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Social studies have been marginalized in early childhood education amid the prevalence of standardized testing and political issues. However, a comprehensive approach to early education, including social studies, is gaining attention. This article emphasizes the significance of incorporating social studies into early childhood curriculum, illuminating its potential to enhance children's cognitive and social-emotional development. The second important aspect of this article focuses on the role of social studies in literacy skill development through building background knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills of young children.

This study investigated the effects of a reading assistant software on the fluency and accuracy of speech production among EFL university students, employing a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants included 50 Thai undergraduate English majors in their first and second years. Data were analyzed using paired samples t-tests to measure L2 oral fluency, specifically pruned speech rate (PSR) and mean length of run (MLR). Accuracy rate was assessed by quantifying the proportion of error-free clauses within the participants' speeches from the pretest and posttest and calculating the average number of error-free clauses per T-unit. Results indicated significant improvements in speech fluency, evidenced by longer uninterrupted speech segments, fewer disfluencies like filled pauses and repairs, and increased overall fluency. Additionally, the post-test showed a higher percentage of error-free clauses compared to the pretest, reflecting a substantial enhancement in grammatical accuracy. This suggests that the intervention had a positive impact on the participants' ability to produce grammatically accurate and error-free clauses. These outcomes suggest that the reading assistant software effectively enhances both the fluency and grammatical accuracy of speech production in EFL learners, underscoring its potential benefits in language education contexts.

In this article I focus on the use of mixed methods in designing a classroom observation instrument known as the Facilitative Orientation to Reading Teaching (FORT). The instrument was designed to capture the teaching of reading and formed part of a project that took place in 2 Kwa-Zulu Natal primary schools. Participants were 8 teachers and their learners. The goal was to investigate how a teacher's pedagogical content knowledge can affect the literacy acquisition of Foundation and Intermediate Phase learners. In the study reported on here I used a facilitative-restrictive teaching and learning model based on the theories of, among others, Bernstein and Vygotsky, as well as Scarborough's Reading Rope theory. The instrument design was based on an original classroom instrument that captured only quantitative data. Through the addition of qualitative data, the instrument could capture classroom practice more accurately. Findings indicate that, ultimately, 1 of the participating teachers appeared to be successfully leading their learners from decoding to comprehension across the important Grade 3 to 4 threshold, where learners are expected to move from learning to read to be being able to learn from reading.

Reading is a skill that is initially taught in schools. Students are introduced to the alphabet and later learn to read texts. Reading Foreign languages is also introduced when students learn a foreign language. The student requires reading activities that include vocabulary learning. Extensive reading is one of the practical activities of reading. Nowadays, extensive reading activities include reading printed and digital text in e-books, journals, and internet and social media articles. In addition, digital extensive reading research on university students of agriculture is still rare. Thus, research on digital-mediated extensive reading in agricultural students' needs to be conducted to investigate whether it improves their reading comprehension. This study involved 84 agricultural students majoring Agroecotechnology study program. The participants take an English course. The data for this study was taken from the pre-test and post-test scores and questionnaire. The data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study shows that the digital-mediated extensive reading effectively enhances the student's reading comprehension in English as academic purposes (EAP) setting, and the students express that the digital-mediated extensive reading provides flexibility, technology utilization, and reading.

Fluent and skillful reading in English requires efficient and automatic letter and word recognition. Dysfluent reading can affect motivation for reading in English language learners, thereby limiting access to a wealth of language input from written texts. Extensive research of repeated reading in first language (L1) settings has been shown to increase reading rate, while comparatively little research has been done on repeated reading in second language (L2) settings. The objective of this eye-tracking study was to accurately document early and late reading processes in an immediate repeated reading exercise to observe how repeated reading affects reading rate in adult English language learners. In our study, 30 students in an intensive English program in the United States read three short expository texts three times each. Eye-tracking showed significant increases in reading rate measures in both early and late reading processes. For example, average first fixation duration decreased from the first to the third reading and average late dwell time decreased from the first to third reading. Repeated reading is an exercise that should be considered by educators to help English language learners increase their immediate reading rate.

