Quantifying the decoding difficulty (i.e., 'decodability') of text is important for accurately matching young readers to appropriate text and scaffolding reading development. Since no easily accessible, quantitative, word-level metric of decodability exists, we developed a decoding measure (DM) that can be calculated via a web-based scoring…

As readers struggle to coordinate various reading- and language-related skills during oral reading fluency (ORF), miscues can emerge, especially when processing complex texts. Following a miscue, students often self-correct as a strategy to potentially restore ORF and online linguistic comprehension. Executive functions (EF) are hypothesized to…

This study investigated the contribution of linguistic comprehension to the decoding skills of struggling readers. Participants were 36 children aged between eight and 12 years, all below average in decoding but differing in linguistic comprehension. The children read passages from the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability and their first 25 miscues…

Miscue analysis helps reveal whether readers are relying on graphic or visual decoding techniques and are ignoring contextual cues. Diagnosis can aid in the selection of reading improvement strategies. (SK)

This interview with reading expert Jeanne Chall focuses on criticism by Bruno Bettelheim of basal readers and phonics for beginning readers. (GC)

Two experiments are described that confirmed previous contentions that there is an imperfect correspondence between subjects' pause reports and actual pauses in oral reading and that auditory cues represent only part of the picture. Semantic and linguistic cues also appear to have substantial effect on the accuracy of pause reports. (13…

The miscues of 22 blind braille readers ages 6-21 were analyzed using Goodman's Reading Miscue Inventory, and compared to those reported for sighted readers. Results revealed greater similarities than differences. For example, print and braille readers had approximately the same proportion of miscues in substitutions, omissions, and insertions.…

Three passages that differed in accessibility but not linguistic difficulty were read by 52 11-year-old remedial readers, focusing on words read correctly. Readers were able to use linguistic cues to solve difficult words. Context dependency was affected both by decoding ability and text accessibility. (SK)

Reading development is said to progress in a series of developmental skills and stages that need to be acquired by emerging young readers. The literature on Greek braille reading and its development found that print readers opt for the same text decoding strategy even at the initial stages of development. This article explores the development of…

The pattern of errors of second grade pupils in reading isolated words was analyzed, particularly with respect to reversals of letter sequence and letter orientation. These occurred in significant quantity only among the poorer readers in the class. The two types of reversals were uncorrelated and, therefore, cannot reflect a single process.…

A review of research in reading comprehension is presented. The role of language in comprehension is analyzed and implications are drawn for actual practice by primary teachers in the reading curriculum. (Author/SK)

Reports on a study in which 12 Asian children's performance in reading aloud a story to their teacher was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Draws tentative conclusions about strategies used by children in learning to read a second language. (GT)

Discusses current research regarding oral reading errors or miscues to facilitate teacher expertise in decision making within the fast-paced interaction of reading instruction. (MG)

Describes a study of oral reading errors by six-year-olds indicating that previously read words are frequently substituted at points of miscue, but that reliance on this source decreased over the year, casting doubt on previously postulated developmental phases of reading. (HTH)

Identifies the miscues adult Chinese learners of English typically make in their reading, the positive and negative impact of first language influence on their foreign language reading, and the role language development plays in reading comprehension. (RS)