Education research for practice is in need of textbook studies, especially those having well-defined theoretical framework. This paper is an attempt to apply phenomenography in textbook research. It begins with a review of four existing types of textbook studies found in the literature. Next, the main features of phenomenography (qualitative…

Although there is evidence for a close link between early phonological skills and the development of vocabulary and decoding abilities, it is less clear which factors modulate the development of phonological skills. This study longitudinally explored the relation of contextual family variables on the development of phonological skills in 104…

With only about a third of students in US public schools achieving the NAEP Proficient level, many educators believe students are not getting enough reading practice. However, how much reading practice is enough? This study quantifies the relationship between the amount of book reading and the expected number of words learned. We collected 45…

Background: Previous studies have indicated that encouraging learners to teach to their peers has been proven effective in second language learning. However, to date, no research has focused on how learners teaching to peers of varying proficiency levels impacts video learning performance and the cognitive neuroscience mechanisms of learners.…

Low reading proficiency rates, exacerbated by pandemic-interrupted learning, have made research-based solutions documented in the Science of Reading a top priority for all learners. Although the benefit of explicit, code-oriented instruction in early literacy development has been well researched for learners in general, there is considerably less…

Background/purpose: Kindergarteners' vocabulary deficiencies are caused by a lack of high-quality textbooks. The survey results demonstrated that children's learned language might be forgotten after a few days. The researchers conducted a study to identify and assess the standard of English textbooks already in use and to create textbooks that…

This research memorandum highlights the collaborative efforts of the literacy panel for the ETS Return on Investment (ROI) Study, Phase 1, comprising Jean-François Rouet, M. Anne Britt, and Tobias Richter, in developing their research memorandum, "Literacy Skills at and around Level 2 of the PIAAC Cycle 2 Proficiency Scale." This…

Fluency is a central tenet of productive reading and shares a complex relationship with other reading processes such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, language, and executive functioning. Supporting fluency for upper elementary readers entails unique considerations. In this article, the authors detail how the authors designed an adolescent…

Although there is overwhelming evidence highlighting the foundational role of phonological processing and vocabulary skills in reading, less research has focused on the contribution of these skills to spelling, particularly in African languages. This longitudinal study explored cognitive-linguistic predictors of spelling development in Northern…

Acquiring and retaining vocabulary is a cornerstone of mastering a new language, and digital tools are playing an increasingly significant role in this process. This study investigated the role of Quizlet, a digital flashcard application, as a self-regulated learning (SRL) tool in enhancing vocabulary acquisition among upper-intermediate English…

Exposure to communicative gestures, through their parents' use of gestures, is associated with infants' language development. However, the mechanisms supporting this link are not fully understood. In adults, sensorimotor brain activity occurs while processing communicative stimuli, including both spoken language and gestures. Using…

This article reviews the embodied theoretical basis for the meaningful learning of abstract vocabulary and reviews selected educational programs that are theoretically based and have both success and promise for abstract vocabulary development. Abstract vocabulary is a mainstay of academic vocabulary, but its nature and educational development are…

The Thai language, which is part of the Indo-Iranian language family, carries on rituals and local knowledge that have been passed down from generation to generation. The Thai National Statistics Office found that 10% of elementary school students in Thailand cannot read. This means that 90% of elementary school students in Thailand can read. The…

We examined the relation between socioeconomic status (SES), vocabulary, and reading in middle childhood, during the transition from primary (elementary) to secondary (high) school. Children (N = 279, 163 girls) completed assessments of everyday and curriculum-related vocabulary, (non)word reading, and reading comprehension at five timepoints from…

Purpose: There are many aspects of words that can influence our lexical processing, and the words we are exposed to influence our opportunities for language and reading development. The purpose of this study is to establish a more comprehensive understanding of the lexical challenges and opportunities students face. Method: We explore the latent…