Search

Introductory texts can make complex and unfamiliar topics accessible and understandable. But after reading introductory texts, to what degree are people’s understandings calibrated with confidence in their knowledge? Calibration is the degree of fit between confidence and knowledge: Accurate calibration reflects confidence judgments that align with actual knowledge, and inaccurate calibration reflects confidence judgments that are incommensurate with knowledge, manifesting as overestimations (i.e., overconfidence) or underestimations (i.e., underconfidence). We explored whether content and task-based features of introductory text experiences could support accurate calibration. In three experiments, participants read an introductory text on the potentially familiar but complex topic of natural selection, or an unrelated control text. Participants’ confidence in their understandings of natural selection increased after reading the introductory text relative to before reading and relative to reading the unrelated text. Moreover, these confidence increases were calibrated with knowledge gained from reading the text. Warnings about topic complexity did not influence confidence, but taking a test that offered participants pre-reading feedback about their knowledge was beneficial for calibration. These results highlight factors that can usefully support calibration, and show that inaccurate calibrations are not a necessary consequence of introductory text experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Can integration processes during reading be detected in the N400 time window? Although many results have supported this possibility, recent research controlling for semantic priming concluded that only word-meaning retrieval is detected in the N400 [Delogu, F., Brouwer, H., & Crocker, M. W. (2019). Event-related potentials index lexical retrieval (N400) and integration (P600) during language comprehension. Brain and Cognition, 135, 103569. ]. We report three experiments designed to detect N400 integration effects by encouraging situation-level comprehension, manipulating integration difficulty through event congruence. Experiments 1 and 2 created narrative texts and questions targeting attention to event structures, showing priming but no additional integration effects. In Experiment 3, readers formed mental images, updating their mental model with each sentence. The results show integration effects during the N400 window and later around 600 ms, indicating both priming and message-level integration effects can emerge in the N400 when readers engage in situational comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Previous research has evidenced a strong positive relationship between leisure print reading habits and reading comprehension across the lifespan. The rapid evolution of new forms of leisure digital reading could modify such a relationship. This meta-analysis extends previous research by analyzing the relationship between leisure digital reading habits and reading comprehension. We analyzed 40 effect sizes using multilevel analysis. Data involved 469,564 participants from studies published between 2000 and 2022. The average effect size reflects a small significant effect on reading comprehension (r =.055), which contrasts with the medium size effects found in the literature related to print reading habits and comprehension. This relationship is significantly moderated by the reader's educational stage. At early stages (primary and middle school) negative relationships are observed between leisure digital reading and text comprehension, while at later stages (high school and university) the relationship turns positive. We highlight the different contributions that reading modalities and technological contexts have on our reading comprehension, especially across the lifespan. In sum, leisure digital reading does not seem to pay off in terms of reading comprehension, at least, as much as traditional print reading does. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Logopedia e Comunicazione is the property of Edizioni Centro Studi Erickson SpA 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.) more...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the construction of mental images as a cognitive strategy to improve comprehension of expository texts in elementary school children. Since these texts require greater cognitive effort, we investigated whether the creation of mental images facilitates the reading comprehension process. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design and a hypothetico-deductive method was used. Fifty-four elementary school students participated (mean age = 9.24, SD = 0.43; 31 boys and 23 girls), distributed in two groups: an experimental group, which applied the strategy during eight 90-minute sessions, and a control group, which received conventional instructions. The results indicated that the experimental group showed a significant improvement in the comprehension of expository texts, with 63% of the students reaching a satisfactory level of achievement, while the control group did not present relevant advances. In conclusion, the strategy of constructing mental images proved to be effective in the development of reading comprehension skills, improving the literal, inferential, and critical levels. The practical implications indicate that implementing this strategy as a key pedagogical tool could positively impact reading comprehension in primary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background. The relevance of the work is connected with the significance of L.S. Vygotsky's early studies both for the formation of the foundations of the cultural-historical approach in psychology and theoretical and methodological principles of modern research on the psychology of art. Objectives. The aim is to determine the peculiarities of the approach to the study of aesthetic response in Vygotsky's work "The Psychology of Art". Identification of substantive aspects concerning Vygotsky's research "method" is important for studying the psychological uniqueness of artistic experience. The theoretical and ideological contexts that determine the ambiguity of assessments of "The Psychology of Art" by Russian psychologists are established. Study Participants. The original text of Vygotsky's dissertation "The Psychology of Art. Analysis of Aesthetic Reaction" (archive of the Vygodsky family), subsequent editions of "The Psychology of Art", critical articles by leading Russian psychologists on the "The Psychology of Art". Methods. Critical historical theoretical analysis, comparative textual analysis of the original text of Vygotsky's dissertation "The Psychology of Art. Analysis of Aesthetic Response" (archive of the Vygotsky family), subsequent editions of "The Psychology of Art", critical articles by leading Russian psychologists regarding "The Psychology of Art". Results. It is shown that in "The Psychology of Art" when studying the peculiarities of aesthetic reaction and cathartic experience Vygotsky uses not only the principles of structural, functional and genetic analysis of the artwork, but also a wide range of psychotechnical techniques aimed at interpreting the meaning of the artwork. At the same time, the peculiarity of his use of methodological principles of reactological and psychoanalytical approaches, models of mental experiment in analyzing psychological features of the artwork impact are revealed. It is revealed that the subsequent critical evaluations of "The Psychology of Art" were clearly influenced not only by the theoretical attitudes of various authors, but also by ideological connotations ("ideological filters", "mechanisms of social protection of the text", etc.). A shift in the substantive critical assessments of the work was recorded: from the dynamic analysis of artistic experience ("waste of energy", "explosive reaction") to the tasks of personal meaning to resolve affective contradictions arising in the perception of different levels of the organization of the artwork. It is shown that it is the attitude to the socio-biological type of human development that determines the pathos of the study of "The Psychology of Art" as a "social technique of feelings". Conclusions. In "The Psychology of Art" the main range of questions about the mechanisms of sign mediation of emotional mental processes and meaning-making is fundamentally worked out. more...