Students with intellectual disabilities need more time and explicit instruction to develop word decoding. Most previous research on interventions among these students is performed in English. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of a word-decoding intervention in Swedish on individual students with intellectual disabilities. A single-subject-design study was conducted with five students with mild intellectual disability in the fourth grade. They needed to enhance decoding, and Swedish was their first language. Their word and non-word decoding was measured during the baseline and intervention phases. The intervention with the Wolff Intensive Program was delivered by special education teachers supporting phonemic decoding and reading fluency training during 25 sessions. All five students developed their decoding as they decoded more words in a given time (NAP=0.84-1.00) and decreased their decoding errors in both word and nonword decoding (NAP=0.72-1.00). The results are promising but need to be confirmed in additional studies.

Students with reading difficulties such as dyslexia receive most of their instruction in mainstream classrooms, but many teachers feel inadequately prepared to teach students with dyslexia and/or report that dyslexia was inadequately addressed in their training. However, depending on a school's organization, it may be sufficient that classroom teachers know enough to realize when to ask for support with identification and accommodation from specialized teachers with greater knowledge. In the present study we first investigate dyslexia knowledge in a sample of Norwegian upper-elementary-school teachers (N = 269). Second, we examine whether specialized ("resource") teachers are more knowledgeable about dyslexia than classroom teachers. Finally, we explore whether teaching experience and having encountered reading-related themes in formal training predict dyslexia knowledge. Overall, we find that only a small share of teachers holds misconceptions about dyslexia. However, a notable proportion of them are uncertain, especially regarding the role of visual deficits in dyslexia. Somewhat surprisingly, resource teachers have only marginally higher dyslexia knowledge than classroom teachers. Finally, neither experience nor reading-related course content in formal training are substantial predictors of dyslexia knowledge. The large extent of uncertainty concerning dyslexia suggests a need to reconsider teacher training curriculum and opportunities for teacher professional development.

As an initial step of a larger grant-funded project, this pilot study examined how providing preschool teachers in low socio-economic urban areas with a traditional professional development workshop and subsequent coaching on dialogic reading (DR) strategies affected their storybook reading. Effects on children's receptive and expressive language skills were measured by near-transfer vocabulary and number of conversational turns and vocalizations. A single group pretest-posttest design was used in which four teachers received two face-to-face trainings followed by three weeks of coaching in DR strategies. We used descriptive statistics to understand the impact on teachers' use of DR strategies and ten children's language skills. Results indicated that teachers' use of the DR strategies was variable, with three teachers' use of the specific DR prompts increasing across the two intervention periods. Teachers increased average use of evaluation, expansions, and repetitions from pretest to the first intervention period. Patterns of strategy use during coaching and posttest were variable. Average number of vocalizations and conversation turns taken increased across classrooms. Children demonstrated an increase in knowledge of near-transfer receptive and expressive vocabulary. Teachers rated the intervention as acceptable and indicated probable use following study closure. Overall, implementation and adoption of new strategies such as DR may require professional development models beyond traditional training and weekly coaching. However, children's language skills were positively impacted by limited and inconsistent implementation of the DR strategies. Clinical implications and areas for future research are discussed.

Narrative texts may represent a specific form of indirect contact, i.e., vicarious contact between the members of different groups. The present study introduces an online reading intervention promoting intergroup trust between children from the majority Czech population and the Vietnamese minority, reducing their perceived social distance and intergroup anxiety, as well as improving their behavioral intentions towards the minority. Forty-three primary school children were either part of a control group or participated in an online study, where stories about intergroup relations were read in three individual sessions. Selected stories represented the daily experiences of a same-aged boy from a Vietnamese minority. The control group only filled in the pre- and post-test questionnaires. The intervention group exhibited improvements in positive attitudes and reduction of negative attitudes with strong effect size. The subsequent goal of the study was to test whether secondary transfer would be manifested towards eight other minorities living in the country, i.e., whether the shift in attitudes would also generalize to minorities about whom the stories were not read. The manifested transfer varied from weak to very strong. The most profound change was exhibited in explicit attitudes towards Muslim and Roma, followed by the Ukrainian minority and homosexuals. The online reading intervention is therefore a promising tool for prejudice reduction in primary school children.

