Search results

Title: The importance of measuring growth in response to intervention models: Testing a core assumption..
Creator: Schatschneider, Christopher, Wagner, Richard K, Crawford, Elizabeth C
Abstract/Description: A core assumption of response to instruction or intervention (RTI) models is the importance of measuring growth in achievement over time in response to effective instruction or intervention. Many RTI models actively monitor growth for identifying individuals who need different levels of intervention. A large-scale (N=23,438), two-year longitudinal study of first grade children was carried out to compare the predictive validity of measures of achievement status, growth in achievement, and...
Show moreA core assumption of response to instruction or intervention (RTI) models is the importance of measuring growth in achievement over time in response to effective instruction or intervention. Many RTI models actively monitor growth for identifying individuals who need different levels of intervention. A large-scale (N=23,438), two-year longitudinal study of first grade children was carried out to compare the predictive validity of measures of achievement status, growth in achievement, and their combination for predicting future reading achievement. The results indicate that under typical conditions, measures of growth do not make a contribution to prediction that is independent of measures of achievement status. These results question the validity of a core assumption of RTI models.
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Date Issued: 2008-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_22224065, 10.1016/j.lindif.2008.04.005, PMC3249752, 22224065, 22224065
Format: Citation

Title: An update on the Florida State Twin Registry.
Creator: Taylor, Jeanette E, Hart, Sara A, Mikolajewski, Amy J, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: The Florida State Twin Registry began in 2002 through a pilot study of personality disorders and executive cognitive functioning in adult twins. Since 2006, the registry has grown substantially as part of the Learning Disability Research Center at Florida State University that recently began its second funding cycle through the National Institute of Child Health and Development. An update on the Florida State Twin Registry sample, focus, and measures is provided, as well as future directions.
Date Issued: 2013-02-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_23067863, 10.1017/thg.2012.74, PMC3570689, 23067863, 23067863, S1832427412000746
Format: Citation

Title: Understanding Inadequate Response to First Grade Multi-Tier Intervention: Nomothetic and Idiographic Perspectives..
Creator: Greulich, Luana, Al Otaiba, Stephanie, Schatschneider, Christopher, Wanzek, Jeanne, Ortiz, Miriam, Wagner, Richard
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to learn about inadequate response to a year-long multi-tier RTI model that allowed first-grade students to move up and down tiers. Participants were 156 students who received supplemental intervention services during a larger multi-tier RTI study involving classrooms and 522 students across 10 schools. Findings from an all-subset regression indicate letter word reading, the fluency composite, and blending words explained the most...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to learn about inadequate response to a year-long multi-tier RTI model that allowed first-grade students to move up and down tiers. Participants were 156 students who received supplemental intervention services during a larger multi-tier RTI study involving classrooms and 522 students across 10 schools. Findings from an all-subset regression indicate letter word reading, the fluency composite, and blending words explained the most variance (15%) in response among initial skills. Adding additional teacher ratings of behavior and academics, accounted for a small amount of additional variance (3%) in group membership. The ROC curve analysis indicated 87.5% of students were correctly classified, yielding a sensitivity of 85.3 and a specificity of 65.0. Findings from qualitative observations of intervention sessions suggest inadequate responders demonstrated physical and verbal task avoidance and displayed emotions of hopelessness and shame. Implications for practice are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014-11-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25422532, 10.1177/0731948714526999, PMC4240018, 25422532, 25422532
Format: Citation

Title: Writing Evaluation: Rater and Task Effects on the Reliability of Writing Scores for Children in Grades 3 and 4..
Creator: Kim, Grace Young-Suk, Schatschneider, Christopher, Wanzek, Jeanne, Gatlin, Brandy, Al Otaiba, Stephanie
Abstract/Description: We examined how raters and tasks influence measurement error in writing evaluation and how many raters and tasks are needed to reach a desirable level of .90 and .80 reliabilities for children in Grades 3 and 4. A total of 211 children (102 boys) were administered three tasks in narrative and expository genres, respectively, and their written compositions were evaluated in widely used evaluation methods for developing writers: holistic scoring, productivity, and curriculum-based writing...
Show moreWe examined how raters and tasks influence measurement error in writing evaluation and how many raters and tasks are needed to reach a desirable level of .90 and .80 reliabilities for children in Grades 3 and 4. A total of 211 children (102 boys) were administered three tasks in narrative and expository genres, respectively, and their written compositions were evaluated in widely used evaluation methods for developing writers: holistic scoring, productivity, and curriculum-based writing scores. Results showed that 54% and 52% of variance in narrative and expository compositions were attributable to true individual differences in writing. Students' scores varied largely by tasks (30.44% and 28.61% of variance), but not by raters. To reach the reliability of .90, multiple tasks and raters were needed, and for the reliability of .80, a single rater and multiple tasks were needed. These findings offer important implications about reliably evaluating children's writing skills, given that writing is typically evaluated by a single task and a single rater in classrooms and even in state accountability systems.
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Date Issued: 2017-06-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_29075050, 10.1007/s11145-017-9724-6, PMC5653319, 29075050, 29075050
Format: Citation

Title: Rapid serial naming and reading ability: the role of lexical access..
Creator: Logan, Jessica A R, Schatschneider, Christopher, Wagner, Richard K
Abstract/Description: Rapid serial naming tasks are frequently used to explain variance in reading skill. However, the construct being measured by rapid naming is yet undetermined. The Phonological Processing theory suggests that rapid naming relates to reading because of similar demands of access to long-term stored phonological representations of visual stimuli. Some researchers have argued that isolated or discrete-trial naming is a more precise measure of lexical access than serial naming, thus it is likely...
Show moreRapid serial naming tasks are frequently used to explain variance in reading skill. However, the construct being measured by rapid naming is yet undetermined. The Phonological Processing theory suggests that rapid naming relates to reading because of similar demands of access to long-term stored phonological representations of visual stimuli. Some researchers have argued that isolated or discrete-trial naming is a more precise measure of lexical access than serial naming, thus it is likely that any shared variance between these two formats can be attributed to similar lexical access demands. The present study examined whether there remained any variance in reading ability that could be uniquely explained by the rapid naming task while controlling for isolated naming. Structural equation modeling was used to examine these relations within the context of the phonological processing model. Results indicated that serial naming uniquely predicted reading, and the relation was stronger with isolated naming controlled for, suggesting that isolated naming functioned as a suppressor variable in the relation of serial naming with reading.
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Date Issued: 2011-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_22215934, 10.1007/s11145-009-9199-1, PMC3246275, 22215934, 22215934
Format: Citation