Socio-emotional school behavior and learning are both fundamental aspects of children's development influenced by cognitive control processes named Executive Functions (EF). Yet, research on school-age children has often focused on the relationship between EF and learning skills overlooking that of EF and school behavior, which has usually been examined among preschoolers. The current study investigated the contribution of EF in both school behavior and learning in school-age children. One hundred forty-six III–V graders were assessed using text comprehension and EF tasks and evaluated by teachers-rated inventories on behavioral difficulties and EF within the school context. The results suggested a different involvement of direct and indirect EF measures in the two domains considered: controlling for socioeconomic level and age, an EF direct measure, predicted reading comprehension whereas teacher-reported EF related to both behavior and text comprehension. The results contribute to defining the role of cognitive control processes on school behavior and learning in school-age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Adult readers' cognitive effort during text processing is often associated with their reading comprehension, learning ability, and achievement scores. The aim of this review is to examine and analyze the current literature on the use of eye tracking technology as a tool for assessing text comprehension. A systematic review was conducted and, after the final screening, 13 articles were analyzed that fell into three main areas: (a) eye movements during reading in print and digital media, (b) eye tracking in text comprehension with perspective effects, and (c) eye tracking in text comprehension with instructional strategy effects. The findings of this review showed that during reading, the amount of cognitive effort invested in text processing, whether induced by the text, the task, or the readers themselves, is usually reflected in longer total fixation times, both as a result of higher fixation frequencies and longer fixation durations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The Hybrid Text Comprehension cloze (HyTeC-cloze) (Kleijn et al. Lang Test 36:553–572, 2019) is a procedure developed for the Dutch language that has been proved to be a valid and reliable measure of text comprehension beyond the sentence level. Given its advantages, including its relatively rapid construction and scoring and performance compared to standardized tests, we adapted the HyTeC-cloze procedure to create a version for the Spanish language. Therefore, this study aims at validating our adaptation. We extracted 18 texts from different school textbooks (Science, Language and History) and grades (6th, 7th, and 8th) and turned them into cloze tests, which were administered to 316 sixth to eighth graders from Chilean primary schools through an online platform. We also used a Chilean standardized reading comprehension test to evaluate the validity of our test. The correlations ranged from a low of 0.20 (for 7th grade) to a high of 0.58 (for 8th grade). Taken collectively, our data show a moderate positive correlation between both tests, which provide further evidence of cloze tests as a valid measure of reading comprehension beyond the sentence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Strategy interventions have been found to support students' text comprehension, but little is known about the sustainability of these effects. This study examined short- and long-term effects of a strategy intervention on students' vocabulary and text comprehension at the literal, inferential and evaluative levels. A pretest, posttest, and retention test design with experimental and control conditions was used. Ninety-nine six-graders from six Estonian schools were examined while using vocabulary and text comprehension tests. Comprehension strategies were taught in an experimental condition by Estonian-language teachers during a three-month intervention. The group-level analysis indicated short-term improvements in all skills when strategies were taught. The long-term effect was found in literal and inferential comprehension with continual improvements in literal comprehension. For the students in the control condition, short- and long-term improvements were detected in literal text comprehension. The individual-level analysis revealed three vocabulary and text comprehension profile groups: Average High, Average Low, and Low Combined. In the experimental condition, students from every profile group benefited from the intervention. In the control condition, enhancements were seen in the students in the Average High profile group. Thus, the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies supports students in becoming aware of using multiple comprehension strategies, despite individual differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Lampas is the property of Amsterdam University Press 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.) more...