Teachers' feedback is critical for student learning, particularly during oral reading, where it supports skill development and fosters students' agency and reader identity. However, research has yet to provide clear recommendations for effective classroom feedback. This critical-constructive review aims to achieve two objectives: to present evidence of effective feedback strategies for reading development and to explore the theoretical foundations of feedback in oral reading. The review analyzes twenty-four empirical studies (1995-2022) on effects of teachers' feedback in K-5 settings. Findings reveal significant variability in effective feedback types and content, making clear-cut generalizations challenging and emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of feedback's influence on fluency, motivation and engagement. While many studies utilized theoretical frameworks, their limited diversity constrains our understanding of students' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to feedback, highlighting a gap in research that often prioritizes reading processes over the role of feedback. This study discusses the potential for integrating feedback and reading development theories to better align interventions with contemporary understandings. By adopting a more comprehensive approach, we can inform teaching strategies that support reading development and redefine how we assist young readers. Additionally, the study offers an example and approach for aligning theory across the different phases of performing empirical research, with implications that extend beyond the current review.

In a social cognitive framework, teacher feedback is a relational influence that is particularly significant in shaping learners' vocational self-concept during childhood--a critical stage for career development. This study examines the relationships among perceived teacher feedback, children's competence perceptions, interests, and achievement in two core curriculum subjects: native language (Portuguese) and mathematics. The sample comprises 409 fourth-grade students (51% male), aged between 9 and 13 years, who completed self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that positive feedback in reading and mathematics is significantly associated with children's perceived competencies in Portuguese language and mathematics, respectively. Furthermore, perceived competencies accounted for the indirect effects of feedback on both interests and grades. Conversely, negative feedback had a detrimental effect on all variables. Implications, limitations, and future directions for children's career development will be discussed.

Reading can be a way to increase students' social interaction and writing, especially for those continuing to a higher level of education. More recent research shows that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a variety of reading profiles that differ across a range of reading sub-skills. Meanwhile, the school teaching system provides one-size-fits-all learning for students with different abilities. This study aimed to test the use of personalized learning model-based Augmented Reality (AR) in supporting the learning of early reading skills in aspects of reading words, syllables, and letters. Four students with ASD participated in various cross-behavioral investigations. Data was collected based on early reading skills in words, syllables, and letters using the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) instrument, which had been adjusted according to the children's abilities (three groups of children). Participants went through baseline-1 sessions, AR interventions, and baseline-2. The results show increased student learning outcomes in reading words and syllables. However, there was no significant increase in learning outcomes regarding recognizing letters.

Reading instruction is a key component of special education teacher preparation, with content traditionally delivered through lecture and assigned reading. Recent research investigated the potential for enhancing special education teacher preparation with technological modes of content delivery. This systematic literature review was conducted to explore the effect of multimedia interventions on preservice teachers' knowledge and skills for delivering reading instruction. Fourteen quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria established and were reviewed to identify the types of multimedia instruction employed, areas of reading instruction addressed, the measures of preservice teacher knowledge and skills used, and the alignment between instruction and theories of learning in the 14 studies. Findings indicate that technological interventions, such as Content Acquisition Podcasts and multimedia vignettes, yielded statistically significant gains in preservice teacher knowledge and skills for delivering reading instruction to students with disabilities when compared with traditional modes of instruction. Multimedia instruction developed with solid theoretical frameworks had increased efficacy, suggesting that individuals preparing future special educators may benefit from increased alignment with theories of learning. Additional implications for teacher education and future research are provided.

