In this study, we examine preschool storybook apps to identify the types of characters represented in these stories and how they relate to design quality and opportunities for children to build their vocabularies -- a significant predictor of later success in learning to read. Specifically, we sought to understand (a) how storybook apps portray…

This study investigates the effects of the text difficulty of extensive reading materials on the reading comprehension and reading motivation of English as a foreign language (EFL) vocational high school students in Taiwan. Two experimental groups were assigned, on an individual basis, to read graded readers at either one level below ('i-1') or…

Hauptman (2000) proposed a modern view about the easy/difficult nature of second language (L2) reading, proposing five factors: background knowledge, signaling, language, discourse, and length. Little research, however, has explored the hypotheses empirically. To fill this gap, this qualitative case study investigates: 1) What are the factors…

This article examines how English as a foreign language learners might be better matched to reading texts using automatic readability analysis. Specifically, I examine how the lexical decoding component of readability might be validated. In Japan, readability has been mostly determined by publishers or by professional reading organizations who…

Suggests that both boys and girls are interested in sports and recreation. Describes activities which utilize the topic of sports to highlight diverse vocabulary terms, encourage playing with language, and develop listening and writing skills. Provides an annotated bibliography of sports books for children. (ARH)