The Relation Between Academic Word Use and Reading Comprehension for Students From Diverse Backgrounds

Purpose The aims of the current project were twofold: (a) to describe the use of academic words in written language samples by fifth-grade students and (b) to examine the predictive relation between academic word use in academic writing and reading comprehension. Method Investigators utilized written expository responses of 1,128 students in fifth grade who differed in English proficiency and language ability. The sample included 214 students who were English learners (ELs) and 144 students with identified language learning disabilities (LLD). Group differences in the use of academic words from the Coxhead word list were examined. Results ELs and students with LLD used academic words less frequently than their peers and demonstrated less variety in their academic word use. There was a significant relation between students' use of academic words and reading comprehension. Academic word use accounted for 16% of the variance in reading comprehension, which was not significantly different for ELs or students with LLD. The relation was moderated by economic advantage, with the strength of the relation being lower for students who were eligible for free/reduced lunch. Conclusions Findings support the need for additional research on ways to improve academic vocabulary skills to minimize achievement gaps. The relation between academic word use and reading comprehension warrants further consideration.

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Connective Use in Academic Writing by Students With Language Learning Disabilities From Diverse Linguistic Backgrounds

Communication Disorders Quarterly ◽

10.1177/1525740120933569 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 152574012093356

Author(s):

Carla L. Wood

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Language Learning ◽

Academic Writing ◽

English Learners ◽

English Proficiency ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Writing Quality ◽

Word Use ◽

Fifth Grade Students ◽

Language Learning Disabilities

The aims of the current project included to (a) describe the use of connectives in written language samples by fifth grade students, (b) examine differences in connective use between groups who differed in English proficiency and exceptionalities, and (c) examine the predictive relationship between connective measures and writing quality ratings. Investigators utilized written expository responses of 1,128 students in fifth grade who differed in English proficiency and language ability. The sample included 214 English learners and 144 students with language learning disabilities (LLD). Group differences were examined in the use of advanced connective words in academic writing. Regression analysis was used to examine connective measures as predictors of overall writing quality rating. Students with LLD used advanced connectives less frequently than their peers and demonstrated less variety in their connective word use. Two connective measures (total number of advanced connectives and the ratio of connectives) were significant predictors of writing quality. Findings support the need for additional efforts to improve the use of cohesive devices in academic writing for students with LLD to minimize achievement gaps.

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Grammatical Verb Errors: Differences Between English Learners With and Without Diagnosed Language-Based Learning Disabilities

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/2021_lshss-21-00003 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Keisey Fumero ◽

Carla Wood

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

English Learners ◽

Progress Monitoring ◽

Written Language ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Language Abilities ◽

Fifth Grade Students ◽

School Year ◽

Average Change ◽

Grammatical Accuracy

Purpose: This study examines the written language samples of fifth grade English learner (EL) students with and without diagnosed language-based learning disabilities (LLDs) in an effort to explore the utility of such supplemental materials for aiding in differential diagnosis of ELs with and without LLDs. Method: This sample of 127 fifth grade students consisted of ELs without identified disabilities ( n = 89) and ELs diagnosed with LLDs ( n = 38). Written language samples from a classroom-based expository writing task were coded for grammaticality and specific verb type of errors. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) between the groups that differed by language abilities was conducted at two time points to compare the frequency of errors and the average change in grammaticality from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year. Results: EL students with and without LLDs performed similarly at the beginning of the school year. ELs without LLDs showed greater average change in accuracy across the school year. Significantly, higher proportions of verb tense and verb omission errors were demonstrated by ELs with LLDs when compared with their EL peers at the end of the school year. Overall grammatical accuracy was also lower for ELs with LLDs. Conclusions: Group differences at the end of the school year were confirmed in types and rate of verb errors. Results support the potential clinical utility of monitoring verb errors in writing samples over time as a supplemental tool in diagnostic evaluations and assessments for progress monitoring.

