Monster, P.I.: Validation Evidence for an Assessment of Adolescent Language That Assesses Vocabulary Knowledge, Morphological Knowledge, and Syntactical Awareness

2020 ◽  
pp. 153450842096638
Author(s):  
Amanda P. Goodwin ◽  
Yaacov Petscher ◽  
Jamie Tock ◽  
Sara McFadden ◽  
Dan Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Eighth Graders ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Reading Vocabulary ◽  
Middle Schoolers ◽  
Eighth Grade Students

Assessment of language skills for upper elementary and middle schoolers is important due to the strong link between language and reading comprehension. Yet, currently few practical, reliable, valid, and instructionally informative assessments of language exist. This study provides validation evidence for Monster, P.I., which is a gamified, standardized, computer-adaptive assessment (CAT) of language for fifth to eighth grade students. Creating Monster, P.I. involved an assessment of the dimensionality of morphology and vocabulary and an assessment of syntax. Results using multiple-group item response theory (IRT) with 3,214 fifth through eighth graders indicated morphology and vocabulary were best assessed via bifactor models and syntax unidimensionally. Therefore, Monster, P.I. provides scores on three component areas of language (multidimensional morphology and vocabulary and unidimensional syntax) with the goal of informing instruction. Validity results also suggest that Monster, P.I. scores show moderate correlations with each other and with standardized reading vocabulary and reading comprehension assessments. Furthermore, hierarchical regression results suggest an important link between Monster, P.I. and standardized reading comprehension, explaining between 56% and 75% of the variance. Such results indicate that Monster, P.I. can provide meaningful understandings of language performance which can guide instruction that can impact reading comprehension performance.

Morphological Supports: Investigating Differences in How Morphological Knowledge Supports Reading Comprehension for Middle School Students With Limited Reading Vocabulary

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 589-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda P. Goodwin ◽  
Yaacov Petscher ◽  
Jamie Tock
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Eighth Graders ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
School Students ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Moderator Effect ◽  
Reading Vocabulary ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
Morphological Skills

Purpose The current study takes a practical and theoretically grounded look at assessment of morphological knowledge and its potential to deepen understanding of how morphological knowledge supports reading comprehension for students with limited reading vocabulary. Specifically, we explore how different morphological skills support reading comprehension for students with typical reading vocabulary development compared to students with limited reading vocabulary. Method A sample of 1,140 fifth through eighth graders were assessed via a gamified, computer-adaptive measure of language that contained a morphological knowledge assessment. Links to standardized reading comprehension were explored with a focus on determining differences for the 184 students in the sample who showed limited reading vocabulary knowledge. Specifically, multiple regression analyses were used to test for the relation between morphology skills and standardized reading comprehension, as well as the moderator effect of reading vocabulary on the relation between morphological knowledge and standardized reading comprehension. Results Findings indicate that the four instructionally malleable morphological skills identified by the assessment differentially supported reading comprehension. These skills were (a) Morphological Awareness, (b) Syntactic Morphological Knowledge, (c) Semantic Morphological Knowledge, and (d) Phonological/Orthographic Morphological Knowledge. Significant interactions for students with limited reading vocabulary were shown in how the skills of Syntactic Morphological Knowledge, Semantic Morphological Knowledge, and Phonological/Orthographic Morphological Knowledge supported standardized Reading Comprehension. Conclusions Given the challenges students with limited reading vocabulary have with semantic information, Syntactic Morphological Knowledge and Phonological/Orthographic Morphological Knowledge were particularly supportive, suggesting the compensatory role of these morphological skills. In contrast, Semantic Morphological Knowledge had a negative relationship with Reading Comprehension for students with limited reading vocabulary. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

Adolescent Language: Models, Assessment, and Links to Reading

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Goodwin ◽  
Yaacov Petscher ◽  
Jamie Tock
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Bifactor Model ◽  
Language Models ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Global Factor ◽  
Eighth Grade Students ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Best Fit

Various models have highlighted the complexity of language. Building on foundational ideas regarding three key aspects of language, our study contributes to the literature by 1) exploring broader conceptions of morphology, vocabulary, and syntax, 2) operationalizing this theoretical model into a gamified, standardized, computer-adaptive assessment of language for fifth to eighth grade students entitled Monster, PI, and 3) uncovering further evidence regarding the relationship between language and standardized reading comprehension via this assessment. Multiple-group item response theory (IRT) across grades show that morphology was best fit by a bifactor model of task specific factors along with a global factor related to each skill. Vocabulary was best fit by a bifactor model that identifies performance overall and on specific words. Syntax, though, was best fit by a unidimensional model. Next, Monster, PI produced reliable scores suggesting language can be assessed efficiently and precisely for students via this model. Lastly, performance on Monster, PI explained more than 50% of variance in standardized reading, suggesting operationalizing language via Monster, PI can provide meaningful understandings of the relationship between language and reading comprehension. Specifically, considering just a subset of a construct, like identification of units of meaning, explained significantly less variance in reading comprehension. This highlights the importance of considering these broader constructs. Implications indicate that future work should consider a model of language where component areas are considered broadly and contributions to reading comprehension are explored via general performance on components as well as skill level performance.