Title: Predicting First Grade Reading Performance from Kindergarten Response to Tier 1 Instruction.
Creator: Al Otaiba, Stephanie, Folsom, Jessica S, Schatschneider, Christopher, Wanzek, Jeanne, Greulich, Luana, Meadows, Jane, Li, Zhi, Connor, Carol M
Abstract/Description: Many schools are beginning to implement multi-tier response to intervention (RTI) models for the prevention of reading difficulties and to assist in the identification of students with learning disabilities (LD). The present study was part of our larger ongoing longitudinal RTI investigation within the Florida Learning Disabilities Center grant. This study used a longitudinal correlational design, conducted in 7 ethnically and socio-economically diverse schools. We observed reading...
Show moreMany schools are beginning to implement multi-tier response to intervention (RTI) models for the prevention of reading difficulties and to assist in the identification of students with learning disabilities (LD). The present study was part of our larger ongoing longitudinal RTI investigation within the Florida Learning Disabilities Center grant. This study used a longitudinal correlational design, conducted in 7 ethnically and socio-economically diverse schools. We observed reading instruction in 20 classrooms, examined response rates to kindergarten Tier 1 instruction, and predicted students' first grade reading performance based upon kindergarten growth and end of year reading performance (n = 203). Teachers followed an explicit core reading program and overall, classroom instruction was rated as effective. Results indicate that controlling for students' end of kindergarten reading, their growth across kindergarten on a variety of language and literacy measures suppressed predictions of first grade performance. Specifically, the steeper the students' trajectory to a satisfactory outcome, the less likely they were to demonstrate good performance in first grade. Implications for future research and RTI implementation are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2011-07-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_21857718, PMC3156651, 21857718, 21857718
Format: Citation

Title: Professional development to differentiate kindergarten Tier 1 instruction: Can already effective teachers improve student outcomes by differentiating Tier 1 instruction?.
Creator: Otaiba, Stephanie Al, Folsom, Jessica S, Wanzek, Jeannie, Greulich, Luana, Wasche, Jessica, Schatschneider, Christopher, Connor, Carol
Abstract/Description: Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers' students ( = 416). Teachers' instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results...
Show moreTwo primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers' students ( = 416). Teachers' instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. No change was observed for vocabulary. Results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development.
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Date Issued: 2016-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27346927, 10.1080/10573569.2015.1021060, PMC4915477, 27346927, 27346927
Format: Citation

Title: A Simulation Study on the Performance of the Simple Difference and Covariance-Adjusted Scores in Randomized Experimental Designs.
Creator: Petscher, Yaacov, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: Research by Huck and McLean (1975) demonstrated that the covariance-adjusted score is more powerful than the simple difference score, yet recent reviews indicate researchers are equally likely to use either score type in two-wave randomized experimental designs. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to examine the conditions under which the simple difference and covariance-adjusted scores were more or less powerful to detect treatment effects when relaxing certain assumptions made by Huck...
Show moreResearch by Huck and McLean (1975) demonstrated that the covariance-adjusted score is more powerful than the simple difference score, yet recent reviews indicate researchers are equally likely to use either score type in two-wave randomized experimental designs. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to examine the conditions under which the simple difference and covariance-adjusted scores were more or less powerful to detect treatment effects when relaxing certain assumptions made by Huck and McLean (1975). Four factors were manipulated in the design including sample size, normality of the pretest and posttest distributions, the correlation between pretest and posttest, and posttest variance. A 5 × 5 × 4 × 3 mostly crossed design was run with 1,000 replications per condition, resulting in 226,000 unique samples. The gain score was nearly as powerful as the covariance-adjusted score when pretest and posttest variances were equal, and as powerful in fan-spread growth conditions; thus, under certain circumstances the gain score could be used in two-wave randomized experimental designs.
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Date Issued: 2011-04-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_26379310, 10.1111/j.1745-3984.2010.00129.x, PMC4569012, 26379310, 26379310
Format: Citation

Title: Using Simulations to Investigate the Longitudinal Stability of Alternative Schemes for Classifying and Identifying Children with Reading Disabilities.
Creator: Schatschneider, Christopher, Wagner, Richard K, Hart, Sara A, Tighe, Elizabeth L
Abstract/Description: The present study employed data simulation techniques to investigate the one-year stability of alternative classification schemes for identifying children with reading disabilities. Classification schemes investigated include low performance, unexpected low performance, dual-discrepancy, and a rudimentary form of constellation model of reading disabilities that included multiple criteria. Data from Spencer et al. (2014) were used to construct a growth model of reading development. The...
Show moreThe present study employed data simulation techniques to investigate the one-year stability of alternative classification schemes for identifying children with reading disabilities. Classification schemes investigated include low performance, unexpected low performance, dual-discrepancy, and a rudimentary form of constellation model of reading disabilities that included multiple criteria. Data from Spencer et al. (2014) were used to construct a growth model of reading development. The parameters estimated from this model were then used to construct three simulated datasets wherein the growth parameters were manipulated in one of three ways: A stable-growth pattern, a mastery learning pattern and a fan-spread pattern. Results indicated that overall the constellation model provided the most stable classifications across all conditions of the simulation, and that classification schemes were most stable in the fan-spread condition, and were the least stable under the mastery learning growth pattern. These results also demonstrate the utility of data simulations in reading research.
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Date Issued: 2016-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_26834450, 10.1080/10888438.2015.1107072, PMC4732731, 26834450, 26834450
Format: Citation

