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AbstractWe report four experiments investigating the effect of prosody on listening comprehension in 11-13-year-old children. Across all experiments, participants listened to short object descriptions and answered content-based questions about said objects. In Experiments 1-3, the descriptions were read in an emotionally positive or neutral tone of voice. In Experiment 4, the descriptions were read by a neutral human voice or by text-to-speech software. The results from Experiments 1-3 consistently showed higher accuracy (i.e. more correct answers to the questions) when the descriptions were read using positive prosody. Experiment 4 found higher accuracy for the human voice compared to the text-to-speech recordings. The human voice was also rated as more pleasant and easier to understand than the text-to-speech voice. In sum, this study found that positive, compared to neutral, prosody, and a human voice, compared to artificial speech synthesis, can improve listening comprehension, showcasing the role of prosody in listening comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Nearly 50 years ago, Durkin (1978–1979) conducted a seminal observation study on reading comprehension teaching in Grades 3 through 6. She reported that teachers rarely taught reading comprehension (less than 1% of instructional time). Since then, we have gained substantial knowledge about teaching reading comprehension. We aimed to comprehensively review direct observation studies of reading instruction to understand the extent to which recommended comprehension practices are implemented in schools. Method: A systematic search of the extant literature identified 66 observation studies of reading comprehension instruction for children in K–12 schools, including a total of 1,784 teachers. We employed a mixed-method systematic review to address the research questions. Results: Integrated analyses revealed that reading comprehension instruction infrequently aligned with research-based practices. Findings revealed that, on average, 23% of instructional time during reading/language arts instruction was dedicated to reading comprehension. Like Durkin's study (1978–1979), the results indicated that teachers spent much of this time engaging in initiation-response-evaluation conversation patterns rather engaging students in extensive discussion of text or teaching knowledge or practices (e.g. text structure, reading comprehension strategies) that support reading comprehension. However, analyses suggested that studies conducted after 2000 reported more research-based reading comprehension practices than earlier studies. Conclusions: These findings suggest a substantial gap persists between the reading comprehension practices identified as research-based and those observed in typical practice. There is a need for renewed efforts to prioritize reading comprehension instruction in policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the German-speaking context, there are only a few studies dealing with the transition from family to kindergarten. The aim of this study is to identify the determinants of a 'successful transition', more specifically the multidimensional adjustment of children to kindergarten. Based on an ecological view, the focus is set on determining factors within the child, the family as well as the institutional and classroom context (multilevel model). Three months after the kindergarten entry of the first-year kindergarteners (N = 255), their parents and kindergarten teachers answered a survey. German school language comprehension of the children between 4 and 5 years was evaluated using a standardized test. All variables were assessed cross-sectionally. As predicted, the determinants are with primary emphasis on the individual level of characteristics, competencies and socialisation experiences of the child. Especially the child's self-care skills turn out to be strongly associated with the social-adaptive behavior in kindergarten. Besides that, the child's language comprehension, behavior problems, the presence of formerly known children, and in part child's gender and the pensum of external childcare before kindergarten entry are associated with adjustment. Factors with little significance are the child's age, the educational background of the family and the quantity of transition practices as implemented by the kindergarten teachers before kindergarten started. The results provide indications that help to promote this transition and they also reveal possible risk constellations at this early stage of children's formal school career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of non-linguistic factors, such as executive functions, in the reading comprehension process has been analyzed. The present research sought to investigate the relationship between executive functions and reading comprehension. Methods: In an exploratory cross-sectional study, a group of 89 fourth-grade students were evaluated, considering a balanced number of children with and without reading comprehension difficulties. Results: The results indicate that students with reading comprehension difficulties present a lowered profile with respect to both executive functions and reading variables. The path analysis indicates the presence of differences in the variables that explain reading comprehension for both groups. While in the case of students without reading comprehension difficulties, working memory has both a direct and an indirect effect, i.e., through vocabulary, on reading comprehension; in the case of children with reading comprehension difficulties, only cognitive flexibility has a direct impact. In both cases, inhibition has an indirect impact through vocabulary. Conclusions: We reflect on the differentiated role of executive functions according to the level of development of reading skills, highlighting the possibility that some skills may act in a compensatory manner in the presence of general difficulties. The role of vocabulary in the relationship between executive skills and reading is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Professional Business Review (JPBReview) is the property of Open Access Publications LLC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Severe depression is a prevalent psychiatric illness in children and adolescents associated with high levels of morbidity, disability, and a high risk of suicidal behavior. Cognitive factors associated with depression severity in juveniles have been poorly reported. Methods: We investigated the relationship between depression severity and intelligence quotient (IQ)with its subscales in 65 juveniles (aged 10–17 years) with a current major depressive episode evaluated at the Mood Disorder Program of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome. Pearson's correlation analyses were followed by a Benjamini–Hochberg correction and linear multivariable regression model. Results: Depression severity measured with the total score of the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) was positively associated with the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI; Pearson's r = 0.309 [0.042−0.534]; p = 0.024). The CDRS-R subscales positively associated with VCI by Pearson's correlation were depressed feelings, suicidal ideation, excessive weeping, and reduced facial expressions. Suicidal ideation was the only factor independently and significantly associated with higher VCI in the multivariable linear regression model. Discussion: Suicidal ideation was significantly and independently associated with higher verbal comprehension, indicating that depressed juveniles with better verbal ability may be at a greater risk of showing suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study is to examine the statistically homogeneous clustering in the hierarchical arrangement of the use of adverbial clauses for location, recognition, and comprehension of words presented in three-dimensional, rebus, and distorted forms. The study was conducted on a sample of 140 participants. The first subset of participants constituted the experimental group, consisting of 70 deaf students, while the second subset