Although the accurate diagnosis and effective instruction for reading disorders through multi-tiered systems of support is one of the most foundational components of school psychology training and practice, there are significant opportunities for innovation, renewed excitement, and social justice. In this article, we identify reading assessments, interventions, and systems-level policies shown to be effective through rigorous, empirical research. These effective practices are not well known by school psychologists or commonly implemented in schools. We propose four areas to better align school psychology training and practice with the most cutting-edge reading research to improve student outcomes in the future: (a) building knowledge of reading development, (b) increasing the commitment to school-based careers, (c) implementing more instructionally-useful reading screening and special education assessment practices (including using the hybrid model of identification), and (d) promoting evidence-based reading instruction and intervention. Throughout each of these four areas, we highlight the need for multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Although research on the home literacy environment and its impact on early literacy has long focused on mothers, the past decade has seen a shift in scholarly attention to the role of fathers. Building on this shift, we examined whether the nature of parent-child interactions during shared storybook reading varies with parent gender, child gender and the interaction between the two, and we analysed whether possible differences in the nature of mother- and father-child interactions are related to story comprehension. We made video observations of mothers and fathers within 36 relatively highly educated families reading a storybook with their kindergartener (age 4 - 5) and registered the use of cognitively challenging (i.e. decontextualized) talk during these activities. After each shared reading session, we additionally administered a test assessing children's understanding of the story being read. Two-way mixed ANOVA's revealed no effects of parent gender or child gender on either the use of cognitively challenging talk or children's story comprehension, nor did we find interaction effects of parent and child gender. The extent of cognitively challenging talk was significantly correlated to children's comprehension scores for fathers, but not for mothers. This correlation seems to have masked another association, however: when correlations were computed separately for girls and boys, we found that the proportion of cognitively challenging utterances of both parents was correlated to comprehension scores for boys, but not for girls. The absence of parent gender effects provides further insights into the way mothers and fathers shape interactions during shared reading, but also stresses the need for studies with larger, more diverse samples. The observation that more frequent use of cognitively challenging talk was paralleled by better story comprehension for boys invites further research on the specific effects of shared reading for boys.

Early reading achievement is essential for all children's development and future success. However, U.S. schools continue to under prepare Black children in early literacy, as evidenced by disparate outcomes observed for this population of learners. The under preparation of Black students is problematic, given the strong negative correlation between early reading proficiency and high school graduation. Preschool learning opportunities are a means to curb this trend, but these instructional opportunities vary in quality and effectiveness. Variations in quality may significantly impact Black girls. Little specific attention has been given to the early reading of Black girls.' Therefore, this article's purpose is to assess the effects of schools on the early reading achievement of Black girls. This study used multilevel modeling to gauge the effects of schools on Black girls' early reading achievement. Our estimates provide correlational inferences concerning the associations between school characteristics and the early reading achievement of Black girls. The reading achievement of a representative sample of Black girls (N = 886) and their corresponding schools was used to assess school effects. The schools' socioeconomic status (SES) and school locations were the primary school characteristics of interest. Results indicate that schools account for approximately 18% of the variation in Black girls' early reading achievement. Thus, schools play a meaningful role in the early reading achievement of Black girls. School-level SES was negatively correlated with Black girls' early reading achievement, but this effect was mediated by school location. In conclusion, schools' observed effects on early Black girl achievement were moderate and influenced by school location. Implications for supporting the early reading achievement of Black girls are provided for educational stakeholders.

More U.S. community college students are enrolling without the requisite reading skills to be successful. Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students are following a similar pattern with a little less than half requiring remedial instruction when entering college. College-age readers were the first population that we studied to learn about reading and reading instruction. The present study revisits this notion with DHH students at the forefront. We wanted to know what skills DHH readers have when they enroll in community college and what skills secondary teachers could focus on to prepare them. Based on the Degrees of Reading Power assessment given to DHH first year students prior entering community college (N = 409 participants), DHH readers would benefit from instruction in three important areas of reading comprehension: key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas. We discuss instructional ideas and future directions.

Historians often present their interpretation of the past in written accounts. In order to gain deeper knowledge of the discipline of history, students must learn how to read and write historical accounts. In this experimental pretest--posttest study, we investigated the impact of a domain-specific reading instruction followed by domain-specific writing-strategy instruction as well as a repeated domain-specific reading instruction on the quality of written texts and on procedural knowledge regarding reading, reasoning, and writing of 142 10th grade students. Results indicated that both instructions had a positive impact on the quality of written texts and on the amount of procedural knowledge (reading, reasoning, and writing). However, students who received a domain-specific writing instruction after the reading instruction wrote better texts compared to students who only received a domain-specific reading-to-write instruction. In addition, we found positive correlations between procedural knowledge and the quality of written texts in both conditions.