Title: A longitudinal cluster-randomized controlled study on the accumulating effects of individualized literacy instruction on students' reading from first through third grade.
Creator: Connor, Carol McDonald, Morrison, Frederick J, Fishman, Barry, Crowe, Elizabeth C, Al Otaiba, Stephanie, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: Using a longitudinal cluster-randomized controlled design, we examined whether students' reading outcomes differed when they received 1, 2, or 3 years of individualized reading instruction from first through third grade, compared with a treated control group. More than 45% of students came from families living in poverty. Following students, we randomly assigned their teachers each year to deliver individualized reading instruction or a treated control condition intervention focused on...
Show moreUsing a longitudinal cluster-randomized controlled design, we examined whether students' reading outcomes differed when they received 1, 2, or 3 years of individualized reading instruction from first through third grade, compared with a treated control group. More than 45% of students came from families living in poverty. Following students, we randomly assigned their teachers each year to deliver individualized reading instruction or a treated control condition intervention focused on mathematics. Students who received individualized reading instruction in all three grades showed the strongest reading skills by the end of third grade compared with those who received fewer years of such instruction. There was inconsistent evidence supporting a sustained first-grade treatment effect: Individualized instruction in first grade was necessary but not sufficient for stronger third-grade reading outcomes. These effects were achieved by regular classroom teachers who received professional development, which indicates that policies that support the use of evidence-based reading instruction and teacher training can yield increased student achievement.
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Date Issued: 2013-08-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_23785038, 10.1177/0956797612472204, PMC4737583, 23785038, 23785038, 0956797612472204
Format: Citation

Title: Modeling the Relations Among Morphological Awareness Dimensions, Vocabulary Knowledge, and Reading Comprehension in Adult Basic Education Students.
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth L, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study extended the findings of Tighe and Schatschneider (2015) by investigating the predictive utility of separate dimensions of morphological awareness as well as vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension in adult basic education (ABE) students. We competed two- and three-factor structural equation models of reading comprehension. A three-factor model of real word morphological awareness, pseudoword morphological awareness, and vocabulary knowledge emerged as the best fit and...
Show moreThis study extended the findings of Tighe and Schatschneider (2015) by investigating the predictive utility of separate dimensions of morphological awareness as well as vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension in adult basic education (ABE) students. We competed two- and three-factor structural equation models of reading comprehension. A three-factor model of real word morphological awareness, pseudoword morphological awareness, and vocabulary knowledge emerged as the best fit and accounted for 79% of the reading comprehension variance. The results indicated that the constructs contributed jointly to reading comprehension; however, vocabulary knowledge was the only potentially unique predictor (p = 0.052), accounting for an additional 5.6% of the variance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying a latent variable modeling approach to examine individual differences in the reading comprehension skills of ABE students. Further, this study replicates the findings of Tighe and Schatschneider (2015) on the importance of differentiating among dimensions of morphological awareness in this population.
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Date Issued: 2016-02-04
Identifier: FSU_pmch_26869981, 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00086, PMC4740397, 26869981, 26869981
Format: Citation

Title: A Dominance Analysis Approach to Determining Predictor Importance in Third, Seventh, and Tenth Grade Reading Comprehension Skills.
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: The purpose of the present study was to investigate and rank order by importance the contributions of various cognitive predictors to reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth graders. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that for third grade, the best fit was a four-factor solution including Fluency, Verbal Reasoning, Nonverbal Reasoning, and Working Memory factors. For seventh and tenth grade, three-factor solutions with Fluency, Reasoning, and Working Memory factors were the...
Show moreThe purpose of the present study was to investigate and rank order by importance the contributions of various cognitive predictors to reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth graders. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that for third grade, the best fit was a four-factor solution including Fluency, Verbal Reasoning, Nonverbal Reasoning, and Working Memory factors. For seventh and tenth grade, three-factor solutions with Fluency, Reasoning, and Working Memory factors were the best fit. The three and four-factor models were used in separate dominance analyses for each grade to rank order the factors by predictive importance to reading comprehension. Results indicated that Fluency and Verbal Reasoning were the most important predictors of third grade reading comprehension. For seventh grade, Fluency and Reasoning were the most important predictors. By tenth grade, Reasoning was the most important predictor of reading comprehension. Working Memory was the least predictive of reading comprehension across all grade levels. These results suggest that inferential reasoning skills become an important contributor to reading comprehension at increasing grade levels.
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Date Issued: 2014-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_26346315, 10.1007/s11145-013-9435-6, PMC4557879, 26346315, 26346315
Format: Citation

Title: Relations among student attention behaviors, teacher practices, and beginning word reading skill.
Creator: Sáez, Leilani, Folsom, Jessica Sidler, Al Otaiba, Stephanie, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: The role of student attention for predicting kindergarten word reading was investigated among 432 students. Using Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scale behavior rating scores, the authors conducted an exploratory factor analysis, which yielded three distinct factors that reflected selective attention. In this study, the authors focused on the role of one of these factors, which they labeled attention-memory, for predicting reading performance. Teacher...
Show moreThe role of student attention for predicting kindergarten word reading was investigated among 432 students. Using Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scale behavior rating scores, the authors conducted an exploratory factor analysis, which yielded three distinct factors that reflected selective attention. In this study, the authors focused on the role of one of these factors, which they labeled attention-memory, for predicting reading performance. Teacher ratings of attention-memory predicted word reading above and beyond the contribution of phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. In addition, the relations between four teacher practices and attention ratings for predicting reading performance were examined. Using hierarchical linear modeling, the authors found significant interactions between student attention and teacher practices observed during literacy instruction. In general, as ratings of attention improved, better kindergarten word reading performance was associated with high levels of classroom behavior management. However, better word reading performance was not associated with high levels of teacher task orienting. A significant three-way interaction was also found among attention, individualized instruction, and teacher task redirections. The role of regulating kindergarten student attention to support beginning word reading skill development is discussed.
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Date Issued: 2012-09-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_22207616, 10.1177/0022219411431243, PMC3328644, 22207616, 22207616, 0022219411431243
Format: Citation

