Fiction Reading and Empathy Capacity of Selected Filipino Adolescents and Young Adults

This study aimed to discover if adolescents’ and young adults’ empathy capacity is higher when they engage more in fiction reading. A total of 301 students, aged 16-22, completed a self-administered questionnaire. More than half (56%) of the respondents consider reading as a hobby with books as the preferred reading material. Around 38% have moderate fiction reading scores and around 77% have high empathy capacity scores. Findings showed that the older the respondent is, the less likely they would read fiction and the lower their empathy level. Females are more likely to read fiction and are more empathic than males. Also, results revealed that the more the individual reads fiction, the more empathic they can become. Home and school interventions can be created to increase opportunities and desire for reading fiction and enhancing empathy capacity.

Racial Differences in Scores on the HIV Dementia Scale: Mediating Effects of Literacy and Screening Utility among Black and White Persons with HIV Disease

Objective: There are many obstacles to screening for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), including the complexities of sociodemographic effects on screening measures. This study examined possible racial bias on the HIV Dementia Scale (HDS) in screening for HAND among Black and White persons living with HIV (PLWH). Participants and Methods: Participants included 39 Black and 84 White PLWH who completed the HDS and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery at the same study visit. Results: Black PLWH had significantly lower raw HDS scores than white PLWH, which was mediated by lower oral word reading scores. Nevertheless, HDS scores were comparably predictive of clinical HAND diagnoses for Black and White PLWH as determined by a comprehensive battery. Conclusions: Consistent with prior literature exploring race-group differences, findings suggest that lower scores among Black PLWH compared to white PLWH on a commonly-used screening measure for HAND are partly explained by reading scores, perhaps reflecting differences in educational quality and opportunities. However, race-group differences did not affect the classification accuracy of the HDS in detecting HAND, although overall diagnostic accuracy was modest in both groups. Future work is needed to determine the optimal neurocognitive screening methods for Black PLWH and other under-represented ethnoracial groups.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF AFFECTIVE DISPOSITION ON 4TH-GRADE NAEP READING SCORES?

This study presented a secondary analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset. The paper examined the impact of affective disposition on 2019 NAEP reading scores of fourth-grade students. In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of affective disposition on the reading achievement of fourth-grade students, this study used a quantitative descriptive research design to analyze secondary data extracted from the 2019 NAEP data set. The results found in this study showed that students’ affective disposition in the areas of making a great effort after making a mistake, continuing to work hard even when they felt like quitting, paying attention and resisting distractions, and feeling happy at school had positive impact on their 2019 NAEP reading assessments scores when the students strongly agreed with the statements. The findings may indicate that improving affective disposition in students may increase reading scores.

A deeper look at predicting outcomes for future educators

Because educator licensure is gained by passing licensure examinations in most states, scores on high stakes tests are determining factors as to who will be teaching in America’s classrooms. Due to a focus on program graduation rates, state funding cuts, and production of quality teachers, it is vital that teacher preparation programs produce the quality and quantity of teachers needed to fill the educator deficit. The purpose of the study was to analyze various performance variables of pre-service teachers enrolled in a teacher preparation to identify predictors of performance on required licensure examinations. Findings of the study revealed there is a relationship between Praxis I: Reading scores and Praxis II scores, Praxis I: Writing scores and Praxis II scores, Praxis I: Mathematics scores and Praxis II scores, GPA and Praxis II scores, and CBASE scores and Praxis II scores. The strongest relationships that exist between variables and Praxis II scores are initial Praxis I: Reading scores and overall CBASE scores.

Reading to Learn? The Co-Development of Mathematics and Reading During Primary School

Understanding how early reading and mathematics co-develop is important from both theoretical and pedagogical standpoints. Previous research has provided mixed results, with some studies suggesting that mathematics is the leading indicator in this developmental process, whereas others have suggested that reading is. This paper investigates the development of reading and mathematics in a longitudinal sample of N = 355,883 students from the UK aged 5 to 12 (49% girls). The results suggest a positive relation between the development of the two domains. In addition, a statistically significant positive association between prior reading scores and subsequent changes in achievement in mathematics was found, whereas changes in reading were substantially smaller for students with a higher prior performance in mathematics.

White matter properties underlying reading abilities differ in 8-year-old children born full term and preterm

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) studies find differences in associations between reading and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) in children born full term (FT) versus preterm (PT). Use of complementary neuroimaging modalities may reveal neurobiological factors driving these associations. We used two MRI methods to interpret associations of reading abilities and white matter properties in FT and PT children. Participants (N=79; 36 FT; 43 PT) were administered Gray’s Oral Reading Test at age 8 years. We segmented two dorsal and two ventral white matter tracts associated with reading skills and quantified (1) FA from dMRI and (2) R1 from quantitative relaxometry, as a proxy for myelin content. We examined correlations between reading scores and imaging metrics, assessing trajectories along the tracts. Mean reading scores fell in the typical range in both groups. Reading positively correlated with FA in segments of the left arcuate and the left and right superior longitudinal fasciculi, but only in FT children, not in PT children. Reading positively correlated with R1 in segments of the left superior longitudinal, right uncinate, and left inferior longitudinal fasciculi, but only in PT children, not in FT children. The significantly different patterns of associations between reading abilities and white matter properties across FT and PT groups suggest variations in the neurobiology of typical reading abilities.

INVESTIGATION ON COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ENGLISH READING COMPETENCE IN INDEPENDENT COLLEGES

This paper studied college students’ English reading competence in independent colleges. Students’ reading competence were investigated basing on students’ reading scores of College English Test-4 from eight majors in Xingzhi College of Xi’an University of Finance and Economics. The results indicated that students’ English reading competence in independent colleges was low on the whole, and it differed among different majors. On the basis of the above analysis, teaching suggestions on how to improve college students’ reading competence were also proposed.

Synthesizing Grammar and Structure Problems Faced by Indonesian TOEFL Participants

The TOEFL test is one of the requirements to pass the Thesis exam at several universities in Indonesia. Grammar and Structure Score is the lowest score, and it becomes a problem for the test takers. This study aimed to analyze the factors of Grammar Structure difficulties experienced by students in solving TOEFL questions. This research approach is descriptive qualitative with a sample of 20 students and taken by purposive sampling of 70 students. Interviews and questionnaires were conducted as a data collection tool. The results showed that there were several problems which were factors that influenced the TOEFL participants' written structure and expression lower than listening and reading scores. They cannot analyze the wrong words in part B. A lack of practice on grammar causes problems, and students study independently without guidance and instruction from lecturers or experts. That four main factors cause students to have difficulty solving TOEFL questions: not preparing for the exam, lack of grammar practice, lack of vocabulary mastery, and learning independence. In this case, students and teachers have responsibility for learning achievement, even if these factors come from the TOEFL takers themselves.

Is The Library Important? Multivariate Studies at the National and International Level

Three multivariate analyses, all controlling for the effects of poverty, confirm the importance of the library. Replicating McQuillan’s analysis of 1992 NAEP scores, access to books in school and public libraries was a significant predictor of 2007 fourth grade NAEP reading scores, as well as the difference between grade 4 and grade 8 2007 NAEP reading scores, suggesting that access is important for improvement after grade 4. Access (school/classroom libraries) was a significant predictor of scores on the PIRLS test, a reading test given to fourth graders in 40 countries.