As evidenced by national data, a large proportion of students in middle school, content area classrooms in the United States (U.S.) may be considered developing readers. Evidence-based literacy practices and explicit instructional practices can support these students' literacy development. Yet, research suggests that teachers often miss opportunities to integrate evidence-based literacy practices to support students' access to text, and little is known about middle school teachers' use of explicit instructional practices. In this observation study, we document 17 U.S. middle school teachers' use of both explicit instructional practices and evidence-based literacy practices across 51 lessons in general education language arts, science, and social studies classrooms. We find that most explicit instructional practices and literacy practices were infrequently utilized across all content areas; within some content areas, some of these important practices were not used at all. We discuss the contexts in which explicit instruction and/or evidenced-based literacy instruction did occur, and the importance of school-wide literacy models and related professional learning opportunities to increase middle school content-area teachers' ability to support developing readers.

Inference-making is a central element of successful reading comprehension, yet provides a challenge for beginning readers. Text decoding takes up cognitive resources which prevents beginning readers from successful inference-making and compromises reading comprehension. Listening does not require any decoding and could therefore offer a less demanding context to practice inference-making. The present study examined whether stimulating inference-making in a listening context is more effective and less cognitively demanding for beginning readers than a reading context. In three experiments, Dutch second grade children read two narratives and listened to two narratives. Inference-making was stimulated by asking them inferential questions during reading or listening and we compared this to a no-questioning control condition. After each narrative, we measured cognitive load and comprehension. It was expected that inferential questioning would increase cognitive load and negatively affect reading comprehension, but positively affect listening comprehension. The results indeed showed that inferential questioning increased cognitive load, but did not lead to differences in performance on open-ended comprehension questions (Experiment 1 & 2). When measuring comprehension with a free recall protocol (Experiment 3), we found a negative effect on total recall in both the reading and listening conditions. Taken together, we found no support for the hypothesized interaction. This raises questions about the effectiveness of inferential questioning for reading and listening comprehension of beginning readers, and whether listening is a good modality for improving inference-making.

The emphasis on language and literacy in science education research has urged science teachers to include reading as an integral part of learning science. However, in US secondary schools, the percentage of students reading under grade level is high, and emergent bilinguals (EBs) are significantly represented among this group. While researchers across disciplines have proposed a number of prescriptive reading practices in science classrooms tightly aligned with instructional standards, few scholars have closely examined the starting point of reading instruction in science classrooms, and even fewer have focused on actual instruction for EBs in these classrooms. This study examines the nature of existing reading practices in science classrooms, with a particular focus on EBs. Using a qualitative multiple case study method, this study found significant mismatches between actual classroom practices and the ideal prescriptions about science reading instruction portrayed in educational standards and research. This study also found that teachers were battling numerous obstacles to implementing research/standards-based prescriptions. With the implications of science reading instruction for EBs' language and science content learning, this article will contribute to developing reading instruction and practices grounded in real classrooms and improving the instructional environment for reading-inclusive science classrooms.

Background: This study explored the impact of different cut-off points used to identify children with reading difficulties on the distribution of these children across the three poor reader groups predicted by the simple view of reading (dyslexia, specific comprehension difficulty and mixed difficulty). Additionally, the study investigated whether the cognitive profiles of these poor reader groups remained consistent across varying levels of reading impairment. Methods: This study included 209 primary school children from New Zealand, in Years 4-6 and aged 8-10 years, who experienced reading comprehension difficulties. Using a two-step cluster analysis, participants were assigned to one of three poor reader groups: dyslexia, specific comprehension difficulty (SCD) and mixed difficulty. We examined the distribution of children across these groups at eight levels of reading comprehension difficulty and conducted strengths and weaknesses profiles at four levels of reading ability across 14 tests that assessed a range of reading-related skills. Additionally, we compared the performance of children in these groups who performed above and below the 10th percentile on a reading comprehension assessment across these tests. Results: The results showed that the proportion of children assigned to each group varied across the reading levels, with children at the lower end of the reading comprehension continuum more likely to exhibit the mixed difficulty profile than the SCD and dyslexia profiles. Overall, the research found that dyslexia, SCD and mixed difficulty profiles could be identified at all levels of reading comprehension difficulty, though weaknesses in their reading-related skills increased as reading comprehension difficulties also increased. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that struggling readers demonstrate distinct cognitive profiles across all levels of reading ability. These results have important implications for identifying and supporting struggling readers, as well as enhancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of reading difficulties. The possible relationship between the results obtained in this study and tiered models of reading support is discussed.

