Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most important elements of reading comprehension. Text coverage is the proportion of known words in a given text. We hypothesize that text comprehension increases exponentially with text coverage due to network effects and activation of prior knowledge. In addition, the lexical threshold hypothesis states that…

High-immersion virtual reality (VR) is an increasingly valued environment for language learners. Although reading constitutes a core language skill, practicing reading in VR has received little attention. In this between-subject, quantitative study, 79 intermediate learners of English at a German university were randomly assigned to view an…

This single case study (multiple baselines) evaluates the efficacy of an intervention called "reading racetracks" among three eight-year-old boys with diverse backgrounds, including learning disabilities, limited language proficiency due to migration, and socio-economic challenges. Conducted over three weeks, the training demonstrated…

In this paper, we present didactical, technical, and interaction design aspects of a learning environment for training academic text reading skills in higher education that is currently being developed. The concept is built on experience gained from a gamified learning environment for academic abilities in the domain of German orthography…

The ability to read adequately is one of the most important skills for students to achieve during their school career. Unfortunately, a large number of children do not have adequate reading skills and thus may face problems in many respects throughout their lives. Children with learning disabilities (LD) and behavioral problems are particularly…

Literacy influences all aspects of life. Unfortunately, a rising number of students struggle with reading and spelling, which can result in enormous educational barriers. Difficulties in literacy accompanied by learning-related problem behavior can create additional risk factors. Effective interventions for these students should consider…

How can barriers in reading be reduced? Adding symbols to assignments could be one possibility for enhancing readability and, therefore, providing students with poor reading skills with access to learning material. This qualitative interview and eye-tracking study aims to acquire a first insight into how students rate and perceive the addition of…

One shared goal of classroom instruction is to support students' reading competence as a key skill of school success and participation in daily life. Yet, teaching that addresses multilingual students' language-related resources to support reading is rare. In this study, we enriched reciprocal teaching with elements of linguistically responsive…

Reading is a fundamental academic skill and influences numerous outcomes throughout lifespan. Unfortunately, many German students struggle with basic reading. Specifically, students with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Emotional Behavioural Disorders (EBD) encounter major hurdles. Consequently, insufficient reading achievement and concomitant…

Many children with different kinds of learning problems struggle with reading. To help them combat their challenges, easy-to-implement interventions are needed. Reading racetracks have proven to be effective tools to increase sight word fluency in students with disabilities. The purpose of this single-case study was to evaluate this technique, for…

In this study, we examined the impact of a simple explicit-timing intervention on low-achieving third-grade students' ability to read more rapidly and accurately. We implemented an ABAB design with four struggling readers to establish experimental control and to evaluate the effects of the treatment in terms of the target variable. The results…

Children who do not adequately master the transition from "learning to read" (LTR) to "reading to learn" (RTL) will clearly fall behind in every subject area during their secondary education. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a simple reading comprehension strategy developed by Schumaker, Denton, and Deshler…

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2015-END 2015, taking place in Porto, Portugal, from 27 to 29 of June. Education, in our contemporary world, is a right since we are born. Every experience has a formative effect on the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and…

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the use of the randomization test for single-case research designs (SCR; Kratochwill & Levin, 2010). To demonstrate the application of this approach, a systematic replication of Grünke, Wilbert, and Calder Stegemann (2013) was conducted to evaluate the effects of a story map to improve the reading…

The report portrays a theory-practice psychology course on reading education in a German teacher education programme. Having completed a theoretical course phase that is largely based on knowledge from cognitive and educational psychology, pre-service student-teachers applied their acquired knowledge by working with a fifth-grader in five…