Background: Prominent theories of reading make the prediction that individual differences in children's word learning capacity determine the pace of their acquisition of reading skill. Despite the developmental nature of some of these theories, most empirical research to date has explored the relation between word learning capacity and reading at…

Reading acquisition in Arabic presents unique challenges, notably due to its complex morphological structure and the diglossic nature of the language. The discrepancy between written (Modern Standard) and spoken Arabic poses significant barriers for learners, particularly in decoding morphologically complex words. This study explored the role of…

It is often observed that many learners prefer reading texts with background music (BGM), which may enhance engagement and mood in reading. However, the impact of BGM on reading comprehension performance or process remains heterogeneous. This study examined how learners' self-provided preferred BGM affected reading comprehension accuracy and…

Numerous meta-analysis studies have been undertaken on the topic of culturally embedded learning. Insufficient study has been undertaken on culturally integrated learning as a means to enhance reading abilities. The objective of this study is to assess and evaluate the impact of learning enriched by local culture on reading proficiency. This…

In this study, we examined the differences in reading comprehension processes between students with and without reading difficulties. A total of 72 third- and fourth-grade students in South Korea participated in the study; of these, 28 were identified as having reading difficulties and 44 were not. Multiple types of tasks were administered to…

In this study, we examined to what extent orthographic skills, phonological processing, oral vocabulary, and word memory accounted for variance in reading comprehension among upper-elementary school children with and without dyslexia. The tasks came from the Tests of Dyslexia (TOD). Data from 753 participants (typically developing n = 575;…

Developmental dyslexia is characterized by reading and writing deficits that persist into adulthood. However, the mechanisms underlying these deficits appear to affect several language domains negatively. The present study aims to investigate how 18 native Spanish-speaking adults with developmental dyslexia perform different language tasks in…

This study tested whether encouraging prediction enhances prediction in second language (L2) speakers. L2 English speakers listened to English sentences like "The woman … will read/buy one of the newspapers" while viewing the target (a newspaper) and distractor objects (a rose, a bowl, and a mango) on a screen and clicked on the target…

Critical thinking (CT) is essential for survival in the modern knowledge-driven world, and the Thinker's Guide is considered an effective technique to enhance such potential. The investigation of CT potential to enhance the reading comprehension of EFL learners has not received adequate attention in the literature. Accordingly, this study aimed to…

Most research on internet reading has identified skilled readers based on well-established theories of print reading. Nevertheless, an emerging body of work suggests that higher competency in print reading does not fully account for competency in internet reading comprehension. The authors conducted a descriptive video analysis of high school…

This study examined the unified model of phonological transfer in English reading comprehension and the mediating effects of bilingual decoding skills. Grade 4 Chinese Mandarin learners of English (N = 256) completed a series of tests including tone and stress sensitivity, Chinese and English segmental phonological awareness, Chinese and English…

It is common for learners to listen to background music during learning activities. However, existing research has produced inconclusive results on the effects of background music on learning due to different circumstances and contexts. There is a lack of detailed understanding regarding the effects of various background music properties on…

Cross-linguistic studies found that reading comprehension correlates with oral reading prosody. The study examined whether text difficulty would be involved in oral reading prosody in orthographically deep languages like Mandarin. One hundred and three fourth-grade children were recruited in Taipei, Taiwan. Their oral reading prosody was elicited…

One key characteristic of students with autism is communicative dysfunction more specifically with pragmatic skills such as phrasing and syntax. Communication research has indicated a significant group difference between upper elementary grade students with autism and their typically developing peers in expressive phrasing (production of word…

We examined whether Grades 3-5 students with co-occurring reading and behavioral attention difficulties constituted homogeneous or heterogeneous groups based on pretest reading and behavioral attention skills and if so, did these latent profiles predict reading comprehension response to intervention? To do this, we first conducted a latent profile…