Title: A Quantile Regression Approach to Understanding the Relations Among Morphological Awareness, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension in Adult Basic Education Students.
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth L, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the joint and unique contributions of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge at five reading comprehension levels in adult basic education (ABE) students. We introduce the statistical technique of multiple quantile regression, which enabled us to assess the predictive utility of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge at multiple points (quantiles) along the continuous distribution of reading comprehension. To demonstrate the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the joint and unique contributions of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge at five reading comprehension levels in adult basic education (ABE) students. We introduce the statistical technique of multiple quantile regression, which enabled us to assess the predictive utility of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge at multiple points (quantiles) along the continuous distribution of reading comprehension. To demonstrate the efficacy of our multiple quantile regression analysis, we compared and contrasted our results with a traditional multiple regression analytic approach. Our results indicated that morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge accounted for a large portion of the variance (82%-95%) in reading comprehension skills across all quantiles. Morphological awareness exhibited the greatest unique predictive ability at lower levels of reading comprehension whereas vocabulary knowledge exhibited the greatest unique predictive ability at higher levels of reading comprehension. These results indicate the utility of using multiple quantile regression to assess trajectories of component skills across multiple levels of reading comprehension. The implications of our findings for ABE programs are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2016-07-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25351773, 10.1177/0022219414556771, PMC4558398, 25351773, 25351773, 0022219414556771
Format: Citation

Title: Testing the Impact of Child Characteristics × Instruction Interactions on Third Graders' Reading Comprehension by Differentiating Literacy Instruction.
Creator: Connor, Carol McDonald, Morrison, Fredrick J, Fishman, Barry, Giuliani, Sarah, Luck, Melissa, Underwood, Phyllis S, Bayraktar, Aysegul, Crowe, Elizabeth C, Schatschneider,...
Show moreConnor, Carol McDonald, Morrison, Fredrick J, Fishman, Barry, Giuliani, Sarah, Luck, Melissa, Underwood, Phyllis S, Bayraktar, Aysegul, Crowe, Elizabeth C, Schatschneider, Christopher
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Abstract/Description: There is accumulating correlational evidence that the effect of specific types of reading instruction depends on children's initial language and literacy skills, called child characteristics × instruction (C×I) interactions. There is, however, no experimental evidence beyond first grade. This randomized control study examined whether C×I interactions might present an underlying and predictable mechanism for explaining individual differences in how students respond to third-grade classroom...
Show moreThere is accumulating correlational evidence that the effect of specific types of reading instruction depends on children's initial language and literacy skills, called child characteristics × instruction (C×I) interactions. There is, however, no experimental evidence beyond first grade. This randomized control study examined whether C×I interactions might present an underlying and predictable mechanism for explaining individual differences in how students respond to third-grade classroom literacy instruction. To this end, we designed and tested an instructional intervention (Individualizing Student Instruction [ISI]). Teachers (n = 33) and their students (n = 448) were randomly assigned to the ISI intervention or a vocabulary intervention, which was not individualized. Teachers in both conditions received professional development. Videotaped classroom observations conducted in the fall, winter, and spring documented the instruction that each student in the classroom received. Teachers in the ISI group were more likely to provide differentiated literacy instruction that considered C×I interactions than were the teachers in the vocabulary group. Students in the ISI intervention made greater gains on a standardized assessment of reading comprehension than did students in the vocabulary intervention. Results indicate that C×I interactions likely contribute to students' varying response to literacy instruction with regard to their reading comprehension achievement and that the association between students' profile of language and literacy skills and recommended instruction is nonlinear and dependent on a number of factors. Hence, dynamic and complex theories about classroom instruction and environment impacts on student learning appear to be warranted and should inform more effective literacy instruction in third grade.
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Date Issued: 2011-07-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27867226, PMC5115604, 27867226, 27867226
Format: Citation

Title: There Is a World Outside of Experimental Designs: Using Twins to Investigate Causation..
Creator: Hart, Sara A, Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study introduces a co-twin control method commonly used in the medical literature but not often within educational research. This method allows for a comparison of twins discordant for an "exposure," approximating alternative outcomes in the counterfactual model. Example analyses use data drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading to determine whether exposure to "teacher quality," measured by growth in oral reading fluency (ORF) scores of classmates, causally affects ORF performance...
Show moreThis study introduces a co-twin control method commonly used in the medical literature but not often within educational research. This method allows for a comparison of twins discordant for an "exposure," approximating alternative outcomes in the counterfactual model. Example analyses use data drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading to determine whether exposure to "teacher quality," measured by growth in oral reading fluency (ORF) scores of classmates, causally affects ORF performance of twins in the subsequent years. The analysis highlights PROC MIXED in SAS, including a novel expansion to allow for the nested data. Results from 2,788 twins suggested that being in classrooms with lower teacher quality in first grade leads to lower ORF scores in second and third grade with little indication of possible genetic or environmental confounding.
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Date Issued: 2013-03-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_23525781, 10.1177/1534508412451490, PMC3604986, 23525781, 23525781
Format: Citation

Title: There is a world outside of experimental designs: Using twins to explore causation.
Creator: Hart, Sara, Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study introduces a co-twin control method commonly used in the medical literature but not often within educational research. This method allows for a comparison of twins discordant for an "exposure", approximating alternative outcomes in the counterfactual model. Example analyses use data drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading to determine if exposure to "teacher quality", measured by growth in oral reading fluency (ORF) scores of classmates, causally affects ORF performance of...
Show moreThis study introduces a co-twin control method commonly used in the medical literature but not often within educational research. This method allows for a comparison of twins discordant for an "exposure", approximating alternative outcomes in the counterfactual model. Example analyses use data drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading to determine if exposure to "teacher quality", measured by growth in oral reading fluency (ORF) scores of classmates, causally affects ORF performance of twins in the subsequent years. The analysis highlights Proc Mixed in SAS, including a novel expansion to allow for nested data. Results from 2,788 twins suggested that being in classrooms with lower teacher quality in first grade leads to lower ORF scores in second and third grade with little indication of possible genetic or environmental confounding.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_psy_faculty_publications-0003, 10.1177/1534508412451490
Format: Citation