Background: In the last two decades, a number of empirical studies investigated the impact of UK-based interventions for struggling readers in later primary years (called Key Stage 2 or KS2 in the UK). However, to date, there are no reviews that look at the extent and nature of the existing UK-based literature. This scoping review explores the extent of the available literature focusing on struggling readers in KS2 and aims to summarise the findings of available research. Methods: A scoping review methodology was used, and six databases were searched from 2000 to 2022. The initial search yielded 1236 studies, of which 24 met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Results: Most of the included studies (21 out of 24) demonstrated positive outcomes, and the support provided led to improvement in the reading skills of struggling readers in KS2. The available intervention programmes included a wide range of intensity, varied group sizes and targeted different reading skills. There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest the relative efficacy of one intervention over another. Conclusions: The review confirmed the need for more robust research in this area and highlighted the importance of learning lessons from the international evidence base.

Background: To better understand the intricate science of reading development, both cognitive and affective factors must be taken into consideration. This developmental study aims to enrich the literature by exploring how reading motivation -- an affective factor -- contributes to reading comprehension in Chinese elementary schoolers, beyond well-accepted cognitive-based reading skills, such as decoding and vocabulary. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design with 420 native Mandarin-Chinese-speaking students (Grade 2: N = 95; Grade 3: N = 216; Grade 4: N = 109), with age-appropriate materials to measure their decoding skills, vocabulary knowledge, reading motivation, and reading comprehension. Three sets of hierarchical regression analyses were run for the three grade samples to examine the unique contributions of reading motivation to reading comprehension while controlling children's demographic profiles, such as age and gender, and two cognitive-based reading skills. Results: We replicated previous findings: children's decoding and vocabulary are robust predictors of reading achievement across Grades 2 to 4. Importantly, reading motivation contributed uniquely to reading comprehension in all three grades and explained an increasing amount of the variances in reading comprehension from Grades 2 to 4. Intrinsic reading motivation was critical in Grade 3, while extrinsic reading motivation became important in Grade 4. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings reveal the complexity of reading development and advance the existing cognitive-based reading theories by including affective dimensions.

Artificial intelligence is the simulation or development of reasoning and other human-like cognitive abilities by computers. Currently, there is limited exploration of applications of artificial intelligence tools for teaching reading to children in the early childhood and elementary grades, including how artificial intelligence might be used to personalize reading materials for children. This article draws on teachers' experiences with artificial intelligence tools to provide tips on how to use artificial intelligence to create differentiated reading materials for children.

Teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents recognize the importance of providing deaf and hard of hearing children with full access to the languages around them. Without full access, reading and academic achievement remain far below intellectual capabilities. This article describes the Continuum of Reading Activities, which provides strategies that allow the advancement of students' language development and address core literacy standards through four steps. When these steps are followed sequentially, they provide a gradual release of the teacher's involvement as students read with increasing independence. This process utilizes peer-to-peer and student-to-teacher interactions that promote full language fluency across all communication modalities and language preferences while strengthening and refining students' individual language, reading, and cognitive skills.

This illustrative case study investigation was conducted to learn how Indonesian in-service teachers perceived teaching reading in a digital era and the challenges they encountered. The data were submitted by a total of 30 teachers who participated in the subject post for Indonesian junior high schools. Data collection strategies include participatory classroom observation, interviews, and guided written reflection. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The study's findings highlight issues concerning teachers' perceptions and teachers' challenges while teaching reading in a digital setting. As many as 63% of teachers believe that the proportion of time teachers spend to practice reading skills from online sources is 40%-50% of total teaching hours at school. Furthermore, 40% of them believe that the criteria for teacher success in reading is when pupils improve their reading comprehension skills. The analysis also revealed that teachers encountered a number of challenges: (1) lack of knowledge about models and media for learning to read in a digital context, (2) lack of students' ability to read multi-text sources, and (3) lack of motivation and awareness among students in reading. The findings of this study impact the understanding and training requirements of junior high school teachers concerning reading instruction methods in a digital context. Future studies should focus on innovation and the development of learning models to improve the quality of reading comprehension in a digital environment.

