Increasing Higher Level Language Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Reading comprehension involves two primary processes: (a) decoding printed text and (b) understanding language accessed through the process of decoding. In the early years of reading development, children's ability to comprehend text is largely constrained by individual differences in decoding printed text; however, once decoding becomes automatized, reading comprehension is largely dependent upon one's skills in language comprehension (Catts, Hogan, & Adlof, 2005). In recent decades, numerous studies have investigated how children develop decoding skills and how, when these skills do not develop normally, educators can effectively intervene (e.g., Denton & Mathes, 2003;Simmons et al., 2008;Vellutino, Scanlon, Small, & Fanuele, 2006).Beyond decoding, the substantial role that language skills play in the achievement of skilled reading comprehenBeyond decoding, the substantial role that language skills play in the achievement of skilled reading comprehension has largely been ignored. sion has largely been ignored. This is surprising, given that skilled reading comprehension is critical for modern life; success in education, productivity in society, and almost all types of employment require rapid and thorough assimilation of information from text. Further, there are children who develop good decoding skills but fail to develop comparable levels of reading comprehension. A profile of good word reading in the presence of A profile of good word reading in the presence of poor comprehension affects approximately 10% of school-age children poor comprehension affects approximately 10% of schoolage children (Nation, 2005;Yuill & Oakhill, 1991) and demonstrates that skills other than decoding are impmtant for successful comprehension.Clearly, a focus on the skills that support text comprehension is essential within the teaching of reading (and communication skills more broadly). In this paper, we provide an overview of a large empirical evidence base that shows that the language skills of inferencing, comprehension monitoring, and use of text structure knowledge are critical to successful comprehension. Because these ianguage skills are not reliant on word Dr.

Engaging Struggling Adolescent Readers to Improve Reading Skills

“…In contrast to typical practice, STARI afforded students with opportunities to strengthen word reading and fluency within stimulating thematic units designed to build student interest and motivation (Guthrie et al., ; Klauda & Guthrie, ). Consistent with the program theory of change, the ITT estimates revealed improvements in students' print skills and depth and breadth of word knowledge, which are important foundations for skillful reading comprehension (Hogan, Bridges, Justice, & Cain, ; Hoover & Tunmer, ; Ouellette, ; Strucker, Yamamoto, & Kirsch, ). This group of high‐needs adolescents appeared to benefit from a focus on the phonics and morphological skills required for reading multisyllable words with greater accuracy, speed, and understanding.…”

Sara Reading Components Tests, Rise Form: Test Design and Technical Adequacy

“…The Simple View continues to inform and challenge reading researchers (Hogan, Bridges, Justice, & Cain, 2011;Vellutino, Tunmer, Jaccard, & Chen, 2007). The relationship of efficiency of processing and fluency to word recognition and comprehension has become of key interest to researchers and, therefore, a chief concern of recent work is how and whether to integrate measures of word and text reading speed and fluency into the Simple View (Carver & David, 2001;Kame'enui & Simmons, 2001; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000;Sabatini, 2002;.…”

“…A growing body of research suggests that morphological awareness is related to reading comprehension as well as the subskills that underlie reading (e.g., Carlisle, 2000;Carlisle & Stone, 2003;Fowler & Liberman, 1995;Hogan et al, 2011;Kuo & Anderson, 2006;Tong, Deacon, Kirby, Cain, & Parrila, 2011). Mahony, Singson, and Mann (2000), for instance, found independent contributions of morphological awareness to decoding in elementary school children.…”

Dialogic Reading: Effects on Independent Verbal Responses, Verbal and Non-Verbal Initiations, and Engagement of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…In an interactive type of shared reading, termed dialogic reading (DR), conversation about the story and illustrations allows the adult to shape, reinforce, and expand new verbal responses while following the child's interest (Hogan, Bridges, Justice, & Cain, 2011;Whitehurst et alia, 1988;Whitehurst Epstein, Angell, Payne, Crone, & Fischel, 1994;Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998;Zevenbergen, Whitehurst, & Zevenbergen, 2003). The DR strategies proposed by Whitehurst and collaborators can be summarized in two acronyms: PEER (prompt, evaluate, expand, repeat) and CROWD (completion, recall, open-ended, WH questions, distancing) (Whitehurst et alia, 1988;Whitehurst et alia, 1994;Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998;Zevenbergen, Whitehurst, & Zevenbergen, 2003).…”