Title: To Wait in Tier 1 or Intervene Immediately: A Randomized Experiment Examining First Grade Response to Intervention (RTI) in Reading..
Creator: Al Otaiba, Stephanie, Connor, Carol M, Folsom, Jessica S, Wanzek, Jeanne, Greulich, Luana, Schatschneider, Christopher, Wagner, Richard K
Abstract/Description: This randomized controlled experiment compared the efficacy of two Response to Intervention (RTI) models - Typical RTI and Dynamic RTI - and included 34 first-grade classrooms (n = 522 students) across 10 socio-economically and culturally diverse schools. Typical RTI was designed to follow the two-stage RTI decision rules that wait to assess response to Tier 1 in many districts, whereas Dynamic RTI provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions immediately according to students' initial screening...
Show moreThis randomized controlled experiment compared the efficacy of two Response to Intervention (RTI) models - Typical RTI and Dynamic RTI - and included 34 first-grade classrooms (n = 522 students) across 10 socio-economically and culturally diverse schools. Typical RTI was designed to follow the two-stage RTI decision rules that wait to assess response to Tier 1 in many districts, whereas Dynamic RTI provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions immediately according to students' initial screening results. Interventions were identical across conditions except for when intervention began. Reading assessments included letter-sound, word, and passage reading, and teacher-reported severity of reading difficulties. An intent-to-treat analysis using multi-level modeling indicated an overall effect favoring the Dynamic RTI condition (d = .36); growth curve analyses demonstrated that students in Dynamic RTI showed an immediate score advantage, and effects accumulated across the year. Analyses of standard score outcomes confirmed that students in the Dynamic condition who received Tier 2 and Tier 3 ended the study with significantly higher reading performance than students in the Typical condition. Implications for RTI implementation practice and for future research are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014-10-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25530622, 10.1177/0014402914532234, PMC4269263, 25530622, 25530622
Format: Citation

Title: Evidence for Common Etiological Influences on Early Literacy Skills in Kindergarten.
Creator: Soden-Hensler, Brooke, Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: Understanding how the etiology of print awareness and phonological awareness are related to the etiology of decoding can provide insights into the development of word reading. To address this issue, we examined the degree of overlap among etiological influences of pre-reading skills in 1,252 twin pairs in kindergarten. Genetic, shared environmental, and non-shared environmental factors were significant for all three literacy phenotypes. The majority of genetic and shared environmental...
Show moreUnderstanding how the etiology of print awareness and phonological awareness are related to the etiology of decoding can provide insights into the development of word reading. To address this issue, we examined the degree of overlap among etiological influences of pre-reading skills in 1,252 twin pairs in kindergarten. Genetic, shared environmental, and non-shared environmental factors were significant for all three literacy phenotypes. The majority of genetic and shared environmental influence on decoding was due to common factors that included print awareness and phonological awareness. Notably, only a single genetic factor contributed to all three literacy phenotypes but there was additional shared environmental influence common to phonological awareness and decoding. Findings suggest commonalities in the etiology of pre-reading literacy skills that could inform work on the development of reading skill.
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Date Issued: 2012-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_23204828, 10.1080/10888438.2011.599902, PMC3507462, 23204828, 23204828
Format: Citation

Title: Examining the Underlying Dimensions of Morphological Awareness and Vocabulary Knowledge.
Creator: Spencer, Mercedes, Muse, Andrea, Wagner, Richard K, Foorman, Barbara, Petscher, Yaacov, Schatschneider, Christopher, Tighe, Elizabeth L, Bishop, M Denise
Abstract/Description: We report results from two studies on the underlying dimensions of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge in elementary-aged children. In Study 1, 99 fourth-grade students were given multiple measures of morphological awareness and vocabulary. A single factor accounted for individual differences in all morphology and vocabulary assessments. Study 2 extended these results by giving 90 eighth-grade students expanded measures of vocabulary and morphology that assessed (a) definitional...
Show moreWe report results from two studies on the underlying dimensions of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge in elementary-aged children. In Study 1, 99 fourth-grade students were given multiple measures of morphological awareness and vocabulary. A single factor accounted for individual differences in all morphology and vocabulary assessments. Study 2 extended these results by giving 90 eighth-grade students expanded measures of vocabulary and morphology that assessed (a) definitional knowledge, (b) usage, (c) relational knowledge, and (d) knowledge of morphological variants, with each potential aspect of knowledge assessed using an identical set of 23 words to control for differential knowledge of specific vocabulary items. Results indicated that a single-factor model that encompassed morphological and vocabulary knowledge provided the best fit to the data. Finally, explanatory item response modeling was used to investigate sources of variance in the vocabulary and morphological awareness tasks we administered. Implications for assessment and instruction are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2015-09-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_26273128, 10.1007/s11145-015-9557-0, PMC4530804, 26273128, 26273128
Format: Citation

Title: Examining Associations Among ADHD, Homework Behavior, and Reading Comprehension: A Twin Study..
Creator: Little, Callie W, Hart, Sara A, Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette
Abstract/Description: Previous literature has indicated an important association between reading comprehension and both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and homework habits. This investigation sought to extend previous knowledge by providing information about how ADHD and homework behavior (i.e., completing homework regularly) may jointly influence reading comprehension. Using a genetically sensitive design, this study examined the genetic and environmental influences on and between ADHD, homework...
Show morePrevious literature has indicated an important association between reading comprehension and both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and homework habits. This investigation sought to extend previous knowledge by providing information about how ADHD and homework behavior (i.e., completing homework regularly) may jointly influence reading comprehension. Using a genetically sensitive design, this study examined the genetic and environmental influences on and between ADHD, homework behavior and reading comprehension. Participants for this study included 691 twin pairs (351 monozygotic, 340 same-sex dizygotic) from the Florida Twin Project on Behavior and Environment (FTP-BE) and 2647 twin pairs (865 monozygotic, 1782 dizygotic) from the larger Florida Twin Project on Reading (FTP-R) in Grades 3 through 7. Three separate models, each representing a different definition of ADHD (full ADHD, inattention only, and hyperactivity/impulsivity only), showed similar patterns of results; therefore, results of the full ADHD model are discussed. Overlapping genetic influences were found between ADHD, homework behavior, and reading comprehension, but no shared environmental influences among all three. However, shared environmental influences overlapped between homework behavior and reading comprehension. Although the sources of this environmental overlap are unknown, these results have implications for improving homework practices and their subsequent influence on literacy skills through homework environments.
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Date Issued: 2016-07-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25349092, 10.1177/0022219414555715, PMC4411209, 25349092, 25349092, 0022219414555715
Format: Citation

