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Title: The portrayal of literacy in children's picture storybooks about African-Americans: A content analysis.
Creator: Scott, Margaret Gethers., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The dual purpose of this study was to identify a corpus of books which portrayed reading and writing while featuring African American characters in home, neighborhood, and other non-school community settings and to determine if differences existed in such portrayals by African American and non-African American authors and illustrators., Twenty books were identified as relevant to the study. The text and illustrations of each book were analyzed according to two literacy portrayal categories...
Show moreThe dual purpose of this study was to identify a corpus of books which portrayed reading and writing while featuring African American characters in home, neighborhood, and other non-school community settings and to determine if differences existed in such portrayals by African American and non-African American authors and illustrators., Twenty books were identified as relevant to the study. The text and illustrations of each book were analyzed according to two literacy portrayal categories which were further defined by six sub-categories and various category indicators and indicator exemplars. The two literacy portrayal categories were literacy displays and literacy events., Both descriptive and statistical analyses were performed on the data. Descriptive analysis yielded the following findings: (1) The African American racial group offered the majority of literacy portrayals. (2) Within the African American racial group, African American illustrators offered almost three times as many literacy portrayals as African American authors. (3) The literacy displays category was portrayed far more frequently than the literacy events category. (4) When literacy events were portrayed, reading literacy events outnumbered writing literacy events. (5) Negative literacy portrayals were minimal. Statistical analysis determined that the African American racial group portrayed significantly more literacy displays and literacy events.
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Date Issued: 1995, 1995
Identifier: AAI9526753, 3088617, FSDT3088617, fsu:77419
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Relative effectiveness of training in, or awareness of, the use of coded elaborative outline and question-writing in learning from texts.
Creator: Nordin, Mohamad Sahari., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this study, 109 student teachers were randomly selected and assigned to one of the three treatment conditions; Coded Elaborative Outline (Tuckman, 1993), Question-Writing, and Informed groups. Subjects in the Coded Elaborative Outline (CEO) and Question-Writing conditions received direct instruction in applying their respective strategies to a learning theory textbook. The Informed subjects were only provided a description about each strategy, but no training in using either method. All...
Show moreIn this study, 109 student teachers were randomly selected and assigned to one of the three treatment conditions; Coded Elaborative Outline (Tuckman, 1993), Question-Writing, and Informed groups. Subjects in the Coded Elaborative Outline (CEO) and Question-Writing conditions received direct instruction in applying their respective strategies to a learning theory textbook. The Informed subjects were only provided a description about each strategy, but no training in using either method. All subjects were taught by the same instructor, using the same textbook, for a duration of four weeks. The results showed that both the CEO and Question-Writing training produced superior higher-order learning than did simple awareness of these strategies. Training in either of these strategies was equally effective in enhancing learning from the textbook. However, the CEO-trained subjects produced better transfer of strategic behaviors as manifested by a significantly higher improvement in general reading scores than did subjects in the other two groups. The study confirmed and extended the results of previous studies on the use of comprehensive strategies in promoting meaningful learning from college level texts.
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Date Issued: 1995, 1995
Identifier: AAI9537679, 3088683, FSDT3088683, fsu:77485
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Interactive storybook software and kindergarten children: The effect on verbal ability and emergent storybook reading behaviors.
Creator: Johnston, Callum Barnett., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The problem addressed in this study is whether children from lower SES homes would benefit in their reading and verbal skills through interaction with computer software that reads to them. If the verbal abilities and reading skills of a child increase as a result of an adult reading to him or her, would interactive storybook software provide similar results?, The rationale is twofold: (1) It has been demonstrated that one-to-one storybook read-aloud increases the literary skills of the child,...
Show moreThe problem addressed in this study is whether children from lower SES homes would benefit in their reading and verbal skills through interaction with computer software that reads to them. If the verbal abilities and reading skills of a child increase as a result of an adult reading to him or her, would interactive storybook software provide similar results?, The rationale is twofold: (1) It has been demonstrated that one-to-one storybook read-aloud increases the literary skills of the child, but the teacher:student ratio in the kindergarten classroom and the time allotted weekly to the teacher to reach individual students limits this interaction; (2) Computer technology and highly interactive storybook software that reads to children are being introduced into the classrooms that allow children to actively participate in the reading process., The major hypotheses are: (1) Interactive storybook software will facilitate the emergent storybook reading behaviors of kindergarten children from lower SES homes; (2) Interactive storybook software will increase the verbal abilities of these same children., Subjects were randomly selected after a determination of SES was made. The design was a pretest-posttest control group design, using pretest scores from the Verbal Scale of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (1972) and Sulzby's Observation of Emergent Storybook Reading (1985) as covariates with posttest scores from the same instruments. The treatment took place in public school kindergarten classrooms equipped with CD ROM and MS-DOS hardware. The schools are located in a district in northern Florida. Each subject in the treatment group worked with the software three times a week for seven weeks. Storybook software was provided by Discis Knowledge Research, Inc., The results of the study indicate that the software is significant in increasing the verbal abilities of children when they use it for 42 minutes a week for at least seven weeks. There were no significant results for emergent reading behaviors.
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Date Issued: 1995, 1995
Identifier: AAI9607940, 3088784, FSDT3088784, fsu:77583
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Children's perceptions on the acquisition of chapter book literacy.
Creator: Frese, Johanna Christine., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Assuming children's literature to consist of various kinds of literacies, this teacher/researcher examined 27 fourth graders' perceptions about picture storybook, illustrated book, and chapter book literacies. The year-long ethnography not only documented the reading habits and responses of the class, but also focused on four case study participants prime for acquiring chapter book literacy. Data were collected by observation, interview, classroom maps, survey, photographs, and document...
Show moreAssuming children's literature to consist of various kinds of literacies, this teacher/researcher examined 27 fourth graders' perceptions about picture storybook, illustrated book, and chapter book literacies. The year-long ethnography not only documented the reading habits and responses of the class, but also focused on four case study participants prime for acquiring chapter book literacy. Data were collected by observation, interview, classroom maps, survey, photographs, and document analysis of response journals, student-maintained booklists, and teacher records of student reading. Three major themes emerged: factors affecting the acquisition of chapter book literacy, characteristics of developing chapter book literacy, and the role of the teacher/researcher., These emergent and fluent chapter book readers tended to define and visualize themselves as chapter book readers. Ability did not guarantee the acquisition of chapter book literacy; persistence and desire appeared to contribute more to the emergence of chapter book literacy. Identification with characters in chapterbooks enhanced these readers' attitudes toward chapter books., A tension was created in these developing chapter book readers between aspiration for chapter book literacy and the lingering affection for picture storybooks. The emerging chapter book readers had difficulty selecting and finishing chapter books; however, they could monitor and regulate their literacy environments and activities. Emergent chapter book readers consciously employed imagination when the text had no illustrations. In contrast, fluent chapter book readers seemed to unconsciously experience transactions with literature texts. Emergent and fluent chapter book readers needed more time and teacher-guidance than fluent picture storybook readers to develop a fuller response., Interruptions and change in schedule during the elementary school day complicated both teaching and research. A tension was found to exist within a person who attempts to be both teacher and researcher in the classroom setting.
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Date Issued: 1994, 1994
Identifier: AAI9514095, 3088504, FSDT3088504, fsu:77306
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A descriptive analysis of test scores posted by seven community colleges on the communication subtests of the College-Level Academic Skills Test.
