Increasing Word-Reading Speed in Poor Readers: No Additional Benefits of Explicit Letter-Cluster Training

To clarify the nature of cognitive deficits experienced by poor readers, 9 10-yr.-old poor readers were matched against 9 chronological age and 9 younger reading age-matched controls screened and selected from regular classrooms. Poor readers performed significantly more poorly than chronological age-matched peers on digit naming speed, spoonerisms, and nonsense word reading. Poor readers were also significantly poorer than reading age-matched controls on nonword reading but were significantly better than reading age-matched controls on postural stability. Analyses of effect sizes were consistent with these findings, showing strong effects for digit naming speed, spoonerisms, and nonword reading. However, effect size analysis also suggested that poor readers experienced moderate difficulties with balance automatisation but did not show verbal speech perception deficits relative to either control group.

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Effects of word length and wordlikeness on pseudoword repetition by poor and normal readers

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716400009899 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 101-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Wim H. J. Van Bon ◽

Judith M. L. Van Der Pijl

Keyword(s):

Basic Problem ◽

Word Reading ◽

Second Graders ◽

Reading Test ◽

Poor Readers ◽

Group Differences ◽

Statistical Correction ◽

Reader Group ◽

Subvocal Rehearsal ◽

Phoneme Detection

ABSTRACTThis Study investigated whether the pseudoword repetition difference between poor and normal readers could be explained by differences in memory for verbal materials or in familiarity with the composition of verbal materials. Dutch second graders and poor readers scoring in the same range on a word-reading test repeated pseudowords that varied in length and wordlikeness. The pseudoword repetition deficit of poor readers reported in the literature was replicated. Although the repetition scores were influenced by pseudoword length and wordlikeness, no interaction with reader group was found, thus indicating that neither variable represented a causal factor in the poor readers' repetition deficit. Statistical correction for reader group differences on a phoneme detection task and an auditory discrimination task made the pseudoword repetition difference disappear. We conclude that the basic problem is unlikely to be with subvocal rehearsal, and that the cause of the repetition deficit is already operative in early, perceptual stages of processing.

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Effects of Rapid Decoding Training on Reading Speed and Comprehension

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1989.69.2.515 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 515-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eileen Grant ◽

Lionel Standing

Keyword(s):

General Practice ◽

Reading Speed ◽

Reading Skill ◽

Practice Effect ◽

Poor Readers ◽

Control Groups ◽

Context Analysis ◽

Trained Subjects

Two groups of poor readers, age 12 to 15 yr., were trained in rapid decoding of words presented either individually or in context ( n = 20). 20 good and 20 poor readers provided additional untrained control groups. It was predicted, from theories of the integration of reading skill, that training would produce benefits in comprehension, especially for the subjects trained with words in context. Analysis showed that both trained groups significantly increased their reading rates. Improved comprehension scores were noted among all four groups, due to a general practice effect. However, context-trained subjects did not differ from the subjects trained with individual words, on either speed or comprehension.

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Attention and Reading Skills

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.100.2.375-386 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 100 (2) ◽

pp. 375-386 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Elena Commodari ◽