In the era of remote learning courses, the humanities instructor struggled more than most to translate the many familiar techniques of close reading to the unfamiliar realm of technology. Oftentimes instructors have depended on facsimiles of traditional methods: a shared passage annotated by the class digitally, or small groups sent to individual breakout rooms which will eventually rejoin the class and share their findings. This article offers a methodology which incorporates the beneficial technologies which were necessary in remote classrooms into the traditional classroom, encouraging students to collaborate and debate through the shared digital annotation of primary texts.

The purpose of this study was to explore student performance, self-ratings of learning and preference, and student comments on a variety of reading quiz formats in a first semester speech-language pathology graduate course. Students from two cohorts (n = 34) completed four types of quizzes: closed-book, open-book, open-note, and collaborative group in addition to a note review study option in self-selected order. Scores and reported preference were significantly lower on closed-book quizzes compared to other formats, but few other significant differences were observed across formats. Ranges of preferences, low variability in scores, and student comments supported the practice of allowing students to choose their own format, consistent with a needed move in the field towards learner-centered teaching. While additional research is warranted, this pilot study suggests that adding the learner-centered element of choice to assessments such as quizzes can provide flexibility for student preferences while also increasing adherence to reading assignments.

In this study, the effect of philosophy for children on primary school 4th-grade students' attitudes toward socioscientific issues (SSIs) and asking questions will be examined. A quasi-experimental design will be used in the study. In the study, 48 (experimental group [EG]: 24, control group [CG]: 24) primary school 4th-grade students studying in a primary school in the Derince district of Kocaeli province were included in the study with convenient case sampling. The data in the study were collected with the "Question Asking Attitude Scale" and "Children's Attitudes Toward Socioscientific Issues Scale." The post-test scores of the experimental and CG students' attitudes toward SSIs and asking questions were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test and the change between the pre- and post-test scores of the students in the experimental and CG s was analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. As a result of the analyzes, it was revealed that although both the philosophy for children intervention (EG) and the traditional reading intervention (CG) increased the primary school 4th-grade students' attitudes toward SSIs and asking questions, it was not at a statistically significant level. However, students in the EG discussing SSIs through the philosophy for children application significantly increased their awareness of SSIs and asking questions compared to the students in the CG.

Recent research on English as a foreign language (EFL) vocabulary instruction has surged due to its inherent importance and the challenge it poses, given the vast number of words in languages. Many studies explored how reading enhances EFL students' vocabulary. However, empirical studies on how narrow reading aids beginners' vocabulary growth are lacking. Hence, this study purports to investigate the impact of narrow reading on the development of Moroccan EFL students' receptive vocabulary knowledge. An experimental pretest post-test design is adopted. 75 10th grade (common core) beginner students belonging to three groups participated in the study. The first experimental group read 4 texts on the same theme and written by the same author. The second experimental group read 4 texts written by the same author. The control group read 4 texts written by different authors on different themes. Meara's yes/no test was used to measure the participants' receptive vocabulary knowledge before the treatment. The treatment lasted seven weeks. The vocabulary knowledge scale (VKS) was used to measure students' receptive vocabulary gains. The results of a one-way ANOVA showed that the group which read texts on the same theme and by the same author outperformed the other groups. Informal discussion with the participants unveiled some factors that have eased vocabulary uptake.