Title: Examining agreement and longitudinal stability among traditional and RTI-based definitions of reading disability using the affected-status agreement statistic.
Creator: Brown Waesche, Jessica S, Schatschneider, Christopher, Maner, Jon K, Ahmed, Yusra, Wagner, Richard K
Abstract/Description: Rates of agreement among alternative definitions of reading disability and their 1- and 2-year stabilities were examined using a new measure of agreement, the affected-status agreement statistic. Participants were 288,114 first through third grade students. Reading measures were Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Oral Reading Fluency and Nonsense Word Fluency, and six levels of severity of poor reading were examined (25th, 20th, 15th, 10th, 5th, and 3rd percentile ranks). Four...
Show moreRates of agreement among alternative definitions of reading disability and their 1- and 2-year stabilities were examined using a new measure of agreement, the affected-status agreement statistic. Participants were 288,114 first through third grade students. Reading measures were Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Oral Reading Fluency and Nonsense Word Fluency, and six levels of severity of poor reading were examined (25th, 20th, 15th, 10th, 5th, and 3rd percentile ranks). Four definitions were compared, including traditional unexpected low achievement and three response-to-intervention-based definitions: low achievement, low growth, and dual discrepancy. Rates of agreement were variable but only poor to moderate overall, with poorest agreement between unexpected low achievement and the other definitions. Longitudinal stability was poor, with poorest stability for the low growth definition. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2011-05-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_21252372, 10.1177/0022219410392048, PMC3248271, 21252372, 21252372, 0022219410392048
Format: Citation

Title: Examining the Relationships of Component Reading Skills to Reading Comprehension in Struggling Adult Readers: A Meta-Analysis..
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth L, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: The current study employed a meta-analytic approach to investigate the relative importance of component reading skills to reading comprehension in struggling adult readers. A total of 10 component skills were consistently identified across 16 independent studies and 2,707 participants. Random effects models generated 76 predictor-reading comprehension effect sizes among the 10 constructs. The results indicated that six of the component skills exhibited strong relationships with reading...
Show moreThe current study employed a meta-analytic approach to investigate the relative importance of component reading skills to reading comprehension in struggling adult readers. A total of 10 component skills were consistently identified across 16 independent studies and 2,707 participants. Random effects models generated 76 predictor-reading comprehension effect sizes among the 10 constructs. The results indicated that six of the component skills exhibited strong relationships with reading comprehension (average rs ≥ .50): morphological awareness, language comprehension, fluency, oral vocabulary knowledge, real word decoding, and working memory. Three of the component skills yielded moderate relationships with reading comprehension (average rs ≥ .30 and < .50): pseudoword decoding, orthographic knowledge, and phonological awareness. Rapid automatized naming (RAN) was the only component skill that was weakly related to reading comprehension (r = .15). Morphological awareness was a significantly stronger correlate of reading comprehension than phonological awareness and RAN. This study provides the first attempt at a systematic synthesis of the recent research investigating the reading skills of adults with low literacy skills, a historically understudied population. Directions for future research, the relation of our results to the children's literature, and the implications for researchers and adult basic education programs are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2016-07-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25350926, 10.1177/0022219414555415, PMC4532638, 25350926, 25350926, 0022219414555415
Format: Citation

Title: Expanding the developmental models of writing: A direct and indirect effects model of developmental writing (DIEW)..
Creator: Kim, Young-Suk Grace, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: We investigated direct and indirect effects of component skills on writing (DIEW) using data from 193 children in Grade 1. In this model, working memory was hypothesized to be a foundational cognitive ability for language and cognitive skills as well as transcription skills, which, in turn, contribute to writing. Foundational oral language skills (vocabulary and grammatical knowledge) and higher-order cognitive skills (inference and theory of mind) were hypothesized to be component skills of...
Show moreWe investigated direct and indirect effects of component skills on writing (DIEW) using data from 193 children in Grade 1. In this model, working memory was hypothesized to be a foundational cognitive ability for language and cognitive skills as well as transcription skills, which, in turn, contribute to writing. Foundational oral language skills (vocabulary and grammatical knowledge) and higher-order cognitive skills (inference and theory of mind) were hypothesized to be component skills of text generation (i.e., discourse-level oral language). Results from structural equation modeling largely supported a complete mediation model among four variations of the DIEW model. Discourse-level oral language, spelling, and handwriting fluency completely mediated the relations of higher-order cognitive skills, foundational oral language, and working memory to writing. Moreover, language and cognitive skills had both direct and indirect relations to discourse-level oral language. Total effects, including direct and indirect effects, were substantial for discourse-level oral language (.46), working memory (.43), and spelling (.37), followed by vocabulary (.19), handwriting (.17), theory of mind (.12), inference (.10), and grammatical knowledge (.10). The model explained approximately 67% of variance in writing quality. These results indicate that multiple language and cognitive skills make direct and indirect contributions, and it is important to consider both direct and indirect pathways of influences when considering skills that are important to writing.
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Date Issued: 2017-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_28260812, 10.1037/edu0000129, PMC5330285, 28260812, 28260812
Format: Citation