In this study, I investigated the print exposure and website exposure of undergraduates in relation to their scores on a text comprehension test. Print exposure was measured with a national version of the author recognition test, whereas a new website recognition test was developed to measure students' exposure to texts on the internet. The participants' reading attitudes and number of years in higher education were included as control variables. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that three factors are measured by the website recognition test: (1) lifestyle topics; (2) news and culture; and (3) social activity. The results showed that only print exposure predicted text comprehension significantly and positively, but not for students with a high score on the website recognition test. Moderation analyses indicated that the pattern was clearest for the social activity factor of the website recognition measure. Hence, high activity on social media seems to diminish or remove the positive relationship between print exposure and text comprehension. The results confirm that print exposure relates positively to important aspects of students' literacy, while further studies should be carried out to investigate the potential negative relationship between website exposure and literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Teaching listening and reading skills including abilities to adopt spatial and affective perspectives of literary figures and to reflect critically on texts regarding one's own world are central goals of primary school education in Germany, Europe, and beyond. However, many primary school students fail to achieve minimum standards in these skills. To support students in developing these skills and to record their current skill levels, the LitSpatz application was developed. It refers to previous findings on children's cognitive and affective-motivational development, approaches of effective reading instruction, and selected approaches of geographical education. Within this app, primary students are offered the opportunity to take part in literary walks through the city of Bamberg (Germany), either on-site or off-site. Therein, a walk-in story is presented auditorily. Furthermore, illustrations or references to authentic locations are displayed to visualize the scenes' settings and cognitively activating and further questions are asked. The study aims to present the app and initial evaluation data from its use in virtual literary walks (off-site) by children (N = 52) in reading classrooms. In particular, students' characteristics and abilities in relation to text comprehension and aspects of perspective taking (spatial and affective perspective taking, transportation, empathic text comprehension) are explored. Additionally, findings show high levels of listening motivation and enjoyment when using the app. Experiences and results from the use of the app are discussed with respect to future steps regarding its use on-site, the evaluation of its impact, and possibilities for implementing further geospatial technologies. Highlights: • Development of the LitSpatz app as a tool for promoting and recording students´ text comprehension and related skills. • App enables primary students to participate in (virtual) literary walks to achieve learning goals in listening and reading. • Preliminary results on students' text comprehension, related skills and enjoyment in using the app in classrooms. more...

Introduction: Despite having sufficient formal education, a large group of people cannot complete everyday tasks like reading, writing, or making basic calculations. Regarding reading, millions of people are not able to understand more complex texts despite the ability to read simple words or sentences; they have low literacy skills. Even though this problem has been known for decades, the causes and predictors of their poor reading comprehension skills are not fully explored. Socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and reading-related (i.e., linguistic) factors, especially of English-speaking participants and thus users of an opaque orthography, were often assessed. The goal of this study was to examine which linguistic, domain-general, or numerical factors predict substandard complex text reading as the core symptom of low literacy skills in adulthood. Methods: To this end, we assessed a group of German-speaking participants--users of a transparent orthography--who are at risk for complex text reading deficits. Results: The results indicated that linguistic variables (reduced word/pseudoword reading, weaker oral semantic and grammatical comprehension), working memory, and age predicted lower performance in text comprehension. This model explained 73% of the total variance, indicating that most of the deficits in complex text reading can be explained by a group of basic underlying linguistic and domain-general factors. Discussion: We conclude that interventions for adults with low literacy skills and others at risk for complex text reading deficits should address word/pseudoword reading and focus on both written and oral comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Self-regulation has a positive impact on learning and academic achievement, but due to its nature, it is difficult to assess it in a valid and reliable manner. This study aims to explore the validity of three self-regulation assessment methods in text comprehension tasks (questionnaire, think-aloud and traces) as well as to identify the variables associated with reading performance. For this purpose, individual sessions were conducted with 96 sixth-grade primary education students, who were asked to read a text and complete two reading comprehension tasks working in a virtual environment. Task traces were recorded, think-aloud was recorded and coded, and participants answered a self-report questionnaire about the strategies used. A limited relationship was found between self-regulation measured by means of the questionnaire, think-aloud and traces, and the relationship between think-aloud and traces was moderate. Regarding the factors related to text comprehension task performance, think-aloud and task time measurements were found to be better predictors of performance than the questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Different tests measure text comprehension, including the cloze gap-filling test, often used for language learning. Different studies hypothesized cognitive strategies in this type of test and their relationship with working memory and performance. However, no study investigated the cloze test, working memory, and possible cognitive strategies, while performing the test. Therefore, this study aimed to identify cognitive visual strategies in the cloze