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Comparison of Two Reading Feedback Strategies in Improving the Oral and Written Language Performance of Children With Language-Learning Disabilities

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/1058-0360(2003/049) ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 16-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Linda K. Crowe

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Language Learning ◽

Oral Reading ◽

Written Language ◽

School Age ◽

Expressive Vocabulary ◽

Language Performance ◽

Language Learning Disabilities ◽

Feedback Strategies

Twelve school-age children with language-learning disabilities (LLD) participated in a study comparing the effects of two reading feedback strategies for improving their oral and written language performance. Children were matched for age, disability, gender, and general reading performance. Participants were assigned to one of three study groups, Treatment 1 (T1), Treatment 2 (T2), or Control (C). Children were pre- and posttested on standardized tests of reading and oral vocabulary. T1 and T2 participated in 6 weeks of reading intervention. T1 used traditional decoding-based feedback strategies, and T2 used meaning-based feedback strategies, termed Communicative Reading Strategies (CRS). Significant differences across groups were found for reading comprehension, oral reading, and expressive vocabulary measures. Pairwise comparisons indicated that T2 performed significantly better than T1 and C on reading comprehension at posttest. Though not reaching levels of significance, T2 made greater gains than T1 and C on oral reading and expressive vocabulary measures. Results are discussed with implications for using CRS (T2) with school-age poor readers.

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Analysis of Reading Comprehension Levels of Fifth Grade Students Who Learned to Read and Write with the Sentence Method

Journal of Education and Training Studies ◽

10.11114/jets.v4i2.1122 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Muhittin Sağirli

Keyword(s):

Reading Comprehension ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Fifth Grade Students

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An Analysis of the Features of Words That Influence Vocabulary Difficulty

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci9010008 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 8 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Elfrieda H. Hiebert ◽

Judith A. Scott ◽

Ruben Castaneda ◽

Alexandra Spichtig

Keyword(s):

English Learners ◽

Age Of Acquisition ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Content Areas ◽

Fifth Grade Students ◽

Grade Levels ◽

Part Of Speech ◽

Curriculum Instruction ◽

Word Location

The two studies reported on in this paper examine the features of words that distinguish students’ performances on vocabulary assessments as a means of understanding what contributes to the ease or difficulty of vocabulary knowledge. The two studies differ in the type of assessment, the types of words that were studied, and the grade levels and population considered. In the first study, an assessment of words that can be expected to appear with at least moderate frequency at particular levels of text was administered to students in grades 2 through 12. The second study considered the responses of fourth- and fifth-grade students, including English learners, to words that teachers had identified as challenging for those grade levels. The effects of the same set of word features on students’ vocabulary knowledge were examined in both studies: predicted appearances of a word and its immediate morphological family members, number of letters and syllables, dispersion across content areas, polysemy, part of speech, age of acquisition, and concreteness. The data consisted of the proportion of students who answered an item correctly. In the first study, frequency of a word’s appearance in written English and age of acquisition predicted students’ performances. In the second study, age of acquisition was again critical but so too were word length, number of syllables, and concreteness. Word location (which was confounded by word frequency) also proved to be a predictor of performance. Findings are discussed in relation to how they can inform curriculum, instruction, and research.

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The Effect of REAP Strategy on Reading Comprehension

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/20184200014 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

pp. 00014

Author(s):

Andarini Permata Cahyaningtyas ◽

Ali Mustadi

Keyword(s):

Reading Comprehension ◽

Elementary Students ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

T Test ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Control Group ◽

Control Group Design ◽

Fifth Grade Students ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Cluster Random Sampling

The purposes of this study are to find out the effect of REAP strategy on reading comprehension of the fifth grade elementary students of third cluster of Kotagede Yogyakarta. The research method in this study was quasi-experimental with Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. The population was all of fifth grade elementary students of third cluster of Kotagede Yogyakarta. The sample was fifth grade students of SD Baluwarti, SD Kotagede 1, and SD Kotagede 5 Yogyakarta that were establised by cluster random sampling technique. The data were collected using tests. The validity of the instrument was measured in terms of content and construct validity. The reliability of the instrument was stated good with the score of Cronbach’s Alpha = 0,734. The data of this study were analized by independent sample t-test and Manova with Hotteling’s Trace formula. The result showed that REAP strategy gave a positive and significant effect on reading comprehension that is proved by the score of t-test = 4,914 and 3,286 with sig = 0,000 and 0,002. Based on the result, it can be concluded that REAP strategy gives positive and significant effect on reading comprehension of the fifth grade elementary students of third cluster of Kotagede Yogyakarta.

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