Creator: Culbreth, Laurie Bonney., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: An analysis of the 1991 Florida CLAST essay and reading subtest data reveals that only three Florida community colleges: Lake-Sumter Community College, St. Johns River Community College, and Indian River Community College reported the highest passing rates on both the essay and reading subtests. The other twenty-five community colleges in the state reported large differences in student passing rates between the essay subtest and the reading subtest., The researcher also examined four other...
Show moreAn analysis of the 1991 Florida CLAST essay and reading subtest data reveals that only three Florida community colleges: Lake-Sumter Community College, St. Johns River Community College, and Indian River Community College reported the highest passing rates on both the essay and reading subtests. The other twenty-five community colleges in the state reported large differences in student passing rates between the essay subtest and the reading subtest., The researcher also examined four other community colleges within the state: Chipola Junior College, Gulf Coast Community College, North Florida Junior College, and Lake City Community College. These four institutions reported large differences in the student passing rates between the CLAST essay subtest and the reading subtest., The purpose of this study is to ascertain possible factors which contribute to the higher passing rates reported by L-SCC, SJRCC, and IRCC. The six factors are curricula required for A.A. degree-seeking students, reading materials, exiting CLAST policies, student entrance scores, and teaching strategies and teaching styles of the English departments., An analysis of this data reveals that two factors are related to the superior CLAST performance of the students at L-SCC, IRCC, and SJRCC--Category 2 (curricula) and Category 3 (exiting CLAST policies).
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Date Issued: 1994, 1994
Identifier: AAI9502846, 3088451, FSDT3088451, fsu:77256
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A naturalistic study of teacher use and selection of materials for elementary reading instruction.
Creator: Simpson, Sally Walker., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to document the ways reading instructional materials are used by elementary classroom teachers and how reading instructional materials are selected by elementary classroom teachers in one midwestern school district. The first objective of this study was to document how teachers use materials for elementary reading instruction in grades one through five. Additional objectives were to document the materials selected by classroom teachers and to explore the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to document the ways reading instructional materials are used by elementary classroom teachers and how reading instructional materials are selected by elementary classroom teachers in one midwestern school district. The first objective of this study was to document how teachers use materials for elementary reading instruction in grades one through five. Additional objectives were to document the materials selected by classroom teachers and to explore the influences placed on teachers in their selection of materials for elementary reading instruction., The methods employed in this case study involved the collection of qualitative data through nonparticipant observation, interviewing and document analysis. The collection and interpretation of data framed the presentation of participant narratives., Assertions constituting grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss,1967) were formulated from this study into three emergent themes. (1) Constructing multiple perspectives: the participant teachers constructed varying perspectives toward the delivery of reading instruction in their classrooms. (2) Weighing influences: there are many influences, both enabling and potentially constrictive, that surround teachers' decisions in the use and selection of materials to deliver reading instruction. (3) Teacher change over time: participant teachers demonstrated during the interview process that they had undergone change over time in the way/ways they approach the use and selection of materials for reading instruction., The results of this study suggest that a shift from close adherence in the use of the adopted basal textbook to the usage of a variety of materials in addition to and/or in place of the basal textbook appears to have been made by all district teachers participating in this study.
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Date Issued: 1994, 1994
Identifier: AAI9434119, 3088408, FSDT3088408, fsu:77213
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The use of storybook reading in a cross-age tutoring program to enhance the reading skills of low-ability high school students.
Creator: Gregg, Gail Patricia., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of modeling by the teacher of proper oral reading and tutorial behaviors, repetitive oral reading on storybooks appropriate to second grade students, and the participation in a cross-age reading tutorial program on the reading fluency and comprehension of low ability high school students. Though not the primary focus of the study, self concept and attitude toward reading were investigated as well., The subjects were randomly selected...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of modeling by the teacher of proper oral reading and tutorial behaviors, repetitive oral reading on storybooks appropriate to second grade students, and the participation in a cross-age reading tutorial program on the reading fluency and comprehension of low ability high school students. Though not the primary focus of the study, self concept and attitude toward reading were investigated as well., The subjects were randomly selected high school students at one local high school who were between the ages of 14 and 18, who had been retained at least once, and were reading below the ninth grade level., The treatment in this study consisted of: (1) modeling by the teacher in proper reading aloud and tutoring behaviors; (2) repetitive oral reading of storybooks appropriate to second grade students; and (3) reading storybooks to second grade students., Pretest and posttest data consisted of scaled scores on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, Blue Level, Forms G and H, in addition to a reading attitude survey and self concept survey designed by the researcher., The research was experimental in nature with a pretest-posttest control group design utilized. Data analysis was interpreted using independent and paired sample t-tests comparing pre and post scores for each student and gain scores for the two groups., The findings indicated that the students who participated in the experimental group scored significantly higher in reading fluency and evidenced a more positive self-concept than those of the control group. There were no significant differences between the two groups on the comprehension and attitude toward reading measurements., There were five possible explanations offered for the findings on comprehension and four offered for the findings on attitude toward reading. Seven recommendations for practice and eight recommendations for further study were also offered.
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Date Issued: 1994, 1994
Identifier: AAI9432620, 3088424, FSDT3088424, fsu:77229
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Visual literacy as it relates to picture book use by selected fifth-grade students.
Creator: Gontarski, Marsha., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this qualitative study was to look at the attitudes of fifth grade students and those who may influence their views toward picture books and try to derive meaning from those views in relation to visual literacy. The development of visual literacy is becoming increasingly important for all members of society and picture books are a medium with the potential for developing this competency., To achieve the purposes of this study, the researcher conducted interviews with sixteen...
Show moreThe purpose of this qualitative study was to look at the attitudes of fifth grade students and those who may influence their views toward picture books and try to derive meaning from those views in relation to visual literacy. The development of visual literacy is becoming increasingly important for all members of society and picture books are a medium with the potential for developing this competency., To achieve the purposes of this study, the researcher conducted interviews with sixteen participants, as part of a multi-case study approach, in three phases. Six fifth grade student participants were the focus of the study. Also interviewed were the parents, teachers, media specialist and administrator of the students. All participants were interviewed first in relation to background, next in relation to their views on picture books and visual literacy and last in relation to response to the focus picture book, Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Tale (Deedy, 1991)., Methodologically, the researcher was the key instrument for data collection, accumulating data via audio-cassette tapes and journal notes. Participant observation and data triangulation techniques were also implemented., As a result of data analysis in this particular qualitative study, the following conclusions were derived. Participants believe: (1) size takes precedence over the quality of a book with bigger being better and picture books not being big enough (2) picture books represent early childhood and descriptive terminology validates this view and (3) picture books can impede the reading process. These participant views, combined with the fact that visual cues were often eschewed during the reading of the focus picture book, indicate a potential impediment to visual literacy founded on and encouraged by adult views and perpetuated by fifth grade students.
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Date Issued: 1994, 1994
Identifier: AAI9416146, 3088283, FSDT3088283, fsu:77087
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Implementation and integration of a computer-based integrated learning system in an elementary school.
Creator: Moody, Erwin Charles., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine how the Jostens Integrated Learning System (ILS) was implemented at L. D. McArthur Elementary School and its impact on curriculum and student learning. Seven research questions were answered to satisfy the purpose of the study., The literature review established recommended approaches to implementing an ILS. These approaches were compared to actual practice at the school. ILS influence on student achievement was analyzed using a hypothesized effect...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine how the Jostens Integrated Learning System (ILS) was implemented at L. D. McArthur Elementary School and its impact on curriculum and student learning. Seven research questions were answered to satisfy the purpose of the study., The literature review established recommended approaches to implementing an ILS. These approaches were compared to actual practice at the school. ILS influence on student achievement was analyzed using a hypothesized effect of the ILS lessons on California Achievement Tests (CAT) and by relating ILS scores to CAT scores., The results indicated that teacher undergraduate training in computers and computer-assisted learning systems was lacking. The computers, though physically located in the classrooms, were used exclusively for the Jostens ILS and were not integrated into classroom activities., The Jostens ILS reports were considered satisfactory with only minor changes noted. The lab assistants printed the reports for the teachers, but the large part of the lab assistants time was taken helping students with ILS lessons and directions., The student attitude survey indicated the computers and the ILS lessons were liked by the majority of the students. Students were not satisfied with the ILS lesson directions or the computer headsets., The effectiveness of the Jostens ILS was considered satisfactory by the teachers. Although CAT scores had improved, analysis of student achievement indicated the ILS lessons had a minor and inconsistent effect., Recommendations consisted of three decision paths: (1) enhance the current use of the ILS through additional teacher training, adding lab assistants, improving ILS directions and gaining electronic access to the MIS data base, (2) integrate the computers into classroom activities, substituting other software for the ILS, (3) aggregate the computers in one location as a lab to facilitate scheduling and whole group teaching.
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Date Issued: 1994, 1994
Identifier: AAI9416152, 3088285, FSDT3088285, fsu:77089
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A comparison of three schema-based methods of vocabulary instruction.
Creator: McKinnon, Janice W., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of three schema-based methods of vocabulary instruction on vocabulary learning, reading comprehension, transfer of learning, and retention of learning. Two hundred fifty-one ninth-grade students in 12 intact classes were randomly assigned to the three experimental methods or to a no-method control group. The three experimental methods were expanding schemata, vocabulary overview guide, and concept of definition method. To measure the effects...
Show moreThis study was conducted to investigate the effects of three schema-based methods of vocabulary instruction on vocabulary learning, reading comprehension, transfer of learning, and retention of learning. Two hundred fifty-one ninth-grade students in 12 intact classes were randomly assigned to the three experimental methods or to a no-method control group. The three experimental methods were expanding schemata, vocabulary overview guide, and concept of definition method. To measure the effects of the methods, the subjects were given an immediate posttest to measure vocabulary learning, reading comprehension, and transfer of learning. Three weeks later, they were given a delayed posttest to measure retention of learning. An analysis of variance conducted on posttest scores showed significant main effects for method of instruction on vocabulary learning, reading comprehension, and retention. There was also significant interaction between method and time of classes. Results revealed that, while all three methods were superior to the no-method control group, students instructed in the concept of definition method produced higher score means on both the posttests.
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Date Issued: 1993, 1993
Identifier: AAI9334259, 3088145, FSDT3088145, fsu:76952
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An evaluation and critique of a middle school reading program: A case study.
Creator: Bonifay, Suzanne., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine and improve the reading program at Hutto Middle School in Decatur County, Georgia. Answers were sought to six research questions: (1) Are instructional practices that increase comprehension evident? (2) Are characteristics of successful programs present? (3) Are teacher-made reading assessments valid for measuring comprehension? (4) Do students have favorable attitudes toward reading? (5) Are students applying skills learned in reading class to other...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine and improve the reading program at Hutto Middle School in Decatur County, Georgia. Answers were sought to six research questions: (1) Are instructional practices that increase comprehension evident? (2) Are characteristics of successful programs present? (3) Are teacher-made reading assessments valid for measuring comprehension? (4) Do students have favorable attitudes toward reading? (5) Are students applying skills learned in reading class to other courses? and (6) Has reading comprehension improved since the introduction of the literature-based program? This was accomplished by critiquing the program based on current theories and research, by measuring student attitude toward reading, and by monitoring reading achievement using the Degrees of Reading Power and the reading subtest of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills., The procedure used was the single site case study approach. Decision Oriented Educational Research (DOER) (Cooley & Bickel, 1986) was the quantitative method selected. Given that the intention of the research was to improve the reading program, the researcher directly and quite intentionally affected the program. Strategies were used to control for researcher bias and to increase credibility of findings., Findings, conclusions and recommendations were that teachers at Hutto utilized instructional practices known to increase comprehension with additional emphasis needed on metacognitive strategy use. Characteristics of successful programs, as noted in the literature, were present. Although the majority of teacher-made tests for measuring comprehension were valid, specific weaknesses were found and use of alternative authentic measures was recommended. Data on student attitude supported a meaningful increase in favorable attitudes toward reading. Although data from the DRP was less clear, analysis indicated that reading comprehension had improved for many students. The students of Teacher A made more progress than the students of Teacher B on four of six comparisons, with the greatest gains posted by the lowest ability group and by female students. Recommendations were made for further investigation to determine why some groups were outperforming others.
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Date Issued: 1993, 1993
Identifier: AAI9410155, 3088242, FSDT3088242, fsu:77046
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An evaluation of computer-assisted instruction in phonological awareness with below-average readers.
Creator: Barker, Theodore Allen., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Phonological awareness is "the ability to phonologically segment, analyze, and synthesize the speech stream (p. 552)." The present study evaluated the effectiveness of two computer programs, Daisy Quest and Daisy's Dilemma, to provide phonological awareness training to poor readers., Students from two local elementary schools participated in the experiment. 54 subjects were selected to participate in the study. These students were administered a series of pretests that assessed a variety of...
Show morePhonological awareness is "the ability to phonologically segment, analyze, and synthesize the speech stream (p. 552)." The present study evaluated the effectiveness of two computer programs, Daisy Quest and Daisy's Dilemma, to provide phonological awareness training to poor readers., Students from two local elementary schools participated in the experiment. 54 subjects were selected to participate in the study. These students were administered a series of pretests that assessed a variety of word reading skills, phonological awareness ability, and their general verbal ability. Subsequently, children were grouped into triplets on the basis of the word identification scores and then randomly assigned to one of three condition: (1) phonological awareness training (DQ), (2) phonological decoding (HH), and (3) computer control (C). Training was provided for approximately 25 minutes a day over the course of seven weeks., A series of multivariate analyses of covariance were carried out to determine if there were mean differences in children's post test phonological awareness ability. Significant improvement was noted on three of the five measures of phonological awareness for those children receiving the phonological awareness training. More importantly, the children receiving the phonological awareness training made significant improvement in their ability to read real words., It was concluded that both computer programs were successful in enhancing the phonological awareness skills of poor readers. In addition, the improvements in phonological awareness directly impacted the word identification skills of children who were struggling in their efforts learning to read.
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Date Issued: 1993, 1993
Identifier: AAI9413270, 3088243, FSDT3088243, fsu:77047
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The roles of the school library media specialist in an elementary school using a literature-based reading program: An ethnographic case study.
Creator: Bishop, Kay., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: An ethnographic case study was undertaken in order to investigate the roles of the school library media specialist in an elementary school in Manatee County, Florida, that had recently initiated a literature-based reading program. The study provided insights into the roles of the school library media specialist in a literature-based reading program; how those roles changed; the relationships of the school library media specialist with teachers, administrators, and students; and the problems...
Show moreAn ethnographic case study was undertaken in order to investigate the roles of the school library media specialist in an elementary school in Manatee County, Florida, that had recently initiated a literature-based reading program. The study provided insights into the roles of the school library media specialist in a literature-based reading program; how those roles changed; the relationships of the school library media specialist with teachers, administrators, and students; and the problems that occurred with the introduction of the program., Qualitative research methods and techniques were used in the gathering and analysis of the data which took place during a six-month period in 1991-92. Anecdotal data obtained through interview and observation were carefully selected to demonstrate particular points or implications., Results of the study included the following: (1) The school library media specialist plays important roles as information specialist, teacher, and instructional consultant in the initiation and implementation of a literature-based reading program. (2) The most significant changes in the roles occur when the school library media specialist moves to flexible scheduling and curriculum-integrated instruction. (3) Positive, cooperative relationships between the school library media specialist and the teachers, administrators, and students contribute to the success of the program. (4) Some problems that may occur in the initiation and implementation of the program involve parent concern about the evaluation system, feelings of insecurity by the teachers, and inadequate funding for needed materials.
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Date Issued: 1992, 1992
Identifier: AAI9303342, 3087908, FSDT3087908, fsu:76718
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A model for reading comprehension.
Creator: Salazar Melendez, Clara Enriqueta., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study intended to provide the information needed when deciding which reading processes to develop in order to improve the reading comprehension of seventh and eighth graders., Of 49 possible variables, Inferences, Text Structure, Decoding, Prior Topical Knowledge, Vocabulary, and NewVocabulary were chosen to create a model for Main Idea performance which was embedded into a model for overall comprehension as measured by a Cloze exercise. The variables having the greatest total effects on...
Show moreThis study intended to provide the information needed when deciding which reading processes to develop in order to improve the reading comprehension of seventh and eighth graders., Of 49 possible variables, Inferences, Text Structure, Decoding, Prior Topical Knowledge, Vocabulary, and NewVocabulary were chosen to create a model for Main Idea performance which was embedded into a model for overall comprehension as measured by a Cloze exercise. The variables having the greatest total effects on comprehension were defined as the most indicated to be included in treatment studies., Subjects were 102 seventh and eighth grade average readers from the Florida Developmental Research School. The materials used were a standardized vocabulary test, a reading passage, a list of decoding words, and a set of 56 questions which measured the included processes., The hypothesized model, which was tested using LISREL 7, was not supported by the data. Improvement in fitness resulted from fixing effects falling on Main Idea and estimating effects falling on the Cloze., In the new model, the included variables explained more Cloze, 62%, than Main Idea, 37% variance. Moreover, Main Idea performance was unrelated to overall comprehension as measured by the Cloze. Inferences, Prior Topical Knowledge, and Text Structure had large and statistically significant direct, indirect, and total effects on comprehension; Decoding affects comprehension only indirectly. Vocabulary and NewVocabulary were unrelated to comprehension., Three conclusions stemmed from these findings. First, since Inferences affected both vocabulary measures and comprehension and since the vocabulary measures did not affect comprehension it was suggested that the positive correlation between vocabulary and comprehension is due to an intervening variable, Inferences. Second, the evidence for defining Inferences and Text Structure as having the potential for being causally related to comprehension became stronger. Lastly, if performance on a cloze exercise is the outcome variable from a study with average seventh and eighth grade readers possessing adequate prior knowledge, then it is hypothesized that Decoding, Prior Topical Knowledge, Inferencing ability, and Text Structure are the variables most indicated to be included in treatment studies since they had the largest total effects on comprehension.
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Date Issued: 1991, 1991
Identifier: AAI9130960, 3091105, FSDT3091105, fsu:77762
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An experimental study on the effect of student question generation on reading achievement.
Creator: Peters, Marlene Hutcherson., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of student question generation on reading achievement. The effect of training students in dyads to ask six generic questions about what they read was studied., Students from Bainbridge College enrolled in VTE 080-081, a developmental reading skills course, were the subjects in this study. Experimental and control groups were comprised of approximately thirty-five students each. Data collected from the ACT California Planning Program (CPP...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of student question generation on reading achievement. The effect of training students in dyads to ask six generic questions about what they read was studied., Students from Bainbridge College enrolled in VTE 080-081, a developmental reading skills course, were the subjects in this study. Experimental and control groups were comprised of approximately thirty-five students each. Data collected from the ACT California Planning Program (CPP) Reading Skills Test were utilized to determine who would be placed in the VTE 080-081 reading skills class. Two types of tests were used to assess reading comprehension. The first was a standardized reading test, CAT Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), Level D, Forms 3 and 4, which was used to measure transfer of training. The second test was a six-item comprehension test following selected passages from Six Way Paragraphs by Walter Pauk., An analysis of covariance was used to analyze reading comprehension. The data were analyzed using pretest scores as a covariate., An experimental design was used in this research study., Results of a pilot study conducted fall quarter 1989 revealed that there was a significant effect on the treatment group., The study proper was conducted winter quarter, 1990 and spring quarter, 1990. The results of the study supported the general learning theories which indicated that active processing of prose does affect learning. Training students to manipulate their own learning by teaching them to ask questions proved to be a more powerful instructional device than allowing them to devise their own strategy.
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Date Issued: 1991, 1991
Identifier: AAI9124632, 3091103, FSDT3091103, fsu:77760
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The nature of phonological processing abilities: A study of kindergarten and second-grade children.
Creator: Simmons, Karen Dorothy., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Ninety-five kindergarten and 89 second-grade children were given a battery of tasks to examine the latent structure of phonological processing. Tasks commonly used to measure phonological awareness, phonological code retrieval, and phonological coding in working memory were administered, along with control tasks and measures of general cognitive ability. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate how well each of 17 alternative models of phonological processing "fit" the data...
Show moreNinety-five kindergarten and 89 second-grade children were given a battery of tasks to examine the latent structure of phonological processing. Tasks commonly used to measure phonological awareness, phonological code retrieval, and phonological coding in working memory were administered, along with control tasks and measures of general cognitive ability. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate how well each of 17 alternative models of phonological processing "fit" the data collected at both the kindergarten and second grade-levels. In addition, the relationship between phonological processing and cognitive ability was examined by obtaining correlations between each identified latent phonological processing factor and the cognitive ability factor. For the kindergarten children, one factor accounted for individual differences in performance on tasks purported to measure phonological coding in working memory and on tasks purported to measure analysis skill. Separate, correlated factors accounted for performance on measures of synthesis, serial naming, and isolated naming. Identical results were observed at the second-grade level, with the exception that individual performance differences on working memory and analysis tasks were accounted for by separate (although highly correlated) factors, rather than by a single latent ability. At both grade levels, the correlations obtained between the latent phonological processing factors and the cognitive ability factor indicated a stronger relationship between phonological processing and cognitive ability than was expected on the basis of previous research. The results suggest that the latent structure of phonological processing is relatively cohesive and stable during the early years of reading instruction. The slightly different pattern of results observed with the second-grade sample, however,, suggests that the present study cannot rule out the possibility that the latent structure of phonological processing changes following the mastery of initial reading skills.
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Date Issued: 1991, 1991
Identifier: AAI9212283, 3087736, FSDT3087736, fsu:76546
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of two types of phonological awareness training on word learning in kindergarten children.