Title: Expanding the Developmental Models of Writing: A Direct and Indirect Effects Model of Developmental Writing (DIEW).
Creator: Kim, Young-Suk, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: We investigated direct and indirect effects of component skills on writing (DIEW) using data from 193 children in Grade 1. In this model, working memory was hypothesized to be a foundational cognitive ability for language and cognitive skills as well as transcription skills, which, in turn, contribute to writing. Foundational oral language skills (vocabulary and grammatical knowledge) and higher-order cognitive skills (inference and theory of mind) were hypothesized to be component skills of...
Show moreWe investigated direct and indirect effects of component skills on writing (DIEW) using data from 193 children in Grade 1. In this model, working memory was hypothesized to be a foundational cognitive ability for language and cognitive skills as well as transcription skills, which, in turn, contribute to writing. Foundational oral language skills (vocabulary and grammatical knowledge) and higher-order cognitive skills (inference and theory of mind) were hypothesized to be component skills of text generation (i.e., discourse-level oral language). Results from structural equation modeling largely supported a complete mediation model among four variations of the DIEW model. Discourse-level oral language, spelling, and handwriting fluency completely mediated the relations of higher-order cognitive skills, foundational oral language, and working memory to writing. Moreover, language and cognitive skills had both direct and indirect relations to discourse-level oral language. Total effects, including direct and indirect effects, were substantial for discourse-level oral language (.46), working memory (.43), and spelling (.37), followed by vocabulary (.19), handwriting (.17), theory of mind (.12), inference (.10), and grammatical knowledge (.10). The model explained approximately 67% of variance in writing quality. These results indicate that multiple language and cognitive skills make direct and indirect contributions, and it is important to consider both direct and indirect pathways of influences when considering skills that are important to writing.
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Date Issued: 2016-05-12
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_scholarship_submission_1462974256, 10.1037/edu0000129
Format: Citation

Title: Expanding the environment: gene × school-level SES interaction on reading comprehension..
Creator: Hart, Sara A, Soden, Brooke, Johnson, Wendy, Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette
Abstract/Description: Influential work has explored the role of family socioeconomic status (SES) as an environmental moderator of genetic and environmental influences on cognitive outcomes. This work has provided evidence that socioeconomic circumstances differentially impact the heritability of cognitive abilities, generally supporting the bioecological model in that genetic influences are greater at higher levels of family SES. The present work expanded consideration of the environment, using school-level SES...
Show moreInfluential work has explored the role of family socioeconomic status (SES) as an environmental moderator of genetic and environmental influences on cognitive outcomes. This work has provided evidence that socioeconomic circumstances differentially impact the heritability of cognitive abilities, generally supporting the bioecological model in that genetic influences are greater at higher levels of family SES. The present work expanded consideration of the environment, using school-level SES as a moderator of reading comprehension. The sample included 577 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading, Behavior and Environment. Reading comprehension was measured by the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) Reading in third or fourth grade. School-level SES was measured by the mean Free and Reduced Lunch Status (FRLS) of the schoolmates of the twins. The best-fitting univariate G × E moderation model indicated greater genetic influences on reading comprehension when fewer schoolmates qualified for FRLS (i.e., 'higher' school-level SES). There was also an indication of moderation of the shared environment; there were greater shared environmental influences on reading comprehension at higher school-level SES. The results supported the bioecological model; greater genetic variance was found in school environments in which student populations experienced less poverty. In general, 'higher' school-level SES allowed genetic and probably shared environmental variance to contribute as sources of individual differences in reading comprehension outcomes. Poverty suppresses these influences.
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Date Issued: 2013-10-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_23725549, 10.1111/jcpp.12083, PMC3766464, 23725549, 23725549
Format: Citation

Title: Expanding the environment: gene × school-level SES interaction on reading comprehension.
Creator: Hart, Sara, Soden, Brook, Johnson, Wendy (Psychologist), Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette
Abstract/Description: BACKGROUND: Influential work has explored the role of family socioeconomic status (SES) as an environmental moderator of genetic and environmental influences on cognitive outcomes. This work has provided evidence that socioeconomic circumstances differentially impact the heritability of cognitive abilities, generally supporting the bioecological model in that genetic influences are greater at higher levels of family SES. The present work expanded consideration of the environment, using school...
Show moreBACKGROUND: Influential work has explored the role of family socioeconomic status (SES) as an environmental moderator of genetic and environmental influences on cognitive outcomes. This work has provided evidence that socioeconomic circumstances differentially impact the heritability of cognitive abilities, generally supporting the bioecological model in that genetic influences are greater at higher levels of family SES. The present work expanded consideration of the environment, using school-level SES as a moderator of reading comprehension. METHODS: The sample included 577 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading, Behavior and Environment. Reading comprehension was measured by the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) Reading in third or fourth grade. School-level SES was measured by the mean Free and Reduced Lunch Status (FRLS) of the schoolmates of the twins. RESULTS: The best-fitting univariate G × E moderation model indicated greater genetic influences on reading comprehension when fewer schoolmates qualified for FRLS (i.e., 'higher' school-level SES). There was also an indication of moderation of the shared environment; there were greater shared environmental influences on reading comprehension at higher school-level SES. CONCLUSIONS: The results supported the bioecological model; greater genetic variance was found in school environments in which student populations experienced less poverty. In general, 'higher' school-level SES allowed genetic and probably shared environmental variance to contribute as sources of individual differences in reading comprehension outcomes. Poverty suppresses these influences.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: FSU_migr_psy_faculty_publications-0010, 10.1111/jcpp.12083
Format: Citation

Title: Exploring the Co-Development of Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension: A Twin Study..
Creator: Little, Callie W, Hart, Sara A, Quinn, Jamie M, Tucker-Drob, Elliot M, Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study explores the co-development of two related but separate reading skills, reading fluency and reading comprehension, across Grades 1-4. A bivariate biometric dual change score model was applied to longitudinal data collected from 1,784 twin pairs between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Grade 1 skills were influenced by highly overlapping genetic and environmental factors. Growth in both skills was influenced by highly overlapping shared environmental factors. Cross-lagged parameters...
Show moreThis study explores the co-development of two related but separate reading skills, reading fluency and reading comprehension, across Grades 1-4. A bivariate biometric dual change score model was applied to longitudinal data collected from 1,784 twin pairs between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Grade 1 skills were influenced by highly overlapping genetic and environmental factors. Growth in both skills was influenced by highly overlapping shared environmental factors. Cross-lagged parameters indicated bidirectional effects, with stronger effects from fluency to comprehension change than from comprehension to fluency change.
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Date Issued: 2017-05-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27859016, 10.1111/cdev.12670, PMC5423830, 27859016, 27859016
Format: Citation

