Background: Given the increasing popularity of reading from screens, it is not surprising that numerous studies have been conducted comparing reading from paper and electronic sources. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to consolidate the findings on reading performance, reading times and calibration of performance…

The present study investigated the effect of text highlighting on online processing and memory of central and peripheral information. We compared processing time (using eye-tracking methodology) and recall of central and peripheral information for three types of highlighting: (a) highlighting of central information, (b) highlighting of peripheral…

Background: Disruptions of reading processes due to text substitutions can measure how readers use lexical information. Methods: With eye-movement recording, children and adults viewed sentences with either identical, orthographically similar, homophonic or unrelated substitutions of the first characters in target words. To the extent that readers…

This study investigated the relative extent to which developing readers (6- and 9-year-olds) of English (deep) or Greek (transparent) orthography exhibit serial and exterior letter effects in letter position encoding. Participants were given a visual search task that required detection of a pre-specified target letter within a random five-letter…

The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in the relationship between reading ability, frequency of reading and attitudes and beliefs relating to reading and school. Two hundred and thirty-two 10-year-old children (117 male) completed a reading comprehension test and a questionnaire exploring the following areas: frequency of…

This study examines a problem that many mainstream teachers face today: how to successfully improve reading comprehension for English language learners (ELLs) in an English-only environment. The researcher examines both the academic and psychosocial effects of the Transactional Literature Circles (TLC) programme on a treatment group of 75 fourth…

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)

Determines if children enrolled in different types of preschool programs (ranging from maturational to early formal reading) differed in their knowledge of print concepts. Finds that the type of program was not a deciding factor in acquiring prereading print knowledge. (RS)

Compares two views about the importance of environmental print in children's learning experiences. Assesses environmental print knowledge in non-reading preschool children and relates it to word recognition training. Finds words from the known logos were more readily learned than the matching control words, but only in Study 1 were the known logo…

Assesses fifteen 7- to 12-year-old blind children using standardized measures of intelligence, spelling and reading. Finds they performed poorer when reading than their chronological age would predict. Compares blind and age-matched children's ability to segment heard words, which are written in Braille with and without contractions. Finds words…

Presents results of a cross-sectional study of a sample of Year 2 children in reading. Finds an improvement in the attainment level of children in 1992 compared to 1991. Concludes that there is a need to view apparently rising standards in England, as measured solely by the Standard Assessment Task results, with a degree of caution. (PA)

Applies onset-rime theory in a randomized controlled trial to the authentic reading task of reading aloud to an adult. Finds that the rime-prompt method has potential for helping children recognize one- and two-syllable words. Notes that it is suitable for use by parents, teachers, and other helpers. (SG)

Compares the performance of Spanish children with and without reading disabilities on a single word naming task which required extensive phonological computation. Supports the hypothesis that poor phonological skills are a characteristic of reading disabled children. (RS)

Concludes that elementary school children taught with a technique involving nonverbal restructuring made significant reading gains over those taught with a question-answer method. (FL)

Examines the "levels effect" (the theory that more important text elements are more likely to be remembered than less important elements) in children and adults when reading expository text. Finds differences between adults and children in the extent to which they engaged in the type of processing that resulted in levels effects. (MG)