Creator: Morgan, Sharon Tristan., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In the present investigation, the effects of two types of phonological awareness training programs on word learning in young children were examined. Forty-eight non-reading kindergartners completed training. The study, a repeated measures design, consisted of three experimental conditions. Condition 1 (the AB group) involved phonological awareness training that included analysis and blending activities. Condition 2 (the B group) involved training that included only blending activities....
Show moreIn the present investigation, the effects of two types of phonological awareness training programs on word learning in young children were examined. Forty-eight non-reading kindergartners completed training. The study, a repeated measures design, consisted of three experimental conditions. Condition 1 (the AB group) involved phonological awareness training that included analysis and blending activities. Condition 2 (the B group) involved training that included only blending activities. Condition 3 (C group) consisted of a variety of language experience activities. Major hypotheses were focused on the differential effects of two training programs in facilitating development of explicit phonological awareness skills, generalization of awareness skills to performance on academic-related tasks involving phonemic knowledge, and generalization to word learning on a reading analogue task. A regression technique was used to evaluate the subjects' performances on several dependent measures categorized as direct phonological awareness tasks (segmenting and blending), academic-related tasks (experimental reading and spelling, letter-sound association, Woodcock Word Attack and Word Identification tests), and a reading analogue task. Consistent with the hypothesis, the AB combination training group performed significantly better than the language experience control on the posttreatment segmenting task. The AB and B groups outperformed the C group on the blending skill measure and a novel segmenting-like phoneme elision task. With respect to academic-related measures, significant results were obtained for only one posttest. AB and B groups performed better than the control group on the experimental reading task. The most dramatic results occurred for the paired associate reading analogue task. Even though the largest effect in the study was produced by the blending, training only condition (B group), only the AB group demonstrated significantly better word learning ability than did the C group. These findings suggest that a phonological awareness training program in which both segmenting and blending skills are taught is the most effective approach for enhancement of early developing reading skills in kindergarten children.
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Date Issued: 1991, 1991
Identifier: AAI9202309, 3087668, FSDT3087668, fsu:76483
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of a testwiseness training program on college students' Nelson-Denny Reading Test performance.
Creator: Boyd, Marjean G., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This research study was concerned with how a testwiseness training program impacts on students' test taking behaviors and reading comprehension subtest scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. The testwiseness training used test taking strategies independent of the test constructor (Millman et al., 1965) and a practice test, the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)., The study sample was comprised of 104 subjects of diverse backgrounds who were enrolled in a community college educational...
Show moreThis research study was concerned with how a testwiseness training program impacts on students' test taking behaviors and reading comprehension subtest scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. The testwiseness training used test taking strategies independent of the test constructor (Millman et al., 1965) and a practice test, the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)., The study sample was comprised of 104 subjects of diverse backgrounds who were enrolled in a community college educational setting. The testwiseness training program was the independent variable and the dependent variables were the subjects' test taking behaviors and posttest scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Comprehension and Rate subtest., The control group was not given any formal test taking instruction. However, they were provided a practice-test experience identical to the experimental group., Analysis of covariance was used to determine whether the mean scores of the experimental and control groups differed significantly on the posttest and to control for possible differences in the subjects' posttest scores by using the pretest and the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test as covariates. Keeping the alpha level at.05, the analysis of covariance did not demonstrate a statistically significant effect on the posttest scores of the experimental group, F (1,100) = 3.96., Three methods were used to facilitate the measurement of the subjects' test taking behaviors: time used at the midpoint of the pre- and posttests, identification of guessed responses, and a survey about their test taking activities., The experimental group demonstrated improvement in each of the fourteen test taking behaviors addressed in the study whereas the control group exhibited improvement on ten of the behaviors. The improvement in the experimental group's test taking behaviors varied from five to 59 percent on the posttest and the control group's ranged from two to 22 percent.
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Date Issued: 1991, 1991
Identifier: AAI9208148, 3087677, FSDT3087677, fsu:76492
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An investigation of metacognitive training on the reading comprehension of at-risk college students.
Creator: Hodge, Evelyn Adams., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study examined the effects of metacognitive instruction during reciprocal teaching on the reading comprehension of at-risk college students. Metacognition as related to reading instruction refers to teaching students to monitor their comprehension and to employ various strategies to improve their reading comprehension and learning., The subjects were 78 at-risk college freshmen at Alabama State University in southeast Alabama. These students were considered at-risk because of their low...
Show moreThis study examined the effects of metacognitive instruction during reciprocal teaching on the reading comprehension of at-risk college students. Metacognition as related to reading instruction refers to teaching students to monitor their comprehension and to employ various strategies to improve their reading comprehension and learning., The subjects were 78 at-risk college freshmen at Alabama State University in southeast Alabama. These students were considered at-risk because of their low reading scores on the American College Test (ACT) and The Nelson-Denny Reading Test., A quasi-experimental design was used with six intact classes assigned to two experimental conditions. An experimental group, consisting of three intact classes, received the reciprocal teaching treatment. This treatment included lessons in which the instructor with modeling provided guided practice in applying the four strategies of summarizing, question-generating, clarifying, and predicting that lead to improved comprehension of written materials. A second group--the experimental group of contrast--consisted of three intact classes that received the traditional method treatment in which students read passages, responded to oral and written multiple-choice questions following the reading, and received corrective feedback from the instructor., At the conclusion of the sixteen-week instructional period, the vocabulary and comprehension pretest and posttest scores were analyzed using the MANCOVA statistic. The results of the study indicated that students in the reciprocal teaching group improved more in vocabulary and comprehension than students receiving the traditional method. However, students' improvement in comprehension was statistically significant.
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Date Issued: 1991, 1991
Identifier: AAI9124614, 3087530, FSDT3087530, fsu:76353
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of textual display and time on the learning of text materials containing adjunct questions.
Creator: Saad, Abdulrahim Mohd., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different levels of textual display and of timed versus untimed practice, using passages containing inserted adjunct questions, upon student performance on intentional and incidental learning. In this study, selected features of textual display were, based on previous research, expected to improve learner performance. On the other hand, variations in study time have also accounted for a sizeable amount of differences between groups...
Show moreThe main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different levels of textual display and of timed versus untimed practice, using passages containing inserted adjunct questions, upon student performance on intentional and incidental learning. In this study, selected features of textual display were, based on previous research, expected to improve learner performance. On the other hand, variations in study time have also accounted for a sizeable amount of differences between groups of students. The second purpose of this study was to examine student motivation in relation to studying the instructional materials., Subjects were 99 students assigned to four treatment groups. Learning materials presented to these treatment groups were under one of two levels of textual display (conventional textual display and enhanced textual display) and, in either of two time modes (time control and time free)., Student performance on the repeated and unrelated questions were measured by the posttest materials which consisted of two types of multiple-choice questions: 10 repeated questions and 10 unrelated questions. Student motivational reaction to instructional materials was measured by items from the Instructional Materials Motivation Scale (IMMS)., Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results indicated that there was no interaction between time and textual display on performance for both repeated and unrelated questions, and preference. However, time free treatment produced significantly higher scores for both repeated and unrelated questions. Results of the test for preference showed no strong choice by students for the materials exhibiting enhanced textual display., These results reveal that time free treatment improves learners' performance. In contrast to earlier studies, the text display variations used in this study did not have any effect on their performance. Additional studies can help clarify the text display features that do and do not affect learner motivation and performance.
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Date Issued: 1990, 1990
Identifier: AAI9113948, 3162186, FSDT3162186, fsu:78384
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effectiveness of captioned illustrations as instruction with low reading level vocational students.