THE USE OF LITERATURE-BASED INSTRUCTION TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION AND WRITING ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-73
Author(s):  
Ressy Novasyari
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Eighth Graders ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Mean Difference ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Writing Achievement ◽  
Eighth Grade Students ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
And Control

Abstract: This research aimed to investigate whether or not there were significant differences in reading comprehension and writing achievement between the eighth grade students of SMP Islam Az-Zahra 2 Palembang who were taught by using Literature-Based instruction and those who were not. This study used one of the quasi experimental designs: pretest-posttest design. The sample was selected purposively from the whole population based on their reading comprehension scores. Forty six eighth graders were selected as the sample and equally divided into experimental and control groups. Pretest and posttest were given to both groups.  Using paired sample statistics,  the results of the experimental group showed that the students’ reading comprehension and writing achievement ? significantly improved. Furthermore, the result of the independent t-test showed that with mean difference of reading comprehension was 8.609, t value 11.111(p<0.05). Moreover, the mean difference of writing achievement was 6.8043, t value 10.478 (p<0.05).   Keywords:   Literature-based instruction, reading                     comprehension and writing achievement.

scholarly journals A Study on the Relationship between English Reading Comprehension and English Vocabulary Knowledge

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-han Ma ◽  
Wen-ying Lin
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
English Reading

The present study aimed to investigate the overall and relative contribution of four subcomponents of vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension. The four vocabulary subcomponents were vocabulary size, word association knowledge, collocation knowledge, and morphological knowledge. The participants were 124 college students from a university in Taipei, Taiwan. Six instruments were employed: (1) a reading comprehension test, (2) a vocabulary size test, (3) a test on word association knowledge and collocation knowledge, (4) a test of morphological knowledge, (5) motivation attitude scale, and (6) a self-efficacy scale. The results can be summarized as follows. First, after the effects of motivation and self-efficacy have been controlled, the four vocabulary subcomponents altogether contributed significantly (20%) to reading comprehension performance. Moreover, depth of vocabulary knowledge (including word association knowledge, collocation knowledge, and morphological knowledge) provided an additional explained variance (6%) in reading comprehension performance over and above vocabulary size. Finally, among the three subcomponents of depth of vocabulary knowledge, collocation knowledge explained the most proportion of variance (5.6%) in contributing to performance on reading comprehension. Based on these findings, some implications and suggestions for future research were provided.

scholarly journals Morphological Awareness in L2 Chinese Reading Comprehension: Testing of Mediating Routes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haomin Zhang ◽  
Xing Zhang ◽  
Mengjie Li ◽  
Yiming Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Morphological Awareness ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Chinese Reading ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
L2 Chinese ◽  
Path Models ◽  
Inference Task

This study aims to examine the contribution of morphological awareness to second language (L2) Chinese reading comprehension through potential mediating factors. Adult L2 Chinese learners (n = 447) participated in the study and completed two morphological awareness tasks (segmentation and discrimination), two vocabulary knowledge tasks (character knowledge and word-meaning knowledge), one lexical inference task, and one reading comprehension task. By testing alternative path models, this study identified the preferred model assuming the covariates of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. Morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge jointly contributed to L2 Chinese reading comprehension through lexical inference. The written modality of morphological awareness induced the activation of both morphological and orthographic information in print. The result suggests that morphological awareness (in the form of grapho-morphological knowledge) and vocabulary knowledge seem to be two parallel components under the same construct predicting Chinese reading comprehension. More importantly, this study underscores the intermediary effect of lexical inference in associating morphological awareness and reading comprehension in L2 Chinese learners.

scholarly journals Analytic relations versus syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations of vocabulary depth knowledge: Their correlation and prediction to academic reading comprehension of EFL learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 357-371
Author(s):  
Md Kamrul Hasan ◽  
Mohammad Mosiur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Academic Reading ◽  
Vocabulary Depth

AbstractThe aims of the study were to examine the correlation and prediction of different dimensions of vocabulary depth knowledge to academic reading comprehension. Students were instructed to take part in four English-language proficiency tests voluntarily. The research was carried out, administering four instruments, word associates test, morphological knowledge test, and analytic relations test to measure the depth of vocabulary knowledge. In addition, a reading comprehension test that consisted of three reading passages by Longman Test of English as a Foreign Language was adopted and administered for the current study. The results highlighted that the analytic (part–whole) relations, which represented the depth of vocabulary knowledge had the highest correlation with academic reading comprehension in comparison with morphological knowledge and combined syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, which represented word associates test. Of all the three independent variables, analytical relations made the most statistically significant unique contribution to the prediction of the outcome variable compared to word associates test and morphological knowledge. The present study suggests that the depth of vocabulary knowledge would have practical use for students and English teachers at tertiary level and further implications for lexical researchers.