Maria Guarnera

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Reading Skills ◽

Color Word ◽

Reading Speed ◽

Digit Span ◽

Poor Readers ◽

Visual Reaction Time ◽

Scholastic Performance ◽

Visual Reaction ◽

Speed And Accuracy

Attention plays a critical role in information processing. Its adequate functioning is required for correct development of complex cognitive abilities and regular scholastic progress. Children with attention deficits often have difficulties in reading, writing, and arithmetic. The present study investigated interactions among reading skills, overall scholastic performance as rated by teachers, and components of attention: visual reaction time, simple immediate span of attention, and selectivity. The sample was 98 students in the first and second years of public junior high school (age range 11–14 years, M = 12.6, SD = 1.2), i.e., with expected already well-established reading. Reading was evaluated using Comprehension, Accuracy, and Speed tests. Overall scholastic performance was obtained by means of teachers' ratings. Simple Reaction Time, Digit Span, and Color-Word Interference, included in a multitask computerized test, assessed attention. Analysis confirmed the hypothesis that the reading skills are strongly predictive of the Scholastic Assessment rated by the teachers. High scholastic ratings were correlated with Reading Speed and Accuracy rather than Reading Comprehension. Poor readers showed worse performances on the Digit Span test which measures simple immediate span of attention. Good and poor readers obtained a similar score on the Color-Word Interference task. This observation seems to contrast with the more common interpretation of this effect, suggesting that reading is an automatic process and, therefore, the semantic dimension overcomes the controlled perceptual one. According to other studies, an alternative explanation is suggested. In conclusion, present results confirm the hypothesis of a strong link among reading speed and accuracy, scholastic assessment as rated by teachers, simple immediate span of attention, and visual reaction time.

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Specific relations between alphanumeric-naming speed and reading speeds of monosyllabic and multisyllabic words

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716403000213 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 407-430 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

KEES P. VAN DEN BOS ◽

BONNE J. H. ZIJLSTRA ◽

WIM VAN DEN BROECK

Keyword(s):

Word Reading ◽

Reading Speed ◽

Sight Words ◽

School Grade ◽

Monosyllabic Word ◽

Grade Levels ◽

Monosyllabic Words ◽

Visual Matching ◽

Single Word Reading ◽

Number Naming

The goals of this study are to investigate, at three elementary school grade levels, how word reading speed is related to rapidly naming series of numbers, letters, colors, and pictures, and to general processing speed (measured by nonnaming or visual matching tasks), and also to determine how these relationships vary with the reading task employed. The results indicate that, compared to color- and picture-naming speeds and nonnaming or visual matching speed, letter- and number-naming speeds are superior predictors of word reading speed. Furthermore, throughout the grade levels, associations between alphanumeric naming and monosyllabic word reading speeds are considerably stronger than for a widely used Dutch single-word reading test combining monosyllabic and multisyllabic words. It is suggested that, unlike multisyllabic words but similar to letters and numbers, monosyllabic words act as relatively holistic stimuli, which are recognized as sight words.

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A Study of Word Reading in Persian- speaking Children With Dyslexia and Normal Ones

Journal of Modern Rehabilitation ◽

10.18502/jmr.v14i4.7718 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hourieh Ahadi ◽

Reza Nadarkhani ◽

Masood Ghayoomi

Keyword(s):

Phonological Awareness ◽

Word Reading ◽

Reading Speed ◽

Skills Training ◽

Control Group ◽

Human Beings ◽

Normal Children ◽

Reading Methods ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean

Introduction: Reading is undoubtedly one of the most valuable skills of human beings. This complex behavior is composed of several distinct skills. Different theories about reading methods have been proposed and many researchers believe that reading methods varies in languages because of the different transparency in their orthography, so the purpose of this study is to investigate the Persian word reading pattern in children with dyslexia and normal children and compare their abilities. Materials and Methods: For conducting this cross-sectional study, after issuing required permits, the elementary school children with dyslexia were identified by referring to learning disorders schools in Tehran City, Iran. After evaluating and diagnosing by the psychologist and speech therapist, 16 students with dyslexia were found. Then 32 normal age-matched students of Tehran’s public schools were randomly selected from the available population as the control group. The reading and phonological awareness tests were then performed in different sessions. The results of the tests were recorded and the data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests in SPSS version 20. Results: There was a significant difference between children with dyslexia and their age- matched normal group in reading skills and phonological awareness (P<0.05). In both groups, the mean percentage in reading irregular words was higher than the mean percentage of non- word reading. There is a significant correlation between reading speed and reading irregular words in both groups, and also between reading accuracy and reading non-words (P<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the reading speed and reading non-words in the group with dyslexia (P<0.05). But in normal children, there is no significant correlation between these tasks. This difference shows the problem of children with dyslexia pertains to reading non-words. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, in children with dyslexia, there is a problem with reading non-words, and the dual-route of word reading has changed to only the whole word reading route. So it is important to consider phonological awareness skills training in children with dyslexia.

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