Background: Vocabulary knowledge (VK) and morphological awareness (MA) are crucial linguistic variables for reading comprehension. However, the extent to which MA subskills are intertwined with different facets of VK in their contributions to reading comprehensions, and how MA influences the reading abilities of English as a foreign language (EFL)…

Background: A significant portion of adults struggle to read at a basic level. Word reading (defined here as decoding and word recognition) appears to play a pivotal role for this population of readers; however, less is known about how word reading relates to other important semantic processes (e.g., vocabulary, sentence processing) known to…

This study examined, in 180 children aged from 6 to 9?years, to what extent irregular word reading and spelling were predicted by vocabulary knowledge, reading frequency, orthographic processing and nonword reading skill. Consistent with models of reading highlighting the quasi-regular nature of irregular words, it was found that nonword reading…

This 2-year longitudinal study examined both concurrent and longitudinal relations of a variety of reading-related cognitive tasks and Chinese word reading and word dictation among 187 Hong Kong Chinese kindergarteners aged 4-6. Homophone awareness, visual skills and syllable awareness were all uniquely associated with Chinese word reading across…

In this article, we discuss two characteristics of the majority of current behaviour- and molecular-genetic studies of reading ability and disability, specifically, the ascertainment strategies and the populations from which samples are selected. In the context of this discussion, we present data that we collected on a sample of Swahili-speaking…

Explores whether training in mental imagery can improve text comprehension in good and poor nine-year-old comprehenders. Finds that a three-session program of training in imagery benefited the poor, but not the good, comprehenders. Discusses results in relation to possible causes of children's comprehension difficulties. (MG)

Forty dyslexic children were given a version of the Stroop test which requires subjects to respond to attributes of a set of stimuli while ignoring the conflicting information that derives from another attribute. A negative linear relationship emerged indicating that greater reading proficiency was associated with less interference. (MKM)

Compares the reading of hearing-impaired and normally hearing children on several measures. Finds, in contrast to an earlier study, that the use of an associated strategy by the hearing impaired occurred only in response to isolated sentences. Concludes that the hearing impaired's reading is delayed in some respects but is not different. (SR)

Examines syntactic, semantic and grapho-phonic miscues made by early readers of varying ability. Finds that (1) passage complexity affects use of syntactic and semantic cues; (2) high and above average students' miscue quality deteriorates as text complexity increases; and (3) higher word recognition scores relate to effective use of grapho-phonic…

Examines students for the effects of grade level and recall task type on children's memory for explicit, implicit, and metaphorical information following reading. Finds that fifth graders fare better than second graders and the cued condition exceeds free recall. Finds that second graders engage in metaphorical reasoning when the task is…

Reports two studies using a microcomputer-driven self-paced reading task to examine reading strategies of good and poor readers. Finds that reading ability influences reading strategies differently according to whether text is presented in single words or in phrases, and that poor readers read more slowly than good readers. (RS)

Investigates whether 11-year-old children in Singapore, from English Dominant or English Non-Dominant backgrounds, read better orally when words were presented in list or text. Finds that readers with less exposure to English relied more on contextual information than more experienced readers, and that reading miscues varied according to whether…

Reports on two experiments that explore the comprehension difficulties of children with normal word recognition ability. Concludes that skilled readers engage in more constructive processing and that comprehension difficulties are not the result of a defective working memory. (SRT)