Creator: Johnson, Joseph Bennington., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this research was to examine whether individualized student's learning as measured by posttest scores could be increased by presenting information in sequenced captioned illustrations as compared to equivalent all-text print information. The subjects were sixty high school vocational students with low level reading skills. Three treatments were compared for effectiveness: a tenth grade reading level textual passage, a sixth grade reading level textual passage, and a captioned...
Show moreThe purpose of this research was to examine whether individualized student's learning as measured by posttest scores could be increased by presenting information in sequenced captioned illustrations as compared to equivalent all-text print information. The subjects were sixty high school vocational students with low level reading skills. Three treatments were compared for effectiveness: a tenth grade reading level textual passage, a sixth grade reading level textual passage, and a captioned illustration sequence. The second and third treatments were re-writes of the first with identical content matter. There were three separate replicated experiments using the three treatment posttest only design analyzed by a one-way analysis of variance with $\alpha$ =.05., It was predicted that sequenced captioned illustrations would aid the learner in greater recall of information as demonstrated on the multiple choice posttest. According to Paivio (1971) and Anderson (1973), this would increase elaboration and networking in long term memory. It was also hypothesized that the lower (sixth grade) level reading all-text would present an advantage for the low reading ability students over the higher (tenth grade) level all-text instruction., The one-way analysis of variance yielded no significant results. Further research is recommended in the use of captioned illustrations with low level readers in the individualized vocational classroom setting. A captioned picture multiple-choice test for the students using the captioned illustration instruction may improve learning as evidenced by posttest scores. Also, variations in experimental circumstances to determine whether the illustrations need change in size, number, clarity, or type (drawing or photo) may be necessary.
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Date Issued: 1990, 1990
Identifier: AAI9113936, 3091107, FSDT3091107, fsu:77764
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An experimental study of the effects on reading comprehension of instruction in the MRM comprehension strategy.
Creator: Rosenberg, Cathy Ann., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a comprehension strategy for teaching fourth grade students to locate key words which carry the meaning in sentences would have a significant effect on their reading comprehension. Differential effects on three types of comprehenders were explored following forty MRM strategy lessons., This eight week study involved ninety-three subjects from five intact classrooms at two elementary schools in Tallahassee, Florida. Two classrooms from...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a comprehension strategy for teaching fourth grade students to locate key words which carry the meaning in sentences would have a significant effect on their reading comprehension. Differential effects on three types of comprehenders were explored following forty MRM strategy lessons., This eight week study involved ninety-three subjects from five intact classrooms at two elementary schools in Tallahassee, Florida. Two classrooms from one of the elementary schools served as the experimental group and three classrooms from the other elementary school comprised the control group. Existing data from the Reading Comprehension subtest of the Comprehensive Assessment Program (CAP) test were utilized to differentiate the subjects as good or poor comprehenders. The poor comprehenders were then classified as one of two types of poor comprehenders, difference-poor or deficit-poor, based on CAP Vocabulary subtest scores. Because differences were likely to exist between the intact groups, Analysis of Covariance, utilizing CAP Spelling subtest scores as the covariate, was applied to predict posttest scores on the dependent variable, reading comprehension. The Reading Comprehension subtest of the Metropolitan Reading Instructional Tests was the posttest in this study. Analysis of Covariance was applied to determine whether the experimental treatment had a statistically significant effect on the posttest reading comprehension scores of the experimental group. It was hypothesized that the treatment would be more beneficial for a group of difference-poor comprehenders who fail to comprehend despite adequate vocabulary skills. However, the analyses indicated no statistically significant effects of treatment for any of the three types of comprehenders., Further research is recommended, particularly with comprehension strategies geared to the needs of the difference-poor comprehender. Further research utilizing the MRM strategy is also recommended, as the treatment accounted for much student-teacher interaction and pupil interest.
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Date Issued: 1990, 1990
Identifier: AAI9024107, 3162054, FSDT3162054, fsu:78252
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The role of phonological awareness and orthographic knowledge in first-grade reading achievement.
Creator: Zirps, Fotena Anatolia., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Three hundred children were tested in the fall and spring of their first grade year. They were given measures of phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, reading, spelling, IQ and memory. Their teachers were surveyed as to the amount of time they spent in phonics, sight vocabulary, and reading practice instruction., The results of confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, regression analysis, and partial time lag correlation analysis suggested that a model of synthesis versus...
Show moreThree hundred children were tested in the fall and spring of their first grade year. They were given measures of phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, reading, spelling, IQ and memory. Their teachers were surveyed as to the amount of time they spent in phonics, sight vocabulary, and reading practice instruction., The results of confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, regression analysis, and partial time lag correlation analysis suggested that a model of synthesis versus analysis better explained the pattern of results than a model of sensitivity versus awareness or a general model. The results also suggested that orthographic knowledge contributes unique and independent variance to reading and spelling achievement beyond that contributed by phonological awareness, even for beginning readers. Furthermore, the data suggested that orthographic knowledge enables and is enabled by beginning reading and spelling., In this study, the instructional variables did not contribute unique variance to reading and spelling achievement beyond that of phonological awareness and orthographic knowledge. The measures used in this study were reliable and should be considered for use in the first grade classroom. The teacher survey did not, however, capture the role of instruction. Instructional variables need further exploration in future research.
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Date Issued: 1990, 1990
Identifier: AAI9112124, 3162166, FSDT3162166, fsu:78364
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of oral, silent, and listening repetitive reading on the fluency and comprehension of learning-disabled students.
Creator: Monda, Lisa Ellen., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral, silent, and listening repetitive reading of expository text on the fluency and comprehension of learning disabled students at the intermediate level. The effects of these methods were assessed on two measures of fluency (words per minute and errors per minute) and two measures of comprehension (comprehension questions and passage retell)., Sixty subjects were ranked on reading achievement test score, blocked into groups of three,...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral, silent, and listening repetitive reading of expository text on the fluency and comprehension of learning disabled students at the intermediate level. The effects of these methods were assessed on two measures of fluency (words per minute and errors per minute) and two measures of comprehension (comprehension questions and passage retell)., Sixty subjects were ranked on reading achievement test score, blocked into groups of three, and randomly assigned to treatment groups. One 498 word expository text passage was divided into two parts. Subjects in the oral repeated reading condition read the first 242 words of that passage orally, twice, before reading it a third time orally. In silent repeated reading, subjects read the passage twice, silently, before reading it orally a third time. In the listening repeated reading condition, subjects listened to the passage twice before reading it aloud. Comprehension measures were then administered followed by the oral reading of passage two to assess within passage transfer. Comprehension measures were again administered., Results of a 3 (group) x 2 (passage) MANOVA revealed no differences between the three treatments on measures of fluency and comprehension. In the analysis of within passage transfer on each of the dependent measures, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant decreases in rate and accuracy from passage one to passage two. A significant increase was found in passage recall. Analysis of oral repeated readings of passage one revealed a significant increase in reading rate from the first to the third reading. Implications of this study indicate that the type of repeated practice is inconsequential, but overall, repeated readings of expository text can significantly increase reading performance of learning disabled students.
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Date Issued: 1989, 1989
Identifier: AAI9012930, 3161921, FSDT3161921, fsu:78120
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Punctuation and reading comprehension among seventh and eighth-grade students in a university lab school: An assessment.
