No Evidence of a Major Learning Slide 14 Months into the COVID-19 Pandemic in Denmark

We study the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s academic performance in Denmark 14 months into the pandemic using nationwide and exceptionally rich data on reading test scores and family background (N ≈ 200.000 per year). We find no evidence of any major learning slide. While pupils in grade 8 experienced a three percentile points loss in reading performance, pupils in grades 2 and 4 experienced a learning gain of about five percentile points, possibly resulting from school closures being significantly longer among older (22 weeks) than younger children (eight weeks). Importantly and in contrast to expectations, we find little evidence of widening learning gaps by family background. Still, in grade 8 we see a tendency for gaps by parental income and employment status to widen slightly. Further analyses point to that all of these patterns were already in place a few months into pandemic, suggesting that learning gaps did not widen during the subsequent year in which most of the total lockdown period occurred. We also find some indication that boys and low-performing pupils suffered more from school closures than girls and high-performing pupils, but these differences are minor.

Examining the associations between parent concerns and school-age children’s language and reading abilities: A comparison of samples recruited for in-school vs. online participation.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between parent concerns about children’s oral language, reading, and related skills and their children’s performance on standardized assessments of language and reading, with a particular focus on whether those relationships differed between children recruited for in-school versus remote participation. Methods: This study used data from a larger, longitudinal project focused on children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) and/or dyslexia. The “in-school” sample (n = 133) completed assessments in-person before the COVID-19 school closures, and the “remote” sample (n = 84) recruited via advertisements completed all assessments online. Parents completed a checklist of concerns regarding language and literacy development, attention and executive functions. All children completed norm-referenced assessments of language and reading.Results: The two recruitment strategies yielded samples that differed in racial diversity (higher in the in-school sample), caregiver education levels and financial resources (higher in the remote sample), and word reading test scores (higher in the remote sample). Parents in both samples reported higher levels of concerns about literacy skills than oral language skills, and the correlation between parent concerns about literacy and children’s word reading test scores was stronger than the correlation between parent concerns about oral language and children’s language test scores. We did not find higher level of concerns or a higher correlation between concerns and reading and language performance in the remote sample than the in-school sample.Conclusions: Researchers should be aware of the impact of different recruitment strategies on sample attainment. Referral models that rely on parent and teacher concerns about oral language to prompt a language evaluation may contribute to low rates of identification of children who meet criteria for DLD. Future research can consider parent concerns about literacy, attention, and executive functions as indicators of a need for language evaluation, especially considering the high comorbidity between language and other developmental disorders.

Does the language spoken at home matter for the education, wellbeing, and sense of belonging of the children of immigrants? And does the answer depend on how we analyse it?

Educational disadvantages of children of immigrants have sometimes been linked to speaking a language other than that of school instruction at home. However, thorough investigations of the alleged benefits for immigrant families of adopting the language of the surrounding society are lacking. We used data from a subset of countries in the 2018 Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) and analysed reading test scores, educational expectations, sense of belonging at school, and subjective wellbeing (positive affect). Our results suggest that the language used at home is not systematically associated with subjective wellbeing or educational expectations. In some countries, switching the home language to that of the destination country is associated with an increased sense of belonging at school and higher reading scores. We discuss these results with reference to ethnic boundary making and how schools and educational systems can respond to the needs of linguistically diverse students.

The impact of explicit strategy instruction on EFL secondary school learners’ reading

This article reports findings from a larger research project which aimed to promote learner autonomy among Thai secondary school learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) through strategy-based instruction (SBI). The study involved 30 learners from an intervention class and 32 learners from a comparison class. Nine strategies were introduced to the intervention class learners over a semester with the purpose of helping them develop essential skills for strategic and autonomous language learning. This article focuses on examining how explicit teaching of strategies in class affected learners’ reading scores and approaches to reading. It also observes the effects of SBI on learners’ perceptions of their ability to read English. Findings from the pre-, post- and delayed reading tests and think-aloud reading sessions showed significant increase in the intervention class learners’ reading test scores and their enhanced strategic approaches to reading. Group interviews further revealed learners’ positive attitudes towards English reading and increased confidence in their ability to manage their reading process independently. This article argues that explicit strategy instruction can help language learners develop essential strategic skills to process English texts. It also discusses how SBI can be effectively implemented in language classrooms.

TOEIC Listening and Reading Test and Overall English Ability

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) covers the four skill areas of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. This study investigates the correlations between the four skill scores of the TOEIC to determine the practicality of using the listening and reading scores to gauge overall English ability. The study was conducted over a 3-year period, during which data were collected from 260 university students. The four skill scores were significantly correlated with each other, with the highest correlation between the listening and reading scores (r = .73), and the lowest between the listening and writing scores (r = .52). The combined listening and reading scores were strongly correlated to the overall scores (r = .95), which suggests that the TOEIC Listening and Reading test scores can be a good proxy for overall scores on the TOEIC. The Test of English for International Communication（TOEIC）は、リスニング、リーディング、スピーキング、ライティングの4つの技能領域を対象にしている。本研究では、リスニングとリーディングの得点を総合的な英語力の判定に使うことの実用性を判定するため、TOEICの4技能得点間の相関を調べた。本研究は3年間に渡って行われ、260名の大学生からデータを集めた。4技能の得点間にはそれぞれ有意な相関があり、一番高い相関はリスニングとリーディングの得点間（r = .73）、一番低い相関はリスニングとライティングの得点間（r = .52）であった。リスニングとリーディングの合計点は、総合点と強い相関があり、それはTOEIC Listening and Readingテストの得点がTOEICの総合点の良い代替指標になり得ることを示唆している。

