This dissertation study investigated the comparability of reading comprehension of narrative and persuasive text by applying a convergent parallel mixed method design. Participants were middle school students (Grades 6 - 8, N=6). The purpose of the study was to address a gap in reading comprehension research about how students comprehend narrative…

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…

We investigated the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in the unfolding of vocabulary and text-comprehension skills in language minority bilingual children, who are educated exclusively in their L2. For comparison, a monolingual control group was also tested, consisting of children of the same age and schooling. We administered a synonyms task to…

Disengaged responding poses a severe threat to the validity of educational large-scale assessments, because item responses from unmotivated test-takers do not reflect their actual ability. Existing identification approaches rely primarily on item response times, which bears the risk of misclassifying fast engaged or slow disengaged responses.…

This intervention study examined the effectiveness of instructional support tailored toward two techniques (i.e., random associations and constraint identification) to strengthen children's creative problem-solving skills within upper-elementary science education. Five inquiry-based science lessons with ample opportunity for creative…

The undeniable importance of reading in higher education prompted this investigation into the reading skills of a group often overlooked in previous research: master's level students studying in English-medium instruction (EMI) environments. Participants (148 master's-level students of engineering) completed the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (Form G),…

The science of reading (SOR) refers to the sum of what we know about how people learn to read based on empirical studies across multiple disciplines. The purpose of this review was to identify research evidence to inform the SOR for multilingual learners (MLs). We reviewed 30 systematic reviews related to reading and reading instruction for MLs…

This review was conducted to explore the use of digital technologies with young children in early childhood language and literacy education. It centers on peer-reviewed empirical journal articles published during the past two decades. An initial sample of refereed journal articles (N = 631) was compiled from systematically searching the Web of…

This study considers the relative benefits for vocabulary learning of exposure to two types of texts--literary or nonliterary--used with two teaching approaches. These approaches were termed "functional and creative", respectively. In the former, learners' attention was drawn to factual information and linguistic features in order to…

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Repeated Reading and Visual Comprehension Program (TOGAP) developed to support the reading comprehension skills of primary school students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. The research was conducted with four primary school students with SLD. The changing…

The current research examines Grade 2 student responsiveness to teacher implementation of text structure lessons after an online professional development event. We trained 39 teachers on text structure knowledge and implementation fidelity using massively open online virtual learning platforms. The teachers were later given access to text…

Silent reading frequently entails engaging the "inner voice," a phenomenon in which individuals sub-vocally articulate words in their minds. This inner voice is understood to stem from the internalization process, wherein external verbal speech transitions into internal dialogue. However, the mechanisms through which foreign language…

Based on a sociocultural theory and a plethora of experiential studies on the efficacy of scaffolding on foreign language learning, the goal of this research article is to examine the effectiveness of diverse types of scaffolding on university students' lexical digesting and reading perception from a sociocultural standpoint. Using the Harvard…

While the science of reading offers a powerful approach to literacy, implementing it can be both beneficial and challenging. This Spotlight will help readers identify how state leaders have approached reading policy implementation; review districts' experience moving to a 'knowledge-building' curriculum; evaluate best practices for teaching…

Deafblindness is complex, and there is very limited research on literacy for learners who are deafblind, including on comprehension. This study investigated current practices for comprehension development for learners who are deafblind. Data were collected through a survey and interviews from 63 U.S. participants who were teachers, interveners,…