Creator: Al-Mutib, Saleh M., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The study was designed to investigate whether internal punctuation had any effect on reading comprehension of seventh- and eighth-grade students in the Developmental Research School of Florida State University. The study subjects were 94 male and female students who took the PUNC Test devised by Carr. The test consisted of a written passage, directions, and 40 multiple-choice questions. The passage was constructed so that selected sentences required the reader to interpret internal...
Show moreThe study was designed to investigate whether internal punctuation had any effect on reading comprehension of seventh- and eighth-grade students in the Developmental Research School of Florida State University. The study subjects were 94 male and female students who took the PUNC Test devised by Carr. The test consisted of a written passage, directions, and 40 multiple-choice questions. The passage was constructed so that selected sentences required the reader to interpret internal punctuation in order to understand the meaning of the sentence. The test also consisted of 20 sets of paired sentences: 20 punctuation-dependent and 20 non-punctuation-dependent items., The results showed that the students scored lower in the punctuation-dependent items than on the non-punctuation-dependent items. Analysis showed that internal punctuation had a statistically significant and very considerable main effect on reading comprehension of the seventh and eighth grade subjects., The results also indicated that punctuation is neither sufficiently taught nor viewed as a syntactic cue system when it is taught. It constitutes a relatively minor part of most school curricula today. Accordingly, certain instructional procedures for teaching punctuation to young students were suggested., Of secondary interest, there was an attempt to determine whether students' gender as well as CTBS reading scores interacted with punctuation to affect reading comprehension. Gender was found to be statistically insignificant. CTBS reading ability was found to be statistically significant yet of little practical importance. Finally, suggestions for teaching punctuation were offered.
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Date Issued: 1989, 1989
Identifier: AAI9004988, 3161875, FSDT3161875, fsu:78074
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of Repeated Reading on decoding disfluency and reading comprehension.
Creator: Selvey, Anne Smith., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The Repeated Reading method of reading instruction is a supplemental practice technique designed to increase word identification and reading skills in general. Two variations of the Repeated Reading technique were employed in a study with 28 learning disabled subjects. The study was designed to assess the effects of 16 sessions of Repeated Reading training on the students' reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. In addition, the differential effectiveness of each variation of the technique...
Show moreThe Repeated Reading method of reading instruction is a supplemental practice technique designed to increase word identification and reading skills in general. Two variations of the Repeated Reading technique were employed in a study with 28 learning disabled subjects. The study was designed to assess the effects of 16 sessions of Repeated Reading training on the students' reading speed, accuracy and comprehension. In addition, the differential effectiveness of each variation of the technique was assessed. One variation of the technique included a comprehension variable as well as fluency training while the other focused only on increasing speed and accuracy. Data was collected on each of the variables in pre and post testing, and in each of the 16 training sessions. Results demonstrated significant increases in speed and accuracy from pre to post testing for both groups. No differential effects between groups were found. Across session analyses indicated a significant increase in accuracy, but not in speed for both groups. Again, no group differences were found. The comprehension manipulation was found to have had a small but positive effect on the comprehension focus group. Results lend credence to the use of Repeated Reading as a viable supplemental reading technique. Further longitudinal research is needed to tease out the important components of this encouraging method of reading instruction.
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Date Issued: 1989, 1989
Identifier: AAI9016506, 3161979, FSDT3161979, fsu:78178
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Psychometric characteristics of a phonological processing battery.
Creator: Laughon, Pamela., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The psychometric characteristics of a phonological processing battery were examined using kindergarten (n = 95), first grade (n = 49), and second grade (n = 89) subjects enrolled in public schools. The phonological battery consisted of subtests measuring phonological awareness, phonological access, and phonological coding. The battery also included reading achievement, general intellectual ability, and letter naming/sound knowledge subtests as criterion measures., The reliability of the...
Show moreThe psychometric characteristics of a phonological processing battery were examined using kindergarten (n = 95), first grade (n = 49), and second grade (n = 89) subjects enrolled in public schools. The phonological battery consisted of subtests measuring phonological awareness, phonological access, and phonological coding. The battery also included reading achievement, general intellectual ability, and letter naming/sound knowledge subtests as criterion measures., The reliability of the battery was assessed by examining both internal consistency estimates and test-retest reliability across all three grades. The internal consistency coefficients for the battery across all ages were satisfactory, with coefficients in the general range of.72 to.95. Test-retest reliabilities over an average interval of 12 weeks were considerably lower (range of.59 to.79 across subtests and grades)., Evidence for the construct validity of the battery included significant correlations among measures of phonological awareness, phonological coding, and phonological access across all three grade levels. For the kindergarten and second grade samples, phonological awareness subtests were significantly correlated, even when the effects of IQ were removed from the matrices. Although the correlations between subtests measuring the three types of phonological processing abilities were minimally significant, factor analytic data supported the existence of separate factors, each of which included subtests representing the three types of phonological processing abilities., Finally, concurrent validity evidence supported a moderate relationship between the phonological processing measures and reading achievement. Multiple regression analyses identified several subtests which accounted for significant proportions of the variance in reading achievement. Based on the reliability and validity data obtained using this data, a condensed battery was recommended for future research on phonological processing and reading.
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Date Issued: 1989, 1989
Identifier: AAI9016492, 3161989, FSDT3161989, fsu:78188
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effects of extensive practice in decoding delivered via computer programs on the reading performance of learning-disabled students.
Creator: Greenstein, Jonathan Jay., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The present study investigated the effects of two computer programs, developed to enhance decoding ability, on the long-term reading performance of learning-disabled students. Fourteen students selected for their slow, laborious reading style received 15 minutes daily of computer-guided practice with the Hint and Hunt and Construct A Word programs designed by DLM. A matched control group received the same amount of computer time over a full school year in areas other than reading. Pre and...
Show moreThe present study investigated the effects of two computer programs, developed to enhance decoding ability, on the long-term reading performance of learning-disabled students. Fourteen students selected for their slow, laborious reading style received 15 minutes daily of computer-guided practice with the Hint and Hunt and Construct A Word programs designed by DLM. A matched control group received the same amount of computer time over a full school year in areas other than reading. Pre and post measures of reading included speed and accuracy on a computer based task of individual word reading and a sentence verification task. In addition, standardized measures of reading such as the Gilmore Oral Reading Test and the reading subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational battery were employed. Although substantial reading gains were made over the course of the year by both groups, differential gains favoring the treatment group were detected only for the speed and accuracy measures on the individual word reading task. Thus, the computer-guided practice led to significant gains in decoding accuracy and efficiency but these gains did not translate into broader enhancement of reading performance. These data are interpreted as supporting the weak version of the verbal efficiency theory, rather than the strong version. That is, this study supports the notion that efficient decoding may be a necessary but not sufficient component of skilled reading. Recommendations for the use of computers in special education classrooms are offered.
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Date Issued: 1989, 1989
Identifier: AAI8923298, 3161833, FSDT3161833, fsu:78032
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The relationship between field-dependent/independent cognitive learning styles and selected cognitive processes in efficient/deficient reading skills among community college students.