Title: Exploring how symptoms of Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are related to reading and mathematics performance: General genes, general environments.
Creator: Hart, Sara, Petrill, Stephen, Willcutt, Erik, Thompson, Lee, Schatschneider, Christopher, Deater-Deckard, Kirby D., Cutting, Laurie E.
Abstract/Description: Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) tend to perform more poorly on tests of reading and mathematical performance than their typical peers. Quantitative genetic analyses allow for a better understanding of the etiology among ADHD, reading and mathematics outcomes, examining the common and unique genetic and environmental influences. Analyses were based on a sample 271 pairs of 10-year-old monozygotic and dizygotic twins drawn from the Western Reserve Reading and...
Show moreChildren with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) tend to perform more poorly on tests of reading and mathematical performance than their typical peers. Quantitative genetic analyses allow for a better understanding of the etiology among ADHD, reading and mathematics outcomes, examining the common and unique genetic and environmental influences. Analyses were based on a sample 271 pairs of 10-year-old monozygotic and dizygotic twins drawn from the Western Reserve Reading and Mathematics Project. In general, the results suggested that the association among ADHD symptoms, reading and math outcomes was influenced by both common genetic and environmental factors. Outside of this common relationship, ADHD symptoms also suggested significant independent genetic effects. The results imply differing etiological factors underlying the relationships among ADHD, reading and mathematics. It appears that both genetic and common family and/or school environments link ADHD and academic performance.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_psy_faculty_publications-0009, 10.1177/0956797610386617
Format: Citation

Title: Exploring how nature and nurture affect the development of reading: an analysis of the Florida Twin Project on reading..
Creator: Hart, Sara A, Logan, Jessica A R, Soden-Hensler, Brooke, Kershaw, Sarah, Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: Research on the development of reading skills through the primary school years has pointed to the importance of individual differences in initial ability as well as the growth of those skills. Additionally, it has been theorized that reading skills develop incrementally. The present study examined the genetic and environmental influences on 2 developmental models representing these parallel ideas, generalizing the findings to explore the processes of reading development. Participants were...
Show moreResearch on the development of reading skills through the primary school years has pointed to the importance of individual differences in initial ability as well as the growth of those skills. Additionally, it has been theorized that reading skills develop incrementally. The present study examined the genetic and environmental influences on 2 developmental models representing these parallel ideas, generalizing the findings to explore the processes of reading development. Participants were drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading, with a total of 2,370 pairs of twins representative of the state of Florida. Twins' oral reading fluency scores from school progress monitoring records collected in the fall of Grades 1-5 were used to model development. Results suggested that genetic influences on the development of reading are general, shared across the early school years, as well as novel, with new genetic influences introduced at each of the first 3 years of school. The shared environment estimates suggest a pattern of general influences only, suggesting environmental effects that are moderate and stable across development.
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Date Issued: 2013-10-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_23294149, 10.1037/a0031348, PMC3758396, 23294149, 23294149, 2013-00029-001
Format: Citation

Title: Genetic and environmental influences on early literacy skills across school grade contexts.
Creator: Haughbrook, Rasheda, Hart, Sara A, Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette
Abstract/Description: Recent research suggests that the etiology of reading achievement can differ across environmental contexts. In the US, schools are commonly assigned grades (e.g. 'A', 'B') often interpreted to indicate school quality. This study explored differences in the etiology of early literacy skills for students based on these school grades. Participants included twins drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading (n = 1313 pairs) aged 4 to 10 years during the 2006-07 school year. Early literacy...
Show moreRecent research suggests that the etiology of reading achievement can differ across environmental contexts. In the US, schools are commonly assigned grades (e.g. 'A', 'B') often interpreted to indicate school quality. This study explored differences in the etiology of early literacy skills for students based on these school grades. Participants included twins drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading (n = 1313 pairs) aged 4 to 10 years during the 2006-07 school year. Early literacy skills were assessed with DIBELS subtests: Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), Initial Sound Fluency (ISF), Letter Naming Fluency (LNF), and Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF). School grade data were retrieved from the Florida Department of Education. Multi-group analyses were conducted separately for subsamples defined by 'A' or 'non-A' schools, controlling for school-level socioeconomic status. Results indicated significant etiological differences on pre-reading skills (ISF, LNF, and PSF), but not word-level reading skills (ORF and NWF). There was a consistent trend of greater environmental influences on pre-reading skills in non-A schools, arguably representing 'poorer' environmental contexts than the A schools. Importantly, this is the case outside of resources linked with school-level SES, indicating that something about the direct environment on pre-reading skills in the non-A school context is more variable than for A schools.
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Date Issued: 2017-09-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_27496364, 10.1111/desc.12434, PMC5293682, 27496364, 27496364
Format: Citation

Title: Genetic influence on literacy constructs in kindergarten and first grade: evidence from a diverse twin sample..
Creator: Taylor, Jeanette, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: Historically, twin research on reading has been conducted on older children and the generalizability of results across racial/ethnic/socioeconomic groups is unclear. To address these gaps, early literacy skills were examined among 1,401 twin pairs in kindergarten and 1,285 twin pairs in first grade (ages 5-7). A multi-group analysis was conducted separately for subsamples defined by neighborhood income while controlling for race/ethnicity within each grade. Substantial additive genetic and...
Show moreHistorically, twin research on reading has been conducted on older children and the generalizability of results across racial/ethnic/socioeconomic groups is unclear. To address these gaps, early literacy skills were examined among 1,401 twin pairs in kindergarten and 1,285 twin pairs in first grade (ages 5-7). A multi-group analysis was conducted separately for subsamples defined by neighborhood income while controlling for race/ethnicity within each grade. Substantