niños y niñas de lengua española. The current article addresses a research on the predictive value of knowing the letters within the ini-tial reading performance. Recent studies have shown a strong link between the knowledge of letters atearly ages and the decoding processes. Our study deepens into the learning process of the Spanish alp-habet code, focused on the graphemes, and analyzes the predictive power of knowing of letters for thedecoding abilities in initial reading. To this end, the research relies on a longitudinal prospective met-hodology and makes use of standardized instruments (PROLEC-R and BIL) applied to 362 students aged4 and 5. The data obtained are analyzed through multiple regression, using structural equation models.Our research outlines the relevance of learning the sequence of graphemes from early ages, differen-tiating the sequence of learning in Spanish with respect to English language. In Spanish, the learningsequence of the graphemes is independent of the learning sequence of phonemes. Moreover, this articleemphasizes the importance of a learning sequence of these letters, in order to foresee the developmentof the decoding abilities. This study concludes that the early educational practices that take into accountthe letters name and phoneme, as well as the concrete sequence in graphemes learning, optimize thereading performance of Spanish speaking children.

Este artículo aborda una investigación sobre el valor predictivo del conocimiento de las grafías para el rendimiento lector. Los estudios precedentes han mostrado una fuerte relación entre el conocimiento delas grafías en edades tempranas y los procesos de decodificación. Nuestro estudio indaga sobre el proceso de aprendizaje del código alfabético español centrado en los grafemas y analiza el poder predictivo del conocimiento de las grafías para las habilidades de decodificación en la lectura inicial. Para ello, se apoya en una metodología longitudinal prospectiva y en el uso de instrumentos estandarizados (PROLEC-R yBIL) aplicado a 362 alumnos y alumnas de 4 y 5 a˜nos. Los datos obtenidos se analizan mediante regresión múltiple, utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales. Nuestra investigación subraya la relevancia de la secuencia de aprendizaje de los grafemas en edades tempranas, diferenciándose la secuencia de aprendizaje en español con respecto a la lengua inglesa. En español, la secuencia de aprendizaje de los grafemas es independiente de la secuencia de aprendizaje de los fonemas. Asimismo, este artículo subraya la importancia de una secuencia de aprendizaje de estas grafías para predecir el desarrollo de las habilidades de decodificación. Este estudio concluye que las prácticas educativas tempranas que consideran el nombre y fonema de las grafías y la secuencia determinada en el aprendizaje de los grafemas optimizan el rendimiento lector de los niños y niñas de lengua española. The current article addresses a research on the predictive value of knowing the letters within the ini-tial reading performance. Recent studies have shown a strong link between the knowledge of letters atearly ages and the decoding processes. Our study deepens into the learning process of the Spanish alp-habet code, focused on the graphemes, and analyzes the predictive power of knowing of letters for thedecoding abilities in initial reading. To this end, the research relies on a longitudinal prospective met-hodology and makes use of standardized instruments (PROLEC-R and BIL) applied to 362 students aged4 and 5. The data obtained are analyzed through multiple regression, using structural equation models.Our research outlines the relevance of learning the sequence of graphemes from early ages, differen-tiating the sequence of learning in Spanish with respect to English language. In Spanish, the learningsequence of the graphemes is independent of the learning sequence of phonemes. Moreover, this articleemphasizes the importance of a learning sequence of these letters, in order to foresee the developmentof the decoding abilities. This study concludes that the early educational practices that take into accountthe letters name and phoneme, as well as the concrete sequence in graphemes learning, optimize thereading performance of Spanish speaking children.

National audience; This study aimed to verify the relationship between visual attention span (VAS), phonemic awareness (PA) and reading performance in a sample of 48 students from the 1st, 3rd and 5th grade from a public elementary school in Sao Paulo. Children were assessed in three sessions through a battery of tasks, which included single word reading, VAS, PA, nonverbal intelligence, phonological memory and letter identifi cation threshold. Results showed that the VAS and PA correlated with performance in reading from 1st to 5th grade, and they play a more important role at 1st grade, but remain relevant in 3rd and 5th grade, especially in the reading of nonwords and irregular words.; Este estudo objetivou verifi car as relações entre amplitude visuoatencional (AVA), consciência fonêmica (CF) e desempenho em leitura em uma amostra de 48 alunos de 1º, 3º e 5º anos do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública de São Paulo. As crianças foram avaliadas em três sessões em tarefas de leitura de palavras isoladas, AVA, CF, inteligência não verbal, memória fonológica e li-miar de identifi cação de letras. Os resultados indicam que a AVA e a CF se relacionam com a leitura desde o 1º até o 5º ano e que essas relações são mais fortes no 1º ano, mas continuam tendo um papel relevante no 3º ano e no 5º ano, principalmente na leitura de pseudopalavras e palavras irregulares.

General English (L2) proficiency and reading strategies are believed to be highly effective in successful reading performance. However, available studies rarely investigated the combined effects of these two variables on successful reading. To fill this gap, 78 university students were divided into four groups of different degrees of these two variables in L2 and given a reading test in English and an interview for assessing how much of the problems in L2 reading among the four groups were rooted in linguistic competence and/or strategic competence. Findings evinced that the high general proficiency level coupled with high awareness and use of reading strategies would result in best performance and that the pattern of answers to different components of reading question is different in different groups. It is concluded that both of the variables should be emphasized simultaneously for the best performance in reading comprehension.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of different speedometer features, especially dynamic speedometer using fisheye view for speed readout on driver's current speed-reading performance and preference. Two experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, shape of speedometer (full-circle and half-circle), resolution of speed readout (5s and 10s mph), and font size layout (fixed, stepped, and gradually increasing) were manipulated using static prototypes. Twenty participants’ response time and answer duration for reading current speed were collected as performance measures, along with subjective preferences. Based on findings in the first experiment, Java-based speedometer prototypes were developed and integrated with a driving simulator for the second experiment. Eight different speedometer features consisted of shapes of speedometer (half-circle and full-circle), resolutions of speed readout (10s and 20s mph), and dynamics of font size layout (static [fixed] and dynamic font size changes [fisheye view]) were manipulated in the interactive speedometer prototypes. Sixteen participants’ response time, answer duration, eye dwell time on speedometer, and subjective preferences were collected for the measurement. The results demonstrated similar utility of both speedometer shapes (full and half circle), optimal level of speed readout resolution, and potential utility of dynamic speedometer feature. The results of the study may provide a basis for future speedometer design in a flexible/configurable instrument cluster to improve driving performance and safety.

This thesis systematically examined the link between developmental dyscalculia, a specific learning difficulty of mathematics, and mathematics anxiety, a negative emotional reaction to mathematics tasks. The link between these maths learning issues was examined by measuring their prevalence in large samples of English primary (N = 1004; N= 830) and secondary school (N = 927) students. Gender differences were also explored. Systematically varying diagnostic criteria for dyscalculia revealed that its prevalence ranged between 0.89-17.23 percent. When absolute performance thresholds were used, there was no gender difference in dyscalculia prevalence. The association of mathematics performance with other cognitive skills and mathematics anxiety was investigated longitudinally in subsamples of children with dyscalculia (n =10), typical mathematics performance (n=10) and high maths ability (n = 11). 80 percent of the children in the dyscalculia group still met the criteria for diagnosis at the final time point. Mathematics performance was positively associated with working memory performance and negatively associated with mathematics anxiety. Furthermore, children with dyscalculia had higher maths anxiety than the other two groups. The relationship between dyscalculia and high maths anxiety was estimated in a larger sample (N = 1757). Relatively few children with dyscalculia had high maths anxiety and the majority of students with high maths anxiety in fact had mathematics performance within or above the average range. Girls had higher maths anxiety than boys, and more girls had both dyscalculia and maths anxiety than boys. There was an expected negative correlation between maths anxiety and maths performance in the total sample, but this correlation was negligible in the children with dyscalculia. Collectively, these results suggest that cognitive and emotional mathematics problems are dissociable, and indicate that children with dyscalculia and maths anxiety likely require different types of intervention. Furthermore there appears to be no gender difference in maths performance or in the prevalence of dyscalculia. However, girls have higher maths anxiety than boys, and are more likely to be affected by maths anxiety alongside developmental dyscalculia. Maths anxiety may be a potential explanation for the underrepresentation of females in careers involving mathematics.

This study is aimed to investigate the effects of using concept mapping on EFL learners’ reading comprehension and to examine their attitudes towards the implementation of concept mapping in reading lessons. The participants in this study were sixty-four first-year EFL students. These students were assigned into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Both groups received the same number of sessions on reading lessons in the reading course but the intervention with concept mapping was only administered to the experimental group. The data were collected from the pre-test and post-test, and questionnaire. The findings indicated that there was a significant difference in the students’ reading comprehension: the students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group. The study also indicated the positive attitudes of the students towards the use of concept mapping in reading lessons. They enjoyed learning reading using concept mapping and perceived using concept mapping as beneficial in reading lessons.

The article focuses on the value of reading and the enjoyment of this activity by students of lower secondary schools. The subject of the analysis is the relationship of different factors on attitudes towards reading: gender and the social status of students’ families. The aim of the analysis is to learn if reading books and engagement in reading could overcome the negative influence of low social and cultural capital and gender on reading performance and educational outcomes. The study is based on the results of three editions of the national study on reading habits and attitudes among students of lower secondary schools conducted in 2003, 2010, 2013 and two editions of the PISA international survey from 2000 and 2009.