scholarly journals VOCABULARY DEPTH KNOWLEDGE AND ACADEMIC READING COMPREHENSION OF BUSINESS EFL UNDERGRADUATES: A CORRELATIONAL DESIGN STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 646-656
Author(s):  
Md. Kamrul Hasan ◽  
Prodhan Mahbub Ibna Seraj ◽  
Mekhala Chakma
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
The Body ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Knowledge Test ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Academic Reading ◽  
Vocabulary Depth

Purpose of the study: An in-depth investigation of vocabulary depth knowledge by lexical researchers plays an important role in language learning and teaching. The present study examined vocabulary depth knowledge of Business EFL learners and its correlation and prediction to academic reading comprehension, employing morphological knowledge and analytical relations with syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations as part of vocabulary depth knowledge. Methodology: The study employed standard multiple regression analysis under a quantitative approach among 120 Business undergraduate EFL students at the tertiary level. Main Findings: Results showed vocabulary depth knowledge, i.e., syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, had the strongest and significant correlation with reading comprehension compared to other independent variables. Significantly, vocabulary knowledge, combined with paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations, was found to be a significant and unique predictor of academic reading comprehension. About 62.2 percent of the variance in academic reading comprehension was explained jointly by all three independent variables. About 32 percent of the variance was explained by the vocabulary depth knowledge test alone. Also, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, representing the depth of vocabulary knowledge test made the most significant unique contribution (uniquely explained about 20.25 percent) to explaining academic reading comprehension in comparison with other dimensions of vocabulary depth knowledge. These findings were elaborated in the perspective of combined paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations as the depth of vocabulary knowledge, derivative word forms as morphological knowledge, part-whole relations as analytic relations and their relationship and contribution to reading comprehension. Applications of this study: The study suggests that the depth of vocabulary knowledge would have a practical use for the students, English teachers at the tertiary level and further implications for lexical researchers. Novelty/Originality of this study: The inclusion of analytic relations with paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations and morphological knowledge, which represented the depth of vocabulary knowledge, has added to the body of lexical knowledge.

scholarly journals The Impact of Morphological Awareness on Vocabulary Knowledge of Advanced Chinese EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Bian ◽  
Jin’e He
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Awareness ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Real Word ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reading Vocabulary ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Senior Students ◽  
Test Correlation

The study explored the inter- and intra-relationship between two multi-dimensional constructs, morphology and vocabulary. Fifty five senior students from a Chinese university majoring in English were assessed on five variables: compounding knowledge, real-word derivational knowledge, pseudoword derivational knowledge, reading vocabulary knowledge and listening vocabulary knowledge. Using t-test, correlation and hierarchical regression, the study found that aural and written vocabulary knowledge was distinctive but related; real-word derivational knowledge correlated with both two facets of vocabulary knowledge; compounding knowledge and real-word derivational knowledge made unique contributions to performance on the listening vocabulary test.

The Effect of Vocabulary Intervention on Text Comprehension: Who Benefits?

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawna Duff
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Classroom Instruction ◽  
Vocabulary Instruction ◽  
Clinical Intervention ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Intervention ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference

Purpose Vocabulary intervention can improve comprehension of texts containing taught words, but it is unclear if all middle school readers get this benefit. This study tests 2 hypotheses about variables that predict response to vocabulary treatment on text comprehension: gains in vocabulary knowledge due to treatment and pretreatment reading comprehension scores. Method Students in Grade 6 ( N = 23) completed a 5-session intervention based on robust vocabulary instruction (RVI). Knowledge of the semantics of taught words was measured pre- and posttreatment. Participants then read 2 matched texts, 1 containing taught words (treated) and 1 not (untreated). Treated texts and taught word lists were counterbalanced across participants. The difference between text comprehension scores in treated and untreated conditions was taken as a measure of the effect of RVI on text comprehension. Results RVI resulted in significant gains in knowledge of taught words ( d RM = 2.26) and text comprehension ( d RM = 0.31). The extent of gains in vocabulary knowledge after vocabulary treatment did not predict the effect of RVI on comprehension of texts. However, untreated reading comprehension scores moderated the effect of the vocabulary treatment on text comprehension: Lower reading comprehension was associated with greater gains in text comprehension. Readers with comprehension scores below the mean experienced large gains in comprehension, but those with average/above average reading comprehension scores did not. Conclusion Vocabulary instruction had a larger effect on text comprehension for readers in Grade 6 who had lower untreated reading comprehension scores. In contrast, the amount that children learned about taught vocabulary did not predict the effect of vocabulary instruction on text comprehension. This has implications for the identification of 6th-grade students who would benefit from classroom instruction or clinical intervention targeting vocabulary knowledge.

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