Creating a Lip-reading Training Program and Examining its Effect on Speech Recognition in Men Aged 18-25 With Normal Hearing

Background and Aim: Lip reading is extraction of speech data from the activity of the lower part of face, particularly jaws, lips, tongue, and teeth that is a natural skill in people with hearing loss. The main purpose of lip reading is to increase the independence of people with hearing loss. Looking at the speakers facial movements significantly increase the ability to understand the spoken words, particularly in the environments where noise is present. In fact this reflects the important role of visual signals. In current study we consider the effects of education on lip reading ability by planning and instructing a lip reading program in male subjects. Methods & Materials: Sara lip reading test 1 and 2 were used for the assessment of lip reading skills and for studying the effects of lip reading training on recognition of speech. This intervention as a semi-experimental study, was conducted on 27 male students, selected by available sampling. For data analysis, statistical analysis of variance with repeated measurements and Mcnemar was used. Ethical Considerations: This research with the code IR.SBMU.REC.1394.144 has been approved by the ethics committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Results: There were significant differences between Sara lip reading test 1 scores in 2 positions (P=0.000).Lip reading test scores also showed significant differences in Sara lip reading test 2 in 2 positions (P=0.000). Also between the scores of Consonant-vowel, consonant-vowel syllables, in the position before teaching lip-reading and then ,was significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that instructing lip reading has a positive effect on lip-reading ability in people.

Differences in the Reading Performance of Texas Grade 4 Students as a Function of Their Economic Status: A Multiyear, Statewide Analysis

In this study, the degree to which differences were present in the reading performance of Grade 4 Texas students as a function of their economic status (i.e., Not Poor, Moderately Poor, and Very Poor) was analyzed. Data obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System for all Grade 4 students in Texas who took the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness Reading exam, were analyzed for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 school years. In all three years examined, statistically significant differences were established in not only overall reading performance, but also in all three Reading Reporting categories. A clear stair-step effect was present. The higher the degree of poverty, the lower student STAAR Reading test scores were. Finally, the higher the degree of poverty, the lower the percentages of students who met the passing standard on the STAAR Reading exam. Future research and implications for policy and practice are suggested.

Measuring life skills, hope, and academic growth at project-based learning schools

Eleven project-based learning charter schools participated in this correlational study. Eight have participated for 2 years and three for 1 year. The schools are affiliated with EdVisions, a non-profit organization that helps create individualized, project-based learning schools. There were five variables in this correlational study: the hope survey, self-direction rubric, collaboration rubric, math RIT scores, and reading Rasch UnIT (RIT) scores. This study compared two variables at a time in attempts to determine relationship strengths. For example, hope and math, hope and reading, hope and self-direction, hope and collaboration, and so on. Growth occurred in all five variables over a 2-year period for eight schools, as well as a 1-year period for three schools. Although the hope and reading correlation, with an N of 340, was not significant with a correlation of .07, the researchers found that all other combinations of variables were significant with a p value <.01! It is evident that hope and life skills, such as self-direction and collaboration, positively impact academic achievement with math and reading test scores.

Relational operant training increases Non-Verbal IQ in primary school children with far transfer towards reading test scores: An active-controlled trial.

Research suggests that training relational operant patterns of behavior can lead to increases in general cognitive ability and educational outcomes. Most studies to date have been under-powered and included proxy measures of educational attainment. We attempted to extend previous findings with increased experimental control in younger children (aged 6.9-10.1 yrs.). Participants (N = 49) were assigned to either a relational training or chess control group. Over five months, teachers assigned class-time to complete either relational training or play chess. Those who were assigned relational training gained 8.9 Non-Verbal IQ (NVIQ) points, while those in the control condition recorded no gains. Regression analyses revealed that post-training NVIQ predicted reading ability scores over and above baseline NVIQ, indicating transfer of traning effects to educational outcomes.

Discordance in Reporting of Maternal Aggression: Exploring Differences by Characteristics of Children, Mothers, and Their Environments

This study investigated discordant reports of maternal aggression using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 1,606). Multinomial logistic regression models predicted discordant reports of hitting and shouting from child, mother, and environmental characteristics. Compared to dyads in which both mothers and children reported aggression, mothers with a college degree had higher child-only and mother-only reports of both hitting and shouting versus mothers with less than a high school diploma. High-income mothers had higher child-only reports of hitting, while families with past Child Protective Services involvement had higher child-only and mother-only reports of hitting. Additionally, children with lower reading test scores and whose fathers had history of incarceration had higher child-only reports of hitting. Families residing in neighborhoods for which mothers were scared to let children play outside also had higher child-only and mother-only reports of hitting and shouting.