Background: A reading chart that resembles real reading conditions is important to evaluate the quality of life in terms of reading performance. The purpose of this study was to compare the reading speed of UiTM Malay related words (UiTM-Mrw) reading chart with MNread Acuity Chart and Colenbrander Reading Chart. Materials and methods: Fifty subjects with normal sight were randomly recruited through randomized sampling in this study (mean age = 22.98 ± 1.65 years). Subjects were asked to read three different near charts aloud and as quickly as possible at random sequence. The charts were the UiTM-Mrw Reading Chart, MNread Acuity Chart and Colenbrander Reading Chart, respectively. The time taken to read each chart was recorded and any errors while reading were noted. Reading performance was quantified in terms of reading speed as words per minute (wpm). Results: The mean reading speed for UiTM-Mrw Reading Chart, MNread Acuity Chart and Colenbrander Reading Chart was 200 ± 30 wpm, 196 ± 28 wpm and 194 ± 31 wpm, respectively. Comparison of reading speed between UiTM-Mrw Reading Chart and MNread Acuity Chart showed no significant difference (t = −0.73, p = 0.72). The same happened with the reading speed between UiTM-Mrw Reading Chart and Colenbrander Reading Chart (t = −0.97, p = 0.55). Bland and Altman plot showed good agreement between reading speed of UiTM-Mrw Reading Chart with MNread Acuity Chart with the Colenbrander Reading Chart. Conclusion: UiTM-Mrw Reading Chart in Malay language is highly comparable with standardized charts and can be used for evaluating reading speed.

Aim: To determine profiles of non-chlamydia conjunctival bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibility from adults who underwent trachomatous trichiasis surgery in rural areas of Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural districts in West Gojjam administrative zone. Conjunctival swabs were collected during surgery and transported using Stuart transport broth (Oxoid, UK). Antibiotic susceptibility of conjunctival isolates was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method. Results: Non-chlamydia pathogenic bacteria were recovered from conjunctiva of 438 (31%) participants before treatment. The isolated conjunctival bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococci, Streptococcus group (A, C, F and G), Enterococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella spp., Escherichia coli, Citrobacter spp., Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacter spp. Overall, resistance rates of 57.8% to azithromycin and 68.5% to chloramphenicol were found. However, 86-94.4% sensitivity was demonstrated to ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Moderate sensitivity rates (61.8-78.4%) were observed to ceftriaxone, tetracycline and cotrimoxazole. Conclusion: Fluoroquinolones that have activity against the majority of bacterial isolates were potent at in vitro. However, unacceptably high levels of resistance to azithromycin and chloramphenicol in rural community indicated a need for further study and antimicrobial resistance surveillance.

Background: Lack of evidence in literature to show low vision care enhances the reading performance in children with Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment (MDVI). Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of Low Vision Care intervention on the reading performance of children with MDVI. Materials and Methods: Three subjects who were diagnosed to have cerebral palsy and visual impairment, studying in a special school were recruited for the study. All of them underwent detailed eye examination and low vision care evaluation at a tertiary eye care hospital. A single subject multiple baseline (study) design was adopted and the study period was 16 weeks. The reading performance (reading speed, reading accuracy, reading fluency) was evaluated during the baseline phase and the intervention phase. The median of all the reading parameters for each week was noted. The trend of the reading performance was graphically represented in both the phases. Results: Reading speed increased by 37 Word per minute, 37 Letters per minute and 5 letters per minute for the subject 1, 2 and 3 respectively after the intervention. Reading accuracy was 84%, 91% and 86.4% at the end of the baseline period and 98.7%, 98.4% and 99% at the end of 16 weeks for subject 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Average reading fluency score was 8.3, 7.1 and 5.5 in the baseline period and 10.2, 10.2 and 8.7 in the intervention period. Conclusion: This study shows evidence of noticeable improvement in reading performance of children with MDVI using a novel study design.

Purpose: This work was conducted to study the ability of bacterial and fungal isolates from keratitis cases in Upper Egypt to produce enzymes, toxins, and to test the isolated fungal species sensitivity to some therapeutic agents. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifteen patients clinically diagnosed to have microbial keratitis were investigated. From these cases, 37 bacterial isolates and 25 fungal isolates were screened for their ability to produce extra-cellular enzymes in solid media. In addition, the ability of fungal isolates to produce mycotoxins and their sensitivity to 4 antifungal agents were tested. Results: Protease, lipase, hemolysins, urease, phosphatase, and catalase were detected respectively in 48.65%, 37.84%, 59.46%, 43.24%, 67.57%, and 100% out of 37 bacterial isolates tested. Out of 25 fungal isolates tested during the present study, 80% were positive for protease, 84% for lipase and urease, 28% for blood hemolysis, and 100% for phosphatase and catalase enzymes. Thirteen fungal isolates were able to produce detectable amounts of 7 mycotoxins in culture medium (aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2), sterigmatocystin, fumagillin, diacetoxyscirpenol, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, and trichodermin). Among the antifungal agents tested in this study, terbinafine showed the highest effect against most isolates in vitro. Conclusion: In conclusion, the ability of bacterial and fungal isolates to produce extracellular enzymes and toxins may be aid in the invasion and destruction of eye tissues, which, in turn, lead to vision loss.