formed the control group, comprising 70 hearing students of the same chronological age. A battery of tests was utilized as a measurement instrument, including the "Test of Writing and Comprehending Adverbial Clauses for Location," "Test of Reading, Writing, and Comprehending Words Presented in Three-Dimensional Form," "Test of Reading, Writing, and Comprehending Words Presented in Rebus Form," and "Test of Reading, Writing, and Comprehending Words Presented in Distorted Form." In the descriptive analysis, frequencies of the total words achieved by both deaf and hearing participants were computed for the different types of measurement instruments employed. To identify the most robust homogeneity of participants concerning the applied variables, non-hierarchical and hierarchical Cluster Analyses were employed. The research results indicate a significant lag in the use of adverbial clauses for location, writing, reading, and understanding words presented in three-dimensional, rebus, and distorted forms among deaf children in comparison to their hearing peers. The Cluster Analysis revealed the most significant linkage between the variable "Number of used adverbial clauses for location" and the variable "Number of recognized words presented in three-dimensional form." This link was clustered with the variable "Number of written words presented in rebus form" and the variable "Number of written words presented in three-dimensional form." An analysis of variance for isolated clusters identified a statistically significant difference in the entire measurement space of adverbial clauses for location, three-dimensional, rebus, and distorted forms of words, with a level of statistical significance at p=0.00. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We examined whether the relations between home literacy environment (HLE), children's independent reading, and emergent literacy and reading skills are confounded by parents' reading skills (a genetic proxy). Method: One hundred eighty-nine Chinese children (Mage = 74.26 months, 40% female) were followed from kindergarten to Grade 2 and were assessed on emergent literacy skills (pinyin knowledge, phonological awareness, and vocabulary) and word reading in kindergarten and on reading comprehension in Grade 2. Their parents (both mothers and fathers) were also assessed on reading (word reading and reading comprehension) and completed questionnaires on HLE (code-related activities, meaning-related activities, and access to literacy resources) in kindergarten and their children's independent reading in Grade 2. Results: Results of structural equation modeling showed that access to literacy resources was associated with children's vocabulary, and code-related activities indirectly predicted reading comprehension through pinyin knowledge after controlling for parents' reading skills. Parents' reading skills indirectly predicted children's reading comprehension through children's independent reading. Conclusion: Code-related activities and access to literacy resources may have a true effect on children's reading development over and above the effect of parents' reading skills as a proxy for genetic transmission. The children of parents with better reading skills may engage in more independent reading, which may be related to their better reading comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay discusses some points made by the three books under review regarding how children born of conflict-related sexual violence have not been seen and listened to by those working in the field of transitional justice. To this end, it explores some of the reasons behind this oversight, including generalized assumptions about their relationships with their mothers, families and communities. It also discusses some of the limitations of the current transitional justice framework to address the plight of these children. Finally, the essay emphasizes the importance of analyzing more deeply the particular context in which these children are embedded. To this end it draws from some of the frameworks presented in the three books under review, which allow for a more capacious comprehension of the situation of children born of conflict-related sexual violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using context to derive a word's meaning is typically conceptualized as part of the reading comprehension process. However, context sensitivity develops early—before children start to learn to read. This study took a developmental perspective, attempting to capture children's context sensitivity through spoken discourse and assess its value in predicting L2 reading comprehension alongside other reading-related variables. Context sensitivity is conceptualized as a construct consisting of two facets: exploiting directive and disregarding misdirective information in context. Fourth-grade children (N = 113) learning English as a foreign language (L2) heard a three-utterance discourse and selected a picture best representing a discourse-final word which was congruent or not with the previous context. The task was re-administered at Grade 5, together with a reading comprehension test. Results showed that the two facets of context sensitivity were not correlated at either grade. While children showed rapid growth in using directive context from Grade 4 to Grade 5, sensitivity to misdirective information just began to emerge at Grade 5. Despite being separate entities, the two facets of sensitivity, alone and in combination, contributed to predicting L2 reading comprehension concurrently and longitudinally after controlling L2 proficiency (vocabulary and decoding) and linguistic awareness (phonology, morphology, and syntax). Overall, the results support the conceptualization of context sensitivity as a two-faceted construct, to exploit and to disregard context information, with both facets uniquely predicting L2 reading comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading comprehension and arithmetic skills are essential abilities for children, particularly at the early career. Examine the link between language proficiency and numeral information process amongst primary school children. This study examines numeral comprehension in 600 Chinese primary second graders with different levels of decoding and linguistic comprehension skills. Four groups of children were compared, including typical readers (TR), poor decoders (PD), poor comprehenders (PC) and general poor readers (GPR). Results showed that the four groups had similar performances in numeral comprehension when the answer options to a question on the quantity of numerals were presented in Arabic numbers. However, when the answer options to a question on the quantity of numeral information were presented in analogue nonsymbolic magnitude representations, the PC group outperformed the PD and GPR group. The findings of this study has demonstrated the link between language proficiency and numerical information process in reading comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We start from the premise that reading is a permanent process of interaction between reader and text, in which the subjects rely both on certain purposes that guide the reading and on their previous knowledge and experiences, in order to produce meanings and effectively understand the texts. In this perspective, the research aims to identify how literary reading, from the proposal of strategies, can contribute to the process of reading comprehension of children in the literacy phase. For this, the proposed investigation is configured in a participatory research, of qualitative approach and of descriptive character, taking as technical and investigative procedure the systematic observation, from the application of reading activities, during the school year of 2022, in a class of the 1st year of elementary school, of a school of the municipal network, located in Campo das Vertentes, Minas Gerais. As a theoretical basis, we highlight the studies of Solé (1998) regarding reading strategies and Girotto and Souza (2010) regarding strategies specifically directed to literary reading. The results of the research reveal the importance of planning pedagogical actions that favor literary reading strategies in an educational context, as such stimuli contribute to the process of reading comprehension by children, significantly favoring the formation of autonomous, critical and reflective readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research is to develop reading comprehension strategies in a group of 3 fifth grade school-aged children with difficulties in reading comprehension (impairment of the understanding of sentences with a complex logicalgrammatical structure due to the constant loss of the objective of the activity) and low cognitive motivation. A pre-test and post-test evaluation was carried out after the application of the intervention. The intervention program was based on the formation of the zone of proximal development, the guiding basis of action, the formation of mental actions in stages and the gradual formation of brain mechanisms identified with weaknesses through shared reading activities in which used and analyzed language. The results show that the activity regulation strategies used by the children for reading comprehension after the intervention were: they identify the objective in the text considering its structure, they use graphic representations to organize and classify the information, they reread some sections, take notes, underline important words and ideas. Regarding the strategy that involves cognitive motivation after the intervention, the dialogic conversation with other readers, establishing relationships between the texts, stood out. It is concluded that both the activity regulation strategies and the strategies that involve cognitive motivation favor the interaction between the reader and the text and the relationship between the reader and other readers due to the emotional content that the texts generate in the dialogic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the specific contributions of derivational, inflectional, and compounding morphological awareness to reading comprehension through decoding and syntactic awareness. A total of 181 Grade 3 and 4 Chinese primary school children learning English as a second language in Hong Kong participated in this study. The results of structural equational modeling show that all the three types of morphological awareness contributed to reading comprehension through decoding and syntactic awareness, and they explained about 66% of the variance in decoding and 47.2% of the variance in syntactic awareness. Derivational and inflectional morphological awareness affected decoding more strongly than compounding morphological awareness. Derivational and inflectional morphological awareness had stronger effects on decoding than on syntactic awareness, whereas compounding morphological awareness had stronger effect on syntactic awareness than on decoding. In addition, derivational and inflectional morphological awareness had unique direct effects on reading comprehension beyond decoding and syntactic awareness. The unique effect of inflectional morphological awareness was stronger than that of derivational morphological awareness. These results advance our understanding of the multiple roles of the three types of morphological awareness in reading comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of the lexico-phonological diglossic distance of story reading (a scaffolded storybook intervention, informed by Vygotsky's theory of scaffolding and fading) on Arabic-speaking preschool children's comprehension and receptive and productive vocabulary. Method: The participants were 139 Israeli-Palestinian kindergartners: 71 composed an intervention group and 68 composed a comparison group. The intervention group heard stories gradually from the SpA, identical, cognate, and unique word forms, whereas the comparison group heard traditional stories unrelated to their lexico-phonological distances. Story 1 was read in unique spoken Arabic (SpA) form, stories 2 and 3 were read in 58 and 45% identical and cognate word forms, respectively, and story 4 was read in 70% unique word forms. Results: The results clearly showed that children's vocabulary and story understanding was significantly higher after the intervention, especially noticeable in stories that contained a higher proportion of Standard Arabic (StA). Interestingly, the stories told entirely in Spoken Arabic (SpA) were the most effective, yielding the highest scores in both comprehension and vocabulary. Stories that mixed different word forms also performed well, though not as strongly as the SpA stories, while those solely in StA were the least effective. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that scaffolded storybook intervention may enhance the receptive vocabulary and comprehension skills of children. This study shows that, in the context of diglossia, stories should be read to children systematically and gradually according to the lexical-phonological distance of words in the stories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the relations of language skills (vocabulary, listening comprehension, and oral retell), transcription skills (spelling and handwriting fluency), and domain‐general cognitions/executive functions (working memory and attentional control) to writing quality for English‐Spanish emergent bilingual children in Grade 1. Data were from a convenience sample of 211 children (57% girls; 82% Hispanic, 9.5% White, 4% Asian American children) who were assessed on written composition, vocabulary, listening comprehension, oral retell, and spelling in English and Spanish; handwriting fluency and working memory in English; and attentional control rated by their teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that writing quality in English and Spanish in narrative and opinion genres was best described as a unidimensional skill. Structural equation model results showed that English oral language, English spelling, and Spanish spelling skills, but not Spanish oral language skill, were independently related to writing quality, after controlling for gender, English learner status, Hispanic status, and enrollment in dual immersion program. The relations of working memory and attentional control to writing quality were indirect, mediated by oral language and transcription skills. These results are discussed in light of theory and in the context of emergent bilingual children in primary grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital picture-book (DPB) with animated elements can enhance children's engagement, but irrelevant animations may interfere with their comprehension. To determine the effect of the relevance of animated elements on preschoolers' comprehension, an experimental study was conducted. Thirty-three preschoolers between the aged 4-5 years engaged with DPB in three conditions: high- and low-relevant animations and a static control while listening to the story; their eye movements were recorded simultaneously. The study found that preschoolers had lower comprehension when exposed to low-relevant animation, but had comparable scores to the static condition with high-relevant animation. The results of eye-movement analysis showed that children who focused less on high-relevant or more on low-relevant elements had poorer comprehension. Those exposed to low-relevant animations looked less at high-relevant elements and more at low-relevant elements than those in the static and high-relevant conditions. These results suggested that low-relevant animations in DPB interfered with children's comprehension by directing their visual attention away from crucial, high-relevant elements and more to less relevant elements. Therefore, designers creating DPBs, as well as parents and caregivers selecting DPBs for children, should consider the importance of the relevance of animated elements. And the corresponding mechanism of animation effect in DPB comprehension was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through extensive research with early childhood educators, Sesame Workshop identified a critical educational need, as today's preschoolers commonly lack curiosity, creativity, and perseverance in the face of challenges – an issue that impacts their ability to navigate obstacles at school and in life. To address this educational need, Sesame Street designed a playful problem-solving curriculum to help foster preschoolers' curiosity, critical thinking skills, creativity, and perseverance which are foundational skills to instill a positive approach to learning. Following the Sesame Workshop Model, formative research played a critical role in Sesame Street story development, especially with a new curriculum focus that involved a unique story format designed to support preschoolers' comprehension. We conducted formative research, in schools (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) and virtually (during the COVID-19 pandemic), wherein children aged 3–5 years old watched a rough draft version of an in-progress script (a "storymatic") and researchers analyzed children's comprehension. Findings guided script development to enhance the educational impact of each story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the remedial reading program on the reading comprehension of pupils at Sta. Lucia Elementary School. Specifically, this study aimed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed special remedial teaching program in developing the skills in getting from the context, noting details and making inferences. The pre-test/ posttest Time Series Experimental Design was used in the study. Based on the Phil-IRI pretest results, there were a total of sixty pupils who were identified frustration level of readers which were taken as the subjects out of 204 Grade Four Pupils of Sta. Lucia Elementary School. Thus, remedial programs were provided to help these pupils compensate for the insufficient learning in previous academic setting. The remedial teaching in reading skills was applied to the special group given the special remedial teaching which was four times a week for fifteen minutes in each session (30 Grade IV pupils) on lessons on getting meaning from the context, noting details and making inferences. On the other hand, another group of 30 Grade IV pupils served as the regular group given the regular remedial teaching which was two times a week for thirty minutes in each session. Based on the study conducted, it showed that the reading performance of the students in the control and experimental group in the pretest did not differ significantly on getting meaning from context, noting details and making inferences. The effectiveness was indicated when the gain scores of both groups taught by program of remedial teaching. However, special group was significantly higher compared the regular group. The Special Remedial Reading Program for Grade four pupils was proven effective in improving the reading comprehension of the children’s reading skill in English since there was a very significant difference between the performances of the two groups after the experiment in favor of the experimental group. The computed mean of the experimental group is almost twice as high as compared to the computed mean of the control group. This indicates that those who underwent to the special remedial reading program had better performance than those who were granted with the regular remedial reading program. The Special Remedial Reading Program was an effective strategy because of the development observed by the pupils. It is suggested that elementary teachers must apply this program especially the special remedial reading session to proliferate its effectiveness and teachers be kept abreast in a new mode of teaching that could maximize pupils’ participation as well as promote Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) to the elementary pupils. Thus, this could make a great foundation in their formative system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The acquisition of reading skills is a crucial milestone in early education, with formal instruction and practice playing pivotal roles. The outbreak of COVID-19 led to widespread school closures and a shift to remote learning. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the effects of school closures on reading acquisition and fluency among a large sample of second-grade children, considering socioeconomic status (SES) and gender differences. In 2019, a cohort of 2228 second-grade students from 34 schools was assessed for word reading fluency and comprehension. In 2020, during the pandemic, 765 students from a subsample of 20 original schools were re-evaluated using the same measures. The study also collected school-related data. Results: The findings from the entire sample indicated no significant differences in fluency and comprehension scores between children in the second grade in 2019 and 2020. However, a significant interaction emerged when analyzing low SES versus high SES children. Children from low SES backgrounds exhibited notably lower reading scores after a year of remote learning due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, the disparity in reading scores between low SES and high SES children nearly doubled in 2020. Gender differences were also detected. Discussion: These results underscore the impact of remote learning during the COVID-19 crisis on exacerbating gaps in reading fluency and comprehension between children from high and low SES backgrounds. The implications of these findings highlight the critical role of in-person schooling and targeted support for disadvantaged students, especially during pivotal stages of reading development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefit recipients, particularly those with developmental disabilities, require ongoing rehabilitation treatments. Sustainable rehabilitation services are not feasible for a number of reasons, particularly in low- and middleincome nations. The best approach for long-term rehabilitation treatments for kids with developmental problems is parent-mediated intervention. This narrative review attempts to give readers a general understanding of parent-mediated intervention, including its advantages, drawbacks, and determining factors. Google Scholar and PubMed computer searches were used to compile the papers. This study's findings indicate that the main factors supporting parent-mediated intervention are financial hardship, difficulty accessing rehabilitation facilities, and lack of availability of rehabilitation professionals. It gives kids a better learning environment and parent-child connection so they can communicate and learn more effectively. Additionally, it aids in the parent's comprehension of their child, enabling them to train them more effectively while lowering their stress levels and other discomforts. At the same time, Parents want appropriate direction and perhaps in-depth instruction from their rehabilitation specialists. To learn about the requirements, rewards, and paperwork, parents must receive training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the acquisition of personal reference terms in Thai, a language with a highly complex personal reference system. Two separate studies were conducted for this paper, each featuring two groups of participants: children with typical development (TD) and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In each study, the participants were asked to complete two tasks on personal reference terms: a production task and a comprehension task. Overall, children with ASD performed on par in production, in terms of overall communicative success. However, an important finding was that they demonstrated a tendency toward pronoun avoidance, being less likely than children with TD to use deictic first-person pronominal forms. Instead, they preferred to use fixed referential terms for self-reference, contrasting with the children with TD's preference for personal pronouns. The performance of children with ASD was significantly poorer in comprehension than that of children with TD. Children with ASD were generally able to detect lexically encoded person features but struggled with the more pragmatic and socially deictic aspects of personal reference terms. The latter also posed some challenges for children with TD, albeit to a lesser extent. In this regard, our results align with previous claims in the literature that lexical presuppositions are acquired earlier than implicated presuppositions. Our findings also add various new insights in terms of both population-specific effects in a language previously unstudied in this regard and the specific ways in which aspects of implicated presuppositions, i.e., the type of content in play, give rise to particular challenges in acquisition in general and for children with ASD in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Are you LISTENING?" may be one of the most frequent questions preschoolers hear from their parents and teachers, but can children be taught to listen carefully—and thus better comprehend language—and if so, what changes occur in their brains? Twenty-seven four- and five-year-old children were taught a language simulation strategy to use while listening to stories: first, they practiced moving graphics on an iPad to correspond to the story actions, and then they practiced imagining the movements. Compared to a control condition, children in the intervention answered comprehension questions more accurately when imagining moving the graphics and on a measure of transfer using a new story without any instruction and with only immovable graphics. Importantly, for children in the intervention, the change in comprehension from the first to the sixth day was strongly correlated with changes in EEG mu and alpha desynchronization, suggesting changes in motor and visual processing following the intervention. Thus, the data are consistent with our hypothesis that a language simulation listening comprehension intervention can improve children's listening comprehension by teaching children to align visual and motor processing with language comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role of language-related abilities in emotion comprehension among young people with non-specific intellectual developmental disorders (NS-IDDs). Forty children and adolescents with NS-IDDs completed tasks assessing emotion comprehension, receptive vocabulary, verbal reasoning skills, and verbal working memory. Results showed that emotion comprehension was better predicted by comprehension of abstract words and verbal working memory, and that these two predictors were themselves predicted by verbal reasoning skills. These results therefore suggest a link between emotion understanding and verbal reasoning, which could be mediated by abstract vocabulary and verbal working memory. These findings provide insight into the relationships between emotion comprehension and language-related abilities in NS-IDDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a modified version of the Speech in Noise Sentence Test in Kannada, which would be appropriate for testing the speech comprehension ability of children aged 8-12 years. Subjects and Methods: A total of 120 sentences were chosen from 200 familiar sentences and split into four lists. Continuous discourse was used as a competition or distractor. Using MATLAB, the target stimulus was presented at 0-degree azimuth while the distractor's location varied (+90° and -90° azimuth). The test was programmed to dynamically adjust the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) based on participants' responses. After initial validation, a pilot study was conducted with 60 typically hearing children aged 8 to 12 years. Results: The SNR50 scores significantly improved when the distractor and target sentences were spatially separated across all groups. Age had a significant influence on the spatial separation scores. The test-retest reliability was excellent. Conclusions: The developed stimuli effectively measured spatial separation, and the normative and psychometric analyses demonstrated reliable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychological Science is the property of Psychological Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Theoretical Educational Science / Kuramsal Eğitimbilim Dergisi is the property of Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Long-distance dependencies such as relative clauses (RCs) are known to be vulnerable in heritage grammars (e.g., Montrul, 2008). Previous studies in RC comprehension have shown that heritage language (HL) children show similar comprehension to monolingual children (Jia & Paradis, 2020), while differential performance has also been found (Kidd et al., 2015). The present study investigates 11–13-year-old monolingual and German-dominant HL children's real-time parsing strategies in subject relative clause (SRC) and object relative clause (ORC) processing in Greek. We conducted a self-paced listening task in Greek in which we manipulated the type of RC (subject vs. object), and the RC internal word order (canonical vs. scrambled). Our analyses revealed no significant group differences between HL and monolingual children. Both groups of children processed SRCs faster than ORCs on the critical RC verb segment. We also examined if case-marked pre-verbal NPs would facilitate the processing of ORC structures. Although children processed pre-verbal faster than post-verbal NPs, ORC structures with pre-verbal NPs received the lowest scores in the grammaticality judgment task. We discuss these findings on the grounds of Relativized Minimality (Friedmann et al., 2009) and Fodor and Inoue's (2000) Diagnosis and Repair Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the executive functions (EF) of preschool children and their associations with emotional, linguistic, and cognitive skills, using parent and teacher reports. A total of 130 children aged 34 to 71 months participated. The preschool version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-P) was completed by both parents and teachers to assess behavioral difficulties in the use of EFs, while children were administered the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), the Test of Language Evaluation (TVL), and the Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM). Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between parents' and teachers' reports, with parents attributing to children more EF difficulties than parents. Children's EF difficulties were negatively associated with emotion comprehension, language ability, and non-verbal intelligence, although correlations were stronger when using teachers' reports. The value of using indirect measurement of preschoolers' EF problems and the importance of adopting a multi-informant approach are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of 4- to 6-year-olds' narrative skills was investigated in relation to their receptive vocabulary, grammar, and home literacy environment. At Time One, 82 children aged 4 to 6 years completed standardised assessments of cognitive ability, vocabulary, and grammar. Narrative production and comprehension were assessed by the narration of a wordless picture book and questions about the book's content, respectively. Parents completed a questionnaire about home literacy practices. Concurrently, vocabulary explained unique variance in narrative comprehension, but not narrative production. In addition, the teaching of literacy-related skills in the home was negatively related to both narrative comprehension and production, and the frequency with which parents and children engaged in interactive reading was positively related to narrative production. One year later, one aspect of the home literacy environment (print exposure) explained unique variance in later narrative comprehension, after controlling for earlier narrative skills. These data show that vocabulary and grammar skills and home literacy practices are related to different types of narrative skills and suggest that literacy experiences in the home make a unique contribution to the development of narrative comprehension and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with autism have significant difficulties in communication, which negatively affects their further development and socialization. The study showed that the comprehension of speech depends on the intellectual level of development of students, speech development in General, and individual characteristics. The concreteness of children’s thinking, its lack of flexibility, and the inertia of neural connections require long-term development of each skill, its retaining in new situations and everyday life. The article presents the results of experimental teaching of speech comprehension development of children with autism according to a special program. Positive learning results let us suggest that children with autism are able to perceive and understand emotions if they are trained for a long period of time. Experimental training aimed at developing the understanding of speech among children with autism has shown that when choosing methods and techniques for working with this category of children, it is necessary to take into account not only autism spectrum disorders, but also the intellectual level of development of students, the speech development, and individual characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the effects of inference instruction on text-based inferences by third graders who are below average in reading comprehension but average in reading fluency and cognitive abilities. Textbased inferences occur when the preceding text has an identifiable causal antecedent. Participants were randomly assigned and attended twelve 30- minute sessions of the inferences training intervention. We have included strategies for integrating information from the text to improve reading comprehension skills. We provide an overview of how specific text-based instruction influences reading comprehension processes and outcomes and can lead to increased reading comprehension. The comparison of pretest and posttest results in the experimental group showed a significant gain in the following variables: generating inferences and providing arguments for using rules and constraints. Finally, we discuss how consideration of these potential sources of instruction has practical implications for designing and selecting instructional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the integration of ethnomathematical concepts found in traditional West Sumatran food and their influence on the mathematical literacy skills of children aged 5-6 years. Employing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design, the research aimed to compare mathematical literacy outcomes before and after ethnomathematics-based learning interventions. A purposive sample of 12 kindergarten students from Koto Besar was assessed using structured observation sheets, and data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0. Results showed significant improvements in mathematical literacy, with pretest scores ranging from 11 to 16 and posttest scores from 20 to 30, indicating a score increase of 7 to 14 points. Normality and homogeneity tests confirmed the data's validity. The findings emphasize the effectiveness of using traditional food in teaching mathematical concepts, making them more relatable and engaging for young children while preserving cultural heritage. The study also highlights active participation and enhanced comprehension among children through culturally contextualized learning. Limitations include the small sample size and short intervention period, which may affect generalizability. Future research should involve larger samples and longer durations to confirm these findings and explore broader educational implications. Integrating ethnomathematics through traditional foods presents a promising strategy for improving mathematical literacy and cultural awareness in early childhood education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Elementary Education / Revija za Elementarno Izobraževanje is the property of University of Maribor, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, we investigated the comprehension of metonymy with children aged 3 to 8 years old, by replicating the method of the Köder and Falkum (2020) study, from the Cognitive Linguistics perspective. In the test, 133 participants, children and adults, were exposed to a visual stimulus, which consists of a set of images, and an auditory stimulus, which consists of a literal or metonymic vignette. The results obtained in this work partially corroborate the result of the original study (Köder; Falkum, 2020), in which there was a significant difference in the comprehension of metonymy in the different age groups studied. Here, the level of metonymic comprehension of this task did not increase at 6 years of age, as in the replicated study, and some hypotheses for this change are formulated. Also, the 8-year-old children's level of comprehension turned out not to be similar to the comprehension of the adult control group. In addition, significant differences were also found between the literal and metonymic conditions, regarding the levels of comprehension. From this general result, issues that may have led to this result are discussed, involving both age and linguistic cultural influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Route Educational & Social Science Journal (Ress Journal) is the property of Ress Academy Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Soletras is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills learned in school and it has an important contribution to the academic success of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Though previous studies have investigated reading comprehension difficulties in ASD and highlighted factors that contribute to these difficulties, this evidence has mainly stemmed from children with ASD and intact cognitive skills. Also, much emphasis has been placed on the relation between reading comprehension and word recognition skills, while the role of other skills, including fluency and morphosyntax, remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps by investigating reading comprehension in two groups of school-aged children with ASD, one with intact and one with low cognitive abilities, also exploring the roles of word decoding, fluency and morphosyntax in each group’s reading comprehension performance. Methods: The study recruited 16 children with ASD and low cognitive abilities, and 22 age-matched children with ASD and intact cognitive skills. The children were assessed on four reading subdomains, namely, decoding, fluency, morphosyntax, and reading comprehension. Results: The children with ASD and low cognitive abilities scored significantly lower than their peers with intact cognitive abilities in all reading subdomains, except for decoding, verb production and compound word formation. Regression analyses showed that reading comprehension in the group with ASD and intact cognitive abilities was independently driven by their decoding and fluency skills, and to a lesser extent, by morphosyntax. On the other hand, the children with ASD and low cognitive abilities mainly drew on their decoding, and to a lesser extent, their morphosyntactic skills to perform in reading comprehension. Discussion: The results suggest that reading comprehension was more strongly affected in the children with ASD and low cognitive abilities as compared to those with intact cognitive skills. About half of the children with ASD and intact cognitive skills also exhibited mild-to-moderate reading comprehension difficulties, further implying that ASD may influence reading comprehension regardless of cognitive functioning. Finally, strengths in decoding seemed to predominantly drive cognitively-impaired children’s reading performance, while the group with ASD and intact cognitive skills mainly recruited fluency and metalinguistic lexical skills to cope with reading comprehension demands, further suggesting that metalinguistic awareness may be a viable way to enhance reading comprehension in ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early endosomes (EEs) are crucial in cargo sorting within vesicular trafficking. While cargoes destined for degradation are retained in EEs and eventually transported to lysosomes, recycled cargoes for the plasma membrane (PM) or the Golgi undergo segregation into specialized membrane structures known as EE buds during cargo sorting. Despite this significance, the molecular basis of the membrane expansion during EE bud formation has been poorly understood. In this study, we identify a protein complex comprising SHIP164, an ATPase RhoBTB3, and a retromer subunit Vps26B, which promotes the formation of EE buds at Golgi–EE contacts. Our findings reveal that Vps26B acts as a novel Rab14 effector, and Rab14 activity regulates the association of SHIP164 with EEs. Depletion of SHIP164 leads to enlarged Rab14+ EEs without buds, a phenotype rescued by wild-type SHIP164 but not the lipid transfer-defective mutants. Suppression of RhoBTB3 or Vps26B mirrors the effects of SHIP164 depletion. Together, we propose a lipid transport-dependent pathway mediated by the RhoBTB3–SHIP164–Vps26B complex at Golgi–EE contacts, which is essential for EE budding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focus structures, a complex aspect of information structure in language, have garnered significant attention in psycholinguistics. The question of whether Chinese preschoolers aged 4–6 years possess the ability to process focus structures in oral communication, and how cognitive factors influence this ability, remains a research focal point. To address this, we recruited 100 Chinese preschoolers aged 4–6 years as participants in our study. This study manipulated the positions of focus particles in sentences to investigate the impact of phonological awareness on young children's comprehension of focus structures. Additionally, we examined the mediating roles of cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. Our findings indicate the following: (1) phonological awareness positively predicted the accuracy of focus structural processing; (2) inhibitory control did not significantly predict the accuracy of focus structural processing; and (3) cognitive flexibility partially mediated the relationship between phonological awareness and focus structural comprehension. These results confirmed the predictive effect of cognitive flexibility on children's comprehension of focus structures. Moreover, they demonstrate that young children's phonological awareness can predict their focus structure comprehension ability through the mediating role of cognitive flexibility. This suggests that children's cognitive flexibility can aid in understanding sentences with focus structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently students have lost their reading habits with the consequent problems that it brings, if these situations are not worked on in time, in the long term there is no solution. Consequently, they lose the capacity for reflective interpretation in reading, and it hinders the reader's critical thinking. The use of fables as a pedagogical tool to improve children's reading comprehension is one of the didactic strategies that has been the object of interest in the educative community. The objective of this research is to analyze the fable as a didactic strategy within the teaching and learning process, to strengthen reading comprehension in the third-grade children of the John F. Kennedy School of Basic Education. Research was developed based on the quantitative, correlational approach, where a survey was applied to diagnose reading comprehension in 16 children. As a result, it was determined that 75% of the children had comprehension difficulties. To solve this, seven reading workshops were developed with the fable as a resource, subsequently an exam was applied, its results show that eight one percent of the students achieved a development of reading comprehension at a literal, inferential and analytical level. There was also an increase in communication skills, psychological, emotional, and spiritual development, what confirms the hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the unique longitudinal role of theory of mind (ToM) on reading comprehension among primary school children, while controlling for other influencing factors. It also examined how this impact varies by grade, text genre, and processing level. A sample of 430 Chinese children in Grades 2, 4, and 6 was observed over a period of 6 months. For each grade, longitudinal hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the unique contribution of ToM to reading comprehension across different text genres and processing levels. By controlling for variables such as reading frequency, decoding, vocabulary, nonverbal intelligence, listening comprehension, and executive function, ToM cannot predict the overall reading comprehension of children in Grade 2, but can predict it of children in Grades 4 and 6. For specific text genres, ToM predicted narrative comprehension in both Grades 4 and 6 and expository comprehension only in Grade 6. For specific processing levels, ToM predicted advanced comprehension in Grades 4 and 6 and basic comprehension only in Grade 6. Furthermore, ToM predicted advanced narrative and expository comprehension in Grades 4 and 6, and basic expository comprehension in Grade 6. These findings highlight the important role of ToM in reading comprehension development, particularly in the middle and upper stages of primary school. These results lay the foundation for further research on exploring the underlying mechanisms of the impact of ToM on reading comprehension and provide a social-cognitive perspective to enhance the development of reading comprehension. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: We determined when and where reading minds (theory of mind) contribute to reading texts (reading comprehension) in elementary school students through a comprehensive analysis. Our study demonstrated that reading minds uniquely affect reading texts only in the middle and upper stages of primary school. However, its impact was confined to specific text genre types and comprehension processing levels. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing social-cognitive factors' influence on reading comprehension in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While 3D tumor models have greatly evolved over the past years, there is still a strong requirement for more biosimilar models which are capable of recapitulating cellular crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment while equally displaying representative levels of tumor aggressiveness and invasion. Herein, we disclose an assembloid melanoma model based on the fusion of individual stromal multicellular spheroids (MCSs). In contrast to more traditional tumor models, we show that it is possible to develop self-organizing, heterotypic melanoma models where tumor cells present stem-cell like features like up-regulated pluripotency master regulators SOX2, POU5F1 and NANOG. Additionally, these assembloids display high levels of invasiveness while embedded in 3D matrices as evidenced by stromal cell promotion of melanoma cell invasion via metalloproteinase production. Furthermore, sensitivity to anticancer drug doxorubicin was demonstrated for the melanoma assembloid model. These findings suggest that melanoma assembloids may play a significant role in the field of 3D cancer models as they more closely mimic the tumor microenvironment when compared to more traditional MCSs, opening the doors to a better understanding of the role of tumor microenvironment in supporting tumor progression. The development of complex 3D tumor models that better recapitulate the tumor microenvironment is crucial for both an improved comprehension of intercellular crosstalk and for more efficient drug screening. We have herein developed a self-organizing heterotypic assembloid-based melanoma model capable of closely mimicking the tumor microenvironment. Key features recapitulated were the preservation of cancer cell stemness, sensitivity to anti-cancer agents and tumor cell invasion promoted by stromal cells. The approach of pre-establishing distinct stromal domains for subsequent combination into more complex tumor constructs provides a route for developing superior tumor models with a higher degree of similarity to native cancer tissues. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of REICE. Ibero-American Journal on Quality, Effectiveness & Change in Education / REICE. Revista Iberoamericana Sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación is the property of Red Iberoamericana de Investigacion sobre Cambio y Eficacia en Educacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to apply and analyze the impact of the semantic feature analysis (SFA) strategy on vocabulary development and comprehension of texts and theoretical concepts in Portuguese school-age students with and without special educational needs (SEN) attending inclusive schools. Method: The research design was quasi-experimental. The SFA was administered in ten sessions of approximately 60 min each. The sample was a convenience sample and consisted of selecting three classes in each school: (i) in the first cycle of basic education, 65 students were divided into a control group, an experimental group and a structured teaching group; (ii) in the second cycle of basic education, 55 students were divided into an experimental group, an online virtual school and a control group. Results: (1) The SFA strategy is motivating, appealing, inexpensive, flexible and easy to implement; (2) learning the SFA strategy is easy and can be successfully taught in any classroom; (3) the performance of the students assigned to the experimental groups was significantly higher in both cycles compared to all the other groups; (4) the effect sizes were 0.87 in the first cycle and 0.88 in the second cycle. Conclusion: The SFA strategy effectively promotes the development of vocabulary, concept knowledge and text comprehension in school-age children, being more effective than regular teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important construct in the cognitive process, comprehension monitoring has received much scholarly attention. Researchers have recognized comprehension monitoring as an ability closely linked with children's reading comprehension ability and working memory capacity. Evidence is also abundant to prove that comprehension monitoring skill develops with age. It remains unclear, however, how these factors interact during reading, particularly in low-grade children. Many previous empirical studies have only employed online or offline measurements to examine children's monitoring performance, which might lead to unsolid conclusions. In this study, we utilized both online eye-tracking measures and offline probe interviews to quantify the developmental features (i.e., evaluation and regulation) of comprehension monitoring skills among Chinese beginning readers. The results indicated that the comprehension monitoring performance, as quantified by eye-tracking measures, was positively related to their reading comprehension ability and working memory capacity. Moreover, the first-graders' performances lacked online regulation skills during the error-detecting tasks, while second-graders had relatively developed online monitoring performance. Additionally, the eye-tracking measures were found as a predictor for children's performances in probe interviews, as the readers with high comprehension ability and working memory capacity successfully reported more errors embedded in the self-designed reading materials. Therefore, the findings support the claim that children's comprehension monitoring is a developing skill associated with reading comprehension and working memory capacity and further question the existence of comprehension monitoring skills in beginning readers, especially first-graders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that may begin in early childhood and continue into adolescence and adulthood and are incompatible with the developmental level of the individual. Most children with ADHD are at risk of facing significant academic problems throughout their educational life. In recent studies aiming to reveal the causes of academic problems experienced by children with ADHD, academic problems have been associated with the difficulties in reading and listening comprehension skills of children with ADHD. The relatively common prevalence of ADHD, the extent of academic problems experienced by children with ADHD, and the lack of clarity about reading difficulties require further examination of the relationship between ADHD and reading and listening comprehension skills, which are often based on the same language and cognitive skills. Listening comprehension, which is defined as the ability to understand, interpret, organize, and evaluate the ideas and thoughts in a speech heard or a text read aloud, is one of the most important early literacy skills necessary for the ultimate goal of reading, which is reading comprehension. In this review study, listening comprehension skills of children with ADHD were discussed together with the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of Maker education is crucial in fostering innovative individuals. However, evaluating Maker activities in primary schools continues to be a difficult task. This study aimed to determine the fundamental components of Maker literacy among primary school students. The researchers constructed a thorough evaluation index system by doing a literature review, using coding techniques, determining the weights from YAAHP, and performing statistical analysis with SPSS. The Delphi technique enhanced the conceptual framework through consultation with sixteen experts. The emerging framework consists of three dimensions: Design Thinking, Technology Application and Materialized Practice, and Maker Spirit and Responsibility, each encompassing 12 subordinate aspects. These aspects subtly comprehend Maker literacy and act as indicators for comprehensive assessment systems in Chinese elementary schools. The study enhances our comprehension of children's development in the field of Maker literacy by outlining its structure. This study provides vital insights into the assessment of Maker activities, which is a significant obstacle to the progress of Maker education. The findings of this study have practical consequences for those in the field of education, policymakers, and those involved in developing curricula. The aim is to promote the development of a generation of individuals capable of thinking innovatively and creating new ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping genetic variations to phenotypic variations poses a significant challenge, as mutations often combine unexpectedly, diverging from assumed additive effects even in the same environment. These interactions are known as epistasis or genetic interactions. Sign epistasis, as a specific type of epistasis, involves a complete reversal of mutation effects within altered genetic backgrounds, presenting a substantial hurdle to phenotype prediction. Despite its importance, there is a limited systematic overview of the mechanistic causes of sign epistasis. This review explores the mechanistic causes, highlighting its occurrence in signalling cascades, peaked fitness landscapes, and physical interactions. Moving beyond theoretical discussions, we delve into the practical applications of sign epistasis in agriculture, evolution, and antibiotic resistance. In conclusion, this review aims to enhance the comprehension of sign epistasis and molecular dynamics, anticipating future endeavours in systematic biology engineering that leverage the knowledge of sign epistasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in the field of genomics and transcriptomics have enabled researchers to identify gene signatures related to development and treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer. In most cases, complex gene expression patterns are identified, comprising of genes with differential behavior. Most tools use single-genes as predictors of drug response, with only limited options for multi-gene use. Here we examine the potential of predicting drug response using these complex gene expression signatures by employing clustering and signal enrichment in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Our results demonstrate clustering genes from complex expression patterns helps identify differential activity of gene groups with alternate function which can then be used to predict drug response. • Clustering genes in expression signatures before enrichment analysis helps find key groups • Most small cell lung cancer cell lines are enriched for epithelial genes • A subset of inflamed signature genes used to predict immunotherapy response are not expressed in cell lines [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]