Creator: Ellis, Patricia Anne Trefry., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant relationship between selected cognitive learning styles and degrees of reading efficiency at the community college level., In order to investigate this relationship, research was conducted at Florida Community College at Jacksonville with 208 freshmen on four campuses. Reading skills were measured by the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT), Form E. Cognitive learning styles identified were field-dependency/independency as...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant relationship between selected cognitive learning styles and degrees of reading efficiency at the community college level., In order to investigate this relationship, research was conducted at Florida Community College at Jacksonville with 208 freshmen on four campuses. Reading skills were measured by the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT), Form E. Cognitive learning styles identified were field-dependency/independency as measured by Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). The concept of cognitive articulation identified by the GEFT as it may relate to the cognitive restructuring processes involved in reading was used as the framework of this study., The results demonstrated that 60.5% of field-dependent students were deficient readers (fell below the 43rd percentile). Thirty-two percent of field-independent students were deficient readers. The factors which determined significant differences in mean reading scores were: (1) the degree of field-dependency, and (2) the level of cognitive abstraction involved in the reading test questions., Quartile one students (strongly field-dependent readers) scored significantly lower than did readers among the other three quartiles when comparing NDRT and GEFT scores. Data analyses also indicated that greater differences were found in higher-order interpretive reading skills involving abstract reasoning than were found in lower-order literal skills of detail and fact among quartile one readers. When comparing mean scores involving questions of lower-order cognition, significant differences were found only at the extreme ends of the field-dependent/independent continuum between quartiles one and four., Demographic data characterized community college students as predominantly field-dependent. Females were more predominantly field-dependent than were males. Black Americans were significantly more represented in the field-dependent sample than were Caucasian Americans. No conclusions could be drawn concerning other cultural groups due to insufficient representation.
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Date Issued: 1988, 1988
Identifier: AAI8822445, 3161621, FSDT3161621, fsu:77821
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: An evaluation of the effectiveness of two methods for providing computer-assisted repeated reading training to reading-disabled students.
Creator: Cohen, Andrew Lawrence., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The present study evaluated the instructional effectiveness of two methods for providing computer-assisted repeated reading training to reading disabled students. One repeated reading method, the Processing Power program (ICT, Inc., 1983), was designed to help disabled readers compensate for proposed dysfunctions in visual processes, while providing repeated reading practice (Fisher, 1979, 1980, 1981). Consequently, disabled readers in the processing power condition received repeated reading...
Show moreThe present study evaluated the instructional effectiveness of two methods for providing computer-assisted repeated reading training to reading disabled students. One repeated reading method, the Processing Power program (ICT, Inc., 1983), was designed to help disabled readers compensate for proposed dysfunctions in visual processes, while providing repeated reading practice (Fisher, 1979, 1980, 1981). Consequently, disabled readers in the processing power condition received repeated reading instruction that included isolated word practice to improve the efficiency of word decoding skills, widely spaced words to reduce the amount of competing textual information, and increasingly complex visual formats to reacquaint the reader with the left-to-right sequencing of text. The second method of repeated reading practice, the Reading Shell program (IDDEA Inc. and SIMPAC Educational products, Inc., 1986), provided disabled readers in the repetitive reading condition with standard text formats during all passage readings., Forty seven reading disabled students, matched in groups of three based on intelligence, age, and word recognition ability were randomly assigned to either the processing power condition, repetitive reading condition, or no-treatment control group. Contrasts between the oral reading fluency rates of subjects in the two repeated reading programs indicates that disabled readers are able to process standard text without the visual interference hypothesized by Fisher's (1979, 1980, 1981) Complementary theory of reading.
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Date Issued: 1988, 1988
Identifier: AAI8819144, 3161602, FSDT3161602, fsu:77803
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Developing executive control processes in reading: The design and evaluation of the reading strategies training program.
Creator: Jacobs, John William, III., Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was twofold. First, by following systematic instructional design procedures, component skills were identified and instructional materials were developed for a paper-based reading strategies training program (RSTP). The theoretical basis for instruction was a model describing the components of strategic reading. Ninety subjects were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions. The uninformed treatment group (UT) received only instruction on how to perform seven...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was twofold. First, by following systematic instructional design procedures, component skills were identified and instructional materials were developed for a paper-based reading strategies training program (RSTP). The theoretical basis for instruction was a model describing the components of strategic reading. Ninety subjects were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions. The uninformed treatment group (UT) received only instruction on how to perform seven reading tactics. The informed treatment group (IT) was given, in addition, information about where, when, and when not to use these tactics. The informed plus metacognition group (ITM) was given the same instructional materials as the IT group plus a four step metastrategy that was expected to aid subjects' selection and ordering of tactics. Subjects were given a pretest and posttest on skills taught in the RSTP, and an attitude questionnaire., Results of the training indicated the RSTP improved subjects' skills, although expected between-group differences were not found and skill acquisition was less than desirable for all groups. This result prompted additional training for a subset (N = 57) of the original sample, with the criterion for exclusion from retraining being absence from five or more of the original 13 training sessions. Approximately two weeks later, these subjects were individually tested with six reading tasks that required use of either low comprehension-intensive tactics (i.e., scanning or skimming) or high comprehension-intensive tactics (i.e., notetaking and summarization). As subjects performed the reading tasks, the experimenter rated their performance in terms of whether or not they applied the correct reading tactics within each task., Subjects' reading strategy use changed in response to variations in type of reading tasks (either low or high comprehension-intensive) but not in accordance with hypothesized differences based on group inclusion. Tactic use was also significantly correlated with grade and reading achievement. The finding of no significant group differences failed to support previous research indicating the efficacy of training executive control processes for facilitating transfer. However, the instructional model used to develop the RSTP, as well as data collection procedures used to investigate reading strategy use, will be useful to other researchers. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
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Date Issued: 1987, 1987
Identifier: AAI8805668, 3086796, FSDT3086796, fsu:76271
Format: Document (PDF)

Theses and Dissertations (31)	+ -
Digitized Theses and Dissertations (31)	+ -

Education, Educational Psychology (11)	+ -
Education, Elementary (5)	+ -
Education, Curriculum and Instruction (4)	+ -
Education, Early Childhood (4)	+ -
Education, Community College (3)	+ -

Education, Special (3)	+ -
Education, Technology (3)	+ -
Psychology, Developmental (3)	+ -
Library Science (2)	+ -
Black Studies (1)	+ -
Education, Administration (1)	+ -
Education, Art (1)	+ -
Education, Higher (1)	+ -
Education, Mathematics (1)	+ -
Education, Secondary (1)	+ -
Education, Tests and Measurements (1)	+ -
Education, Vocational (1)	+ -
Psychology, Experimental (1)	+ -
Psychology, Psychometrics (1)	+ -

Florida State University (31)	+ -
Al-Mutib, Saleh M. (1)	+ -
Barker, Theodore Allen. (1)	+ -
Bishop, Kay. (1)	+ -
Bonifay, Suzanne. (1)	+ -

Boyd, Marjean G. (1)	+ -
Cohen, Andrew Lawrence. (1)	+ -
Culbreth, Laurie Bonney. (1)	+ -
Ellis, Patricia Anne Trefry. (1)	+ -
Frese, Johanna Christine. (1)	+ -
Gontarski, Marsha. (1)	+ -
Greenstein, Jonathan Jay. (1)	+ -
Gregg, Gail Patricia. (1)	+ -
Hodge, Evelyn Adams. (1)	+ -
Jacobs, John William, III. (1)	+ -
Johnson, Joseph Bennington. (1)	+ -
Johnston, Callum Barnett. (1)	+ -
Laughon, Pamela. (1)	+ -
McKinnon, Janice W. (1)	+ -
Monda, Lisa Ellen. (1)	+ -
Moody, Erwin Charles. (1)	+ -
Morgan, Sharon Tristan. (1)	+ -
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