While the extant literature emphasizes the role of Phonological Awareness (PA) and Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) in children's developing reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition skills, there has been a paucity of information on the contributions made by other factors such as Morphological Awareness (MA). Although evidence of a…

Recreational reading is in a decline for upper elementary aged readers, and along with this decline comes consequent declines in students' ability to make meaning from what they read and their acquisition of different language forms, including the acquisition of new vocabulary words. However, one reading format is increasing in popularity: graphic…

Previous studies show that linguistic information and talker information interact during processing. Familiarity with a language facilitates talker processing, and familiarity with a talker's voice facilitates linguistic processing. To probe the factors involved in talker processing, researchers examined how individual differences in reading…

This qualitative case study explored reading comprehension and vocabulary skills and strategies used by middle school teachers in grades 6-8. Theoretical foundations for the research revolved around constructivism, social constructivism, and adolescent literacy theory. Prior research showed that students in grades 3-8 were performing at…

Fluency, vocabulary building, making inferences, expanding background knowledge, and metacognitive thinking are reading skills taught in schools across the country. Which of these do ELA teachers consider to be most important? It is not known which of these five areas Western Pennsylvania teachers believe has the most impact on comprehension…

A nonrandomized quasi-experimental, mixed-method double pretest-posttest design was used to compare the effects of a multilinguistic word study model of instruction -- RAVE-O program (Wolf, Miller, & Donnelly, 2000) -- in comparison with a phonics word study model of instruction -- Fountas and Pinnell Phonics Lessons -- Letters, words, and how…

More than 50% of fourth graders in the United States are reading below a proficient level, with more than 75% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch scoring lower than the U.S. average reading score. A framework of background knowledge is essential for vocabulary acquisition so the reader can comprehend the meaning of a text.…

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to evaluate the effectiveness of morphological instruction on middle school students. This study compared the overall reading performance growth as measured by MAP scores of students who received morphological instruction and of students who had not. In addition, this study also compared MAP reading…

Understanding mathematics is an essential part of everyday life and can range from simple tasks such as using basic math skills to more complex tasks. Success in mathematics is a requirement for success in today's modern world. A gap in developing mathematical skills can create complications and interfere with job opportunities. Another basic…

Morphological skills have been associated with performance on multiple literacy outcomes. While growth in derived word knowledge has been documented during mid-elementary grades, little research has studied the development of knowledge of specific morphemes, separate from whole-word knowledge. This study examined the development of knowledge of a…

As computer assisted instruction (CAI) becomes increasingly sophisticated, its appeal as a viable method of literacy intervention with young children continues despite limited evidence of effectiveness. The present study sought to assess the impact of one such CAI program, "Imagine Learning English" (ILE), on both the receptive…

Acknowledging the important role of reading in the university curriculum, and the important role that vocabulary plays in successful reading comprehension, researchers have directed a great deal of effort toward identifying ways that teachers and learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) can maximize vocabulary development efforts. Due to…

The incorporation of dialogic reading techniques in adult-child book reading has been effective in improving early literacy skills in children with language delays and those from at-risk populations. There is, however, limited research that examines the potential utility of dialogic reading strategies for children with disabilities such as Autism…

This study examined the effects of a parent-led intervention focused on developing children's early literacy skills within the home setting. The lesson plans contain scripted steps for completing activities to teach letter names and phonological awareness skills. Archival data were analyzed from a study conducted with 26 families from three…

Reading is a learned skill needed for life. It requires cognitive processing increasing with practice. This study examined the use of colored paper for comprehension and vocabulary assessments given to fifty-one fourth graders for the purpose of increasing test scores. All fourth grade students received weekly comprehension and vocabulary…