Co-Occurrence of Reading and Writing Difficulties: The Application of the Interactive Dynamic Literacy Model

This article presents the application of the interactive dynamic literacy (IDL) model (Kim, 2020a) toward understanding difficulties in learning to read and write. According to the IDL model, reading and writing are part of communicative acts that draw on largely shared processes and skills as well as unique processes and skills. As such, reading and writing are dissociable but interdependent systems that have hierarchical, interactive, and dynamic relations. These key tenets of the IDL model are applied to the disruption of reading and writing development to explain co-occurrence of reading–writing difficulties using a single framework. The following hypotheses are presented: (a) co-occurrence between word reading and spelling and handwriting difficulties; (b) co-occurrence of dyslexia with written composition difficulties; (c) co-occurrence between reading comprehension and written composition difficulties; (d) co-occurrence of language difficulties with reading difficulties and writing difficulties; (e) co-occurrence of reading, writing, and language difficulties with weak domain-general skills or executive functions such as working memory and attentional control (including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]); and (f) multiple pathways for reading and writing difficulties. Implications are discussed.

Communicative Reading Comprehension Competency Influences Written Composition Skills Performance of Faculty in English Discipline

James Britton proposed three primary language functions, which researchers tested using faculty members from Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College (TRAC), for communicative reading comprehension—transactional, expressive, and poetic. Tawi-Tawi has many schools with high literacy levels, which contributes to a better society and a more peaceful country. The results revealed that the gender of the respondents had no bearing on their level of communication competency, and no significant differences were found between male and female faculty members. Additionally, there was no significant relationship found between the socio-demographic profiles and teaching performance of the faculty members in the English discipline.

Los buenos profesores universitarios, en la voz de padres de familia. Un insumo para el diseño de programas de formación docente con pertinencia social

El objetivo de esta investigación fue describir las percepciones de padres de familia acerca de las características de la enseñanza de los buenos profesores universitarios, consideradas como un insumo para el diseño de programas de formación docente con pertinencia social. Es un estudio cualitativo con indagación naturalista. Participaron 93 padres de familia con hijos universitarios del Estado de Sonora, México. Se empleó una guía de tópicos que respondieron por medio de la técnica de composición escrita y una entrevista semiestructurada. Emergieron categorías de forma inductiva siendo éstas las que presentaron mayor densidad: a) crea clima agradable de confianza, b) explica claramente, c) preparados en su materia y la didáctica, d) enseña de forma entusiasta y práctica y e) apoya a los estudiantes en su aprendizaje. Para validar estas categorías se compararon con estudios de temas similares realizados en universidades ubicadas en los primeros lugares del ranking académico QS Latin América Rankings. Se obtuvieron coincidencias en un 80% de las categorías de las percepciones de padres y de los estudios, lo que valida su voz y abre posibilidades de participación en los procesos de redefinición de políticas y contenidos en los procesos de formación docente The objective of this research was to describe the perceptions of parents about the teaching characteristics of good university professors, considered as a social input for the design of teacher training programs. It is a qualitative study with naturalistic inquiry. 93 parents with university children from the State of Sonora, Mexico participated. A topic guide was used that responded through the written composition technique and a semi-structured interview. Inductive categories emerged, these being the ones that presented the highest density: a) creates a pleasant climate of trust, b) explains clearly, c) prepared in their subject and didactics, d) teaches enthusiastically and practically, and e) supports students in their learning. In order to validate these categories, they were compared with studies on similar topics carried out in universities located in the first places of the QS Latin America Rankings academic ranking. Agreements were obtained in 80% of the categories of the perceptions of parents and the studies, which validates their voice and opens possibilities for participation in the processes of redefining policies and contents in the teacher training processes

El acto de escribir en la universidad. Una experiencia a partir de la autobiografía

Writing in the university environment requires the accompaniment and guidance of the teacher. It is clear that written composition cannot be approached solely as a duty apart from the needs and interests of the students. The purpose of the following study is that a group of seven students of in training to be teachers, with previous professional careers, could experience the process of writing from the construction of an autobiography. In this sense, it was possible to relate the learning of the subprocesses involved in the act of writing with the production of an autobiographical story that generated spaces for subjectivity and introspection to emerge. A qualitative and ethnographic approach was adopted, which made it possible to detail positive changes in the texts produced, according to a sequence of drafts or intermediate versions. It was concluded that writing at the university requires specific didactic situations that lead students to reflect on and re-dimension the role that written language plays, not only in terms of the handling of discursive genres, but also in the construction of their own voice and in the reaffirmation of their identity as social and cultural beings.

The Simple Views of Reading and Writing in the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, 3rd Edition

The simple views of reading (SVR) and writing (SVW) provide useful foundations for the interpretation of psychoeducational achievement batteries. Research has established that oral language, decoding, and transcription explain significant variance in reading comprehension and written composition, respectively. However, the specific task demands of subtests influence the relationships among these constructs. As a result, the degree to which the KTEA-3’s tasks conform to findings associated with the SVR and SVW are not known. These analyses evaluated the degree to which the KTEA-3 oral language and decoding or transcription tests explained variance in reading comprehension, and written expression. Results inform practitioners as to the relative contributions of each component and useful knowledge when determining which battery to use in psychoeducational evaluation.

Chat Language and the Challenges of Students in Written Composition

With the prevalence of the internet and social network platforms in this digital age, most people opt for text messages as a fast and convenient means of communication and prefer real-time online chats to face-to-face social interactions. The cyber language is replete with writing errors that are not conventionally acceptable in academic writing and which can impede comprehension in some cases. As teenage participation in this new media increases, this study investigated the impact of chat language on the written composition of senior secondary school students who are prospective candidates for O’level and or A’level examinations. Data were generated from the students’ written essay scripts and analysed using Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar as the theoretical framework. The study adopted the quantitative and qualitative research methods in which 842 senior secondary 2 and 3 (SS2 and SS3) students of selected schools in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, are the population. The result revealed that online chat language and text-based messages mostly affect students’ writings in mechanical accuracy and expression. The study therefore recommended that the negative effects of the social media on the students’ writings should be checked in schools.