Reading is a basic literacy that plays an important role in the intellectual development of students. Based on various surveys, it was identified that the reading competence of Indonesian students was very low. The research aims was to implement educative comics based on local folktale and examine its effect on increasing reading literacy of rural primary school students. The research is a quasi-experimental design with pre-test-post-test non-equivalent control group design. The participants were 3rd grade elementary school students in rural Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. Sampling was done by purposive sampling and cluster random sampling technique. There were 58 students in the experimental group and 56 students in the control group from 2 different elementary schools, but their qualifications were both in the good category. In learning to read, the experimental group used educational comic books containing local folktales while the control group used texts containing local folktale. Reading literacy competency data was obtained through paper and pencil tests. The data obtained were analysed descriptively and inferentially using t-test. The results of the study prove that there is a significant effect of educational comics based on local folktale on students' reading literacy competence. Local folktale supported by images is suspected to facilitate the availability of context so that the substance of the text is easier to understand. Therefore, teachers are advised to use image support in learning to cover learning losses due to the pandemic, especially in rural schools which experience many obstacles in distance learning.

The study aims to verify the validity and reliability of a set of tests for measuring Indonesian students' reading literacy achievement that has been developed by the Center for Language Strategy and Diplomacy Development as well as the Educational Assessment Center, two institutions under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. The construct validity of the test was verified using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the reliability was estimated using the composite reliability (CR) formula. The data used were responses from a sample of 6,539 students from 294 high schools in 34 provinces in Indonesia. The sample was established using a multistage sampling technique from the study population of 15-year-old students in Indonesia. The results indicated that the construct validity of the test was verified and the reliability coefficient was 0.805, which was defined good. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the set of tests is appropriate to be used to measure Indonesian students' reading literacy achievement. In other words, using the set of tests will establish measurement that can reflect the reading literacy achievement of Indonesian students.

Background: As technology continues to advance, language acquisition methodologies have increasingly been integrated into computer-assisted language learning (CALL) systems. In the context of Chinese language acquisition, characters are structured in three phases: the overall character, its components, and its strokes. Proficiency in identifying and distinguishing individual characters hinges upon understanding their structural composition. Objective: This study aims to explore the impact of a computer application on Chinese language reading skills and students' perceptions regarding the utilization of computer applications for home-based learning. Method: A total of 60 students engaged in home-based learning using a designated computer application were involved in the study. Employing a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design, the study assessed the effects of the intervention. Results and Conclusion: Following one month of homebased learning through computer applications, participants exhibited higher gain scores in reading skill tests, albeit the differences were not statistically significant. Students expressed a preference for and perceived greater ease in acquiring reading skills through computer applications compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, the integration of computer applications in teaching and learning processes demonstrated the potential to enhance students' motivation, interest, and confidence in language acquisition, albeit without a notable impact on attention levels. The study underscores the pedagogical promise of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and advocates for further research endeavors in this domain.

This research project addresses the decline in student engagement, retention, and academic performance in a college Reading 100 course at a local community college in Arizona over a threeyear period. Catering to students with low reading proficiency, including international students learning English, the course faced new challenges brought on by the pandemic, necessitating a shift in instructional strategies. Using a qualitative approach, data on drop-out rates, attendance, assignments, and assessment grades were collected for fall semesters in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The study identified concerning behaviors among students, such as apathy, low communication skills, isolation issues, low confidence, and little engagement, exacerbated by the transition to online and live online instruction during the pandemic. To tackle these challenges, the instructor experimented with innovative strategies to boost student engagement and success. Techniques included small and whole group discussions, modeling reading techniques, and leveraging technology to facilitate learning beyond the classroom. Furthermore, the research emphasized addressing students' social-emotional needs, considering the impact of isolation and mental health challenges. Though some improvements were observed, overall success rates remained unsatisfactory, with students still struggling to comprehend college-level texts. Recognizing the need for comprehensive interventions, the instructor conducted further research to explore effective engagement techniques and technology-based learning approaches, aiming to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment. By combining these innovative methods with student agency and an adaptable approach, this study offers valuable insights for educators seeking to enhance student outcomes in college reading courses.

As our literate society becomes aware of the gaps between education and educational achievement, teachers of reading must deliver a superior reading program. To sharpen their skills, teachers of reading must research and educate themselves on essential reading instruction components, useful professional development, the characteristics that define individual students, quality resources, informed and ongoing assessment that guides instruction, and the role of educational technology in their teaching of reading. Learning about, reflecting on, and using these five aspects will enhance the effectiveness of any teacher of reading.