test by applying an unsupervised algorithm and to analyze the relationship between these strategies with working memory and performance in the cloze test. Our sample consisted of 51 university students, the largest sample in studies of cognitive strategies with cloze tests. Participants answered an 11-item cloze test in a computer with eye-tracking, a verbal working memory test, and a visuospatial working memory test. Our analysis of participants' scanpath identified two main strategies: one with fewer toggles between text and word bank and fewer fixations than the other one, indicating the existence of a global strategy. Furthermore, a model predicting the efficiency of participants in the cloze test found that item complexity, using a global strategy, and higher scores of working memory were the most significant predictors. These results confirm the hypothesis of a global strategy being related to successfully achieving higher-order reading processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A growing body of research suggests that comprehension of expository texts presented digitally is a challenging endeavor, particularly for children. Many reading interventions, both from traditional classroom settings and computer-based contexts, have focused on much needed strategy instruction but have simultaneously neglected a focus on motivation. Alternatively, game-based learning environments (GBLEs) have the potential to simultaneously address both motivation and strategy use. Currently, there are few available GBLEs that target expository text comprehension. For this reason, this study employed a quasi-experimental between-subjects media comparison design to examine the effects of Missions with Monty, a GBLE supporting metacomprehension for expository science texts, on reading comprehension and motivation. Fifth-grade students (N = 234) engaged with either Missions with Monty or a comparison, computer-based version of the program lacking gamified elements for a period of 6 weeks and were assessed on reading comprehension skills and five dimensions of reading motivation. Results indicated that students in the GBLE condition showed significantly greater improvements in reading comprehension (g = 0.56), intrinsic motivation for reading (g = 0.52), and curiosity (g = 1.11) than their comparison-condition peers. Moreover, effects of the intervention on reading motivation were independent of prior reading comprehension for each of the reading motivation dimensions except reading efficacy. These findings support the notion that GBLEs can be an effective tool to foster digital expository text comprehension, particularly for struggling and uninterested readers. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Digital expository texts are challenging to comprehend particularly for children. Thus far, interventions have focused mainly on cognitive aspects of text comprehension; engaging readers has not been a focus. The current study adopted a dual-pronged approach presenting an engaging learning environment combined with strategy instruction and showed that game-based learning environments can be suitable tools to foster reading comprehension and reading motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The role of AI in eco-literacy education is crucial in today's technological era. Students increasingly engage with digital texts, such as fiction, enhancing their understanding of eco-literacy. This study compares the eco-literacy skills of university students and AI to evaluate their effectiveness in environmental education. Participants included 199 students from Makassar State University and Timor University in Indonesia and ten web-based AI chatbots running various large language models. Instruments included a 20-item multiple-choice test for input eco-literacy and a short story synopsis task, "Pohon Larangan di Bengayoan" (Prohibited Tree in Bengayoan) for output eco-literacy, distributed via Google Forms. The study applied independent sample t-test analysis and Yuen's test for robustness using Jamovi 2.4.8.0 software. Results showed no significant gender differences in students' eco-literacy but significant differences between universities, with Makassar State University students performing better. AI outperformed students, highlighting AI's potential in eco-literacy education and the need for curriculum enhancement in universities. Future research should involve broader samples and comprehensive assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Deep learning fromcollaboration occurs if the learner enacts interactive activities in the sense of leveraging the knowledge externalized by co-learners as resource for own inferencing processes and if these interactive activities in turn promote the learner's deep comprehension outcomes. This experimental study investigates whether inducing dyad members to enact constructive preparation activities can promote deep learning from subsequent collaboration while examining prior knowledge as moderator. In a digital collaborative learning environment, 122 non-expert university students assigned to 61 dyads studied a text about the human circulatory system and then prepared individually for collaboration according to their experimental conditions: the preparation tasks varied across dyads with respect to their generativity, that is, the degree to which they required the learners to enact constructive activities (note-taking, compare-contrast, or explanation). After externalizing their answer to the task, learners in all conditions inspected their partner's externalization and then jointly discussed their text understanding via chat. Results showed that more rather than less generative tasks fostered constructive preparation but not interactive collaboration activities or deep comprehension outcomes. Moderatedmediation analyses considering actor and partner effects indicated the indirect effects of constructive preparation activities on deep comprehension outcomes via interactive activities to depend on prior knowledge: when own prior knowledge was relatively low, self-performed but not partner-performed constructive preparation activities were beneficial. When own prior knowledge was relatively high, partner-performed constructive preparation activities were conducive while one's own were ineffective or even detrimental. Given these differential effects, suggestions are made for optimizing the instructional design around generative preparation tasks to streamline the effectiveness of constructive preparation activities for deep learning from digital collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Escena: Revista de las Artes is the property of ESCENA. Revista de las Artes 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.) more...

Prior research has examined the impact of different cognitive predictors on students' expository and narrative text comprehension. It has become apparent that some cognitive variables predict text comprehension in both genres, while some are genre-specific predictors. However, the effect of reading motivation on expository and narrative text comprehension remains unclear. Thus, the aim was to investigate which reading-related cognitive and motivational characteristics predict universal versus genre-specific text comprehension. The sample consisted of 261 eighth graders (age: M = 14.96; 37.9% girls). Applying path modeling, the results showed that students' vocabulary was a significant predictor of text comprehension in both genres. Furthermore, reading strategy knowledge predicted text comprehension of a narrative and an expository text. Reading for interest predicted text comprehension in two of three expository texts. Identifying these universal and genre-specific characteristics of text comprehension can enable teachers to foster students' text comprehension by targeting these specific skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: The ability to understand text is influenced by various factors, including the learner's cognitive abilities and previous experiences. This study examined the correlation between two pre-existing learner characteristics, three comprehension strategies used while reading, and two cognitive outcomes related to text comprehension. Methods: The study involved 109 undergraduate Biology students, who were instructed to perform think-aloud exercises while reading biology texts and complete post-reading tests. The participants typed out their thoughts about the text when prompted. Their verbal protocols were coded and analyzed. Results: Statistically significant correlations were only observed between prior knowledge, presage skill, recall, and comprehension. The direct relationships between prior knowledge and cognitive strategies were not significant, and the relationship between participants' presage skills and the comprehension strategies they employed while reading was not significant. Discussion: The study revealed that prior knowledge had a more significant impact on cognitive learning outcomes than the students' prior cognitive skills and the comprehension strategies they employed while reading. Additionally, the participant's performance on the learning outcomes was influenced by at least one of the comprehension strategies and their prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: People with aphasia (PWA) frequently experience difficulties in understanding longer written content such as paragraphs or books. Reading strategies are a promising approach to treat text‐level reading comprehension deficits in PWA. Nevertheless, empirical evidence for their efficacy remains rare. Aims: The primary objective of this study was to analyse the efficacy of a strategy‐based intervention on text‐level reading comprehension in PWA. Secondary objectives were to compare the effects of two strategy‐based intervention components and to explore potential moderator effects. Methods & Procedures: A protocol was published prior to data acquisition. In a repeated measures trial, 26 German participants with chronic, post‐stroke aphasia participated in a waiting period without aphasia treatment (control condition) followed by a strategy‐based intervention called 'Strategiebasierte Textverständnis‐Therapie bei Aphasie' (StraTexT, 14 face‐to‐face‐sessions, twice per week, 60 min each). Two strategy combinations, Intervention Micro targeting microstructure and Intervention Macro targeting macrostructure, were applied to newspaper and magazine articles. Participants were randomly allocated to two parallel groups that received these strategy combinations in interchanged sequences. Assessments were implemented before and after each period as well as 3 and 6 months after the intervention. The primary outcome measure was text‐level reading comprehension measured with the total score of a German version of the Test de Compréhension de Textes (TCT‐D). Secondary outcome measures addressed the self‐reported perception of reading abilities, reading activities and feelings about reading (German version of the Comprehensive Assessment of Reading in Aphasia CARA reading questionnaire) as well as selected cognitive functions. Outcomes & Results: The per‐protocol‐analysis included data from 22 participants. We found significant small improvements up to 6 months post‐intervention compared to pre‐intervention in the TCT‐D Total (d = 0.35–0.46) as well as medium to large improvements in the CARA questionnaire (d = 0.68–0.96). Up to 3 months after the intervention, treatment‐induced improvements in the TCT‐D Total were significantly larger than change without treatment during the control condition. There was no evidence of moderator effects. Furthermore, we found improvements in several cognitive functions. Conclusions & Implications: Reading strategies can lead to long‐term improvements in text‐level reading comprehension and in self‐reported reading abilities, feelings about reading and reading activities in aphasia. In regular clinical settings, it seems reasonable to implement both Intervention Micro and Intervention Macro. It remains important to investigate participant characteristics that contribute to treatment success. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Systematic reviews and multiple case studies suggest that reading strategies are a promising approach to treat text‐level reading comprehension in aphasia. The efficacy of reading strategies has been demonstrated for different populations. However, to date no group study has evaluated the efficacy of reading strategies on text‐level reading comprehension in people with aphasia. What this study adds: This study provides the first group‐level evidence about the efficacy of a systematic strategy‐based intervention in 22 people with post‐stroke chronic aphasia. During 14 treatment sessions, participants applied four reading strategies to newspaper and magazine articles within two intervention components called Intervention Micro and Intervention Macro (two strategies per intervention component). We found improvements in text‐level reading comprehension for at least 3 months post‐intervention, as well as effects on selected cognitive functions and self‐reported reading abilities, thoughts and feelings about reading and the ability to engage in reading activities. What are the clinical implications of this work?: The strategies and materials evaluated in this study could be used in clinical practice with people with aphasia. In order to replicate treatment effects in clinical practice, we suggest applying the strategy combination with the same protocol features (e.g., frequency, duration, homework, product orientation) as in this study, implementing Intervention Micro and Intervention Macro sequentially in either order. As treatment response was not equal in all individuals, it seems important to investigate individual features that contribute to treatment success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

For decades, research on metacomprehension has demonstrated that many learners struggle to accurately discriminate their comprehension of texts. However, while reviews of experimental studies on relative metacomprehension accuracy have found average intra-individual correlations between predictions and performance of around.27 for adult readers, in some contexts even lower near-zero accuracy levels have been reported. One possible explanation for those strikingly low levels of accuracy is the high conceptual overlap between topics of the texts. To test this hypothesis, in the present work participants were randomly assigned to read one of two text sets that differed in their degree of conceptual overlap. Participants judged their understanding and completed an inference test for each topic. Across two studies, mean relative accuracy was found to match typical baseline levels for the low-overlap text sets and was significantly lower for the high-overlap text sets. Results suggest text similarity is an important factor impacting comprehension monitoring accuracy that may have contributed to the variable and sometimes inconsistent results reported in the metacomprehension literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The purpose of this study was to examine clusters of less-skilled college readers. College students with below average reading comprehension skills (N = 77) read and thought aloud about four texts, recalled the texts, and completed standardized assessments of reading skills. Based on the findings of cluster analyses of the cognitive processes relevant to creating coherent mental representations of the texts, two clusters of readers were noted. One cluster had more paraphrases and inaccurate or irrelevant connections to background knowledge (invalid inferences) as well as fewer recalled ideas from the texts than the second cluster, which had more accurate and relevant connections to background knowledge (valid inferences). The findings inform developing and personalizing reading interventions for college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Several cross-linguistic studies found that oral reading prosody (i.e., prosodic variations in reading aloud) correlates with reading comprehension. As an extension, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between oral reading prosody and beyond word-level reading abilities in tone languages like Mandarin. One hundred and nine third-grade children were recruited in Taipei, Taiwan and undertook the following tasks: nonverbal IQ, vocabulary and syntactic knowledge, word reading, reading fluency (rate and accuracy), reading comprehension, and oral reading prosody. In the oral reading prosody task, children read aloud narrative prose at the Grade 3 level and their production was evaluated through two rating scales: Rasinski's (Edu Leadshp 61: 46, 2004) and Benjamin et al.'s (Read Res Q 28: 105–133, 2013) scales. Several key findings were found as follows. First, ANOVAs compared children's performance on oral reading prosody across word reading quartiles and found that oral reading prosody differed as a function of word reading. Second, hierarchical regressions controlled age, nonverbal IQ, vocabulary and syntactic knowledge, word reading and found that oral reading prosody rated through Rasinski's (Edu Leadshp 61: 46, 2004) and Benjamin et al.'s (Read Res Q 28: 105–133, 2013) scales made significant contributions to reading fluency and reading comprehension in Grades 3 and 4. Taken together, oral reading prosody, implicated in word reading, is important to beyond word-level reading abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

IntroductionDespite having sufficient formal education, a large group of people cannot complete everyday tasks like reading, writing, or making basic calculations. Regarding reading, millions of people are not able to understand more complex texts despite the ability to read simple words or sentences; they have low literacy skills. Even though this problem has been known for decades, the causes and predictors of their poor reading comprehension skills are not fully explored. Socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and reading-related (i.e., linguistic) factors, especially of English-speaking participants and thus users of an opaque orthography, were often assessed. The goal of this study was to examine which linguistic, domain-general, or numerical factors predict substandard complex text reading as the core symptom of low literacy skills in adulthood.MethodsTo this end, we assessed a group of German-speaking participants—users of a transparent orthography—who are at risk for complex text reading deficits.ResultsThe results indicated that linguistic variables (reduced word/pseudoword reading, weaker oral semantic and grammatical comprehension), working memory, and age predicted lower performance in text comprehension. This model explained 73% of the total variance, indicating that most of the deficits in complex text reading can be explained by a group of basic underlying linguistic and domain-general factors.DiscussionWe conclude that interventions for adults with low literacy skills and others at risk for complex text reading deficits should address word/pseudoword reading and focus on both written and oral comprehension. more...

Background: The aim of academic writing is to effectively communicate and disseminate new knowledge and discoveries through the clear and concise expression of scientific ideas, highlighting the importance of being both brief and thorough in academic writing. The quality of this type of writing is under question. There are various sources that degrade the clarity and quality of writing. One of these aspects is redundancy, there are studies examining redundancy in written texts, however, redundancy in academic writing has received little attention. So far, there is no common understanding of the problem in academic writing, nor a common classification, nor a clear description of the causes of this phenomenon and its effects on the quality of academic texts. Purpose: To map the existing literature on text redundancy, exploring its definitions and types, investigate the factors contributing to redundancy in academic writing, Furthermore, the article seeks to assess the impact of text redundancy on the clarity, coherence, and overall quality of academic communication. Materials and Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and the “PCC” mnemonic (Population, Context, Concept) were applied for inclusion and exclusion criteria were utilized. A literature search was carried out in June 2024. Employing a detailed search strategy, the review engaged two electronic databases – Scopus and Google Scholar, initially identifying 252 studies. Results: 65 English-language studies addressing the text redundancy were included in the review. The synthesis of the selected research revealed that redundancy is perceived differently: as a phenomenon that reduces the quality and comprehension of the text; and a strategy that makes the text understandable and explicit. Different classification of redundancy were presented: by mode of redundancy expression and repetition, by nature, and by its role and impact. The functions and impact on academic written communication redundancy were reviewed. Conclusion: This review explores the dual nature of text redundancy in communication, particularly within academic writing. It highlights that redundancy can enhance comprehension by reinforcing key ideas or hinder communication through excessive repetition. The study classifies redundancy into three categories: functional (beneficial), wordiness (excessive), and contextual redundancy, providing a framework for writers to manage redundancy effectively. The article emphasises the importance of balancing necessary repetition with conciseness to maintain clarity and reader engagement, as excessive redundancy may lead to reader fatigue. more...

Adult readers’ cognitive effort during text processing is often associated with their reading comprehension, learning ability, and achievement scores. The aim of this review is to examine and analyze the current literature on the use of eye tracking technology as a tool for assessing text comprehension. A systematic review was conducted and, after the final screening, 13 articles were analyzed that fell into three main areas: (a) eye movements during reading in print and digital media, (b) eye tracking in text comprehension with perspective effects, and (c) eye tracking in text comprehension with instructional strategy effects. The findings of this review showed that during reading, the amount of cognitive effort invested in text processing, whether induced by the text, the task, or the readers themselves, is usually reflected in longer total fixation times, both as a result of higher fixation frequencies and longer fixation durations. more...

Deep learning from collaboration occurs if the learner enacts interactive activities in the sense of leveraging the knowledge externalized by co-learners as resource for own inferencing processes and if these interactive activities in turn promote the learner's deep comprehension outcomes. This experimental study investigates whether inducing dyad members to enact constructive preparation activities can promote deep learning from subsequent collaboration while examining prior knowledge as moderator. In a digital collaborative learning environment, 122 non-expert university students assigned to 61 dyads studied a text about the human circulatory system and then prepared individually for collaboration according to their experimental conditions: the preparation tasks varied across dyads with respect to their generativity, that is, the degree to which they required the learners to enact constructive activities (note-taking, compare-contrast, or explanation). After externalizing their answer to the task, learners in all conditions inspected their partner's externalization and then jointly discussed their text understanding via chat. Results showed that more rather than less generative tasks fostered constructive preparation but not interactive collaboration activities or deep comprehension outcomes. Moderated mediation analyses considering actor and partner effects indicated the indirect effects of constructive preparation activities on deep comprehension outcomes via interactive activities to depend on prior knowledge: when own prior knowledge was relatively low, self-performed but not partner-performed constructive preparation activities were beneficial. When own prior knowledge was relatively high, partner-performed constructive preparation activities were conducive while one's own were ineffective or even detrimental. Given these differential effects, suggestions are made for optimizing the instructional design around generative preparation tasks to streamline the effectiveness of constructive preparation activities for deep learning from digital collaboration. more...

IntroductionThe ability to understand text is influenced by various factors, including the learner’s cognitive abilities and previous experiences. This study examined the correlation between two pre-existing learner characteristics, three comprehension strategies used while reading, and two cognitive outcomes related to text comprehension.MethodsThe study involved 109 undergraduate Biology students, who were instructed to perform think-aloud exercises while reading biology texts and complete post-reading tests. The participants typed out their thoughts about the text when prompted. Their verbal protocols were coded and analyzed.ResultsStatistically significant correlations were only observed between prior knowledge, presage skill, recall, and comprehension. The direct relationships between prior knowledge and cognitive strategies were not significant, and the relationship between participants’ presage skills and the comprehension strategies they employed while reading was not significant.DiscussionThe study revealed that prior knowledge had a more significant impact on cognitive learning outcomes than the students’ prior cognitive skills and the comprehension strategies they employed while reading. Additionally, the participant’s performance on the learning outcomes was influenced by at least one of the comprehension strategies and their prior knowledge. more...

The understanding of hadith takes place in the light of the knowledge of the jurisprudence of hadith, and this arises from the basic principles that organize the process and course of understanding hadith. In addition to the efforts of commentators and narrators in dealing with narrations as a religious text, hermeneutic knowledge, despite its periodic and theoretical differences, is an attempt to understand the text. In this regard, in the present study, with a descriptive-analytical method and in a comparative approach, the principles of hadith jurisprudence of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli were examined in relation to the process of understanding the text in Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutic views. Interpretation leads to the commentator. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the author and his characteristics in the basics of hadith jurisprudence of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli in order to approach the serious meaning of the speaker. In Paul Ricoeur’s views, the text has a special place in relation to the author and the interpreter, and new meanings emerge from the world of the text. This is while paying attention to the text and its semantic layers, the characteristics of the author and the authenticity of the narrations of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) as well as the level of understanding of the addressee and his ijtihad ability in the principles of hadith jurisprudence of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, each with a specific share. Is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This systematic literature review examined the research on prior knowledge and its activation to ascertain how these terms are defined, what specific techniques have been empirically investigated, and the conditions under which prior knowledge activation facilitated students' comprehension. Fifty-four articles met the inclusion criteria and revealed that the terms prior knowledge and prior knowledge activation were often vaguely defined. Further, 30 unique techniques for activating readers' prior knowledge representing eight different categories were identified. Those categories were open-ended prompts, procedural or strategic supports during reading, visual representations, analogical reasoning, text alteration, augmented activation, extratextual activities, and spontaneous activation. Techniques meant to facilitate knowledge activation prior to reading were most common, although the prompting of students' existing knowledge was beneficial during and after reading as well. Variability in the effectiveness of activation techniques was related, in part, to the amount, accuracy, and specificity of students' knowledge. Based on the key findings identified in this review, recommendations for future inquiry are forwarded, including suggested definitions of prior knowledge and prior knowledge activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The study explored the role of verbal fluency in determining reading and comprehension skills in Bengali among 10-year old typically developing Bengali children. Robust correlations were found between semantic fluency and word reading (0.63) as well as semantic fluency and comprehension (0.70). Good correlation was found between letter fluency and comprehension (0.49), and, word reading and comprehension (0.62). The findings suggest that good word storing capacity and executive functions led to enhanced automaticity of retrieval and verbal fluency, which together with improved orthographic and phonological processing led to good word reading scores, contributing to lesser cognitive load thereby easing out the complex text comprehension task. Transcending narrow empirical base of reading theories derived from Western writing typologies delimited to orthographic depth and psycholinguistic grain size, the study contends that verbal fluency is another interesting variable determining the reading and comprehension skills in Bengali along with visuo-spatial complexity and complex phonology-orthography inconsistencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study aims to perform a comparative analysis of reading activities in two first-year subjects of secondary school in Argentina: Prácticas del Lenguaje (PDL) [Language and Literature (LAL)] and Ciencias Sociales (CS) [Social Studies (SS)]. Eight lessons were audio-recorded, four from each study area. They were analyzed in accordance with pre-existing theoretical proposals, which made it possible to segment the observations into different units, characterize the types and functions of readings and the strategies promoted. In Language and Literature, reading was a more frequent classroom activity and was carried out with a greater variety of strategies than in Social Studies. Genuine mental collective reading prevailed in Language and Literature, whereas teachers' reading with comments prevailed in Social Studies. The results lead to reflections on different teaching interventions in reading practices according to the school subject and the different challenges involved in teaching them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Students' monitoring of their text comprehension must be accurate for self‐regulated learning to be effective. Completing causal diagrams after reading (i.e., diagramming) already improves students' monitoring accuracy to some extent. We investigated whether providing secondary school students with a standard (i.e., correctly completed) diagram and self‐scoring instructions would further improve their monitoring accuracy and text comprehension in a delayed (Experiment 1; n = 98) or immediate (Experiment 2; n = 177) diagramming design. Self‐scoring instructions did not improve monitoring accuracy or text comprehension compared to the control condition(s) in either experiment. Presumably, students self‐scored their diagrams even without instructions to do so. In contrast to findings from prior diagramming research without standards, an explorative analysis suggests that delayed and immediate diagramming did not produce differences in monitoring accuracy. Immediate diagramming, however, led to better text comprehension than delayed diagramming and may therefore be preferable over delayed diagramming under certain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Mendive - Revista de Educacion is the property of Universidad de Pinar del Rio 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.) more...

Many digital reading applications have built-in features to control the presentation flow of texts by segmenting those texts into smaller linguistic units. Whether and how these segmentation techniques affect the readability of texts is largely unknown. With this background, the current study examined a recent proposal that a sentence-by-sentence presentation mode of texts improves reading comprehension of beginning readers because this presentation mode encourages them to engage in more effortful sentence wrap-up processing. In a series of self-paced reading and eye-tracking experiments with primary school pupils as participants (6–9 years old; n = 134), reading speed and text comprehension were assessed in a full-page control condition—i.e., texts were presented in their entirety—and in an experimental condition in which texts were presented in sentence-by-sentence segments. The results showed that text comprehension scores were higher for segmented texts than for full-page texts. Furthermore, in the final word-regions of the sentences in the texts, the segmented layout induced longer reading times than the full-page layout did. However, mediation analyses revealed that these inflated reading times had no, or even a disruptive influence on text comprehension. This indicates that the observed comprehension advantage for segmented texts cannot be attributed to more effortful sentence wrap-up. A more general implication of these findings is that the segmentation features of reading applications should be used with caution (e.g., in educational or professional settings) because it is unclear how they affect the perceptual and cognitive mechanisms that underlie reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Lenguaje is the property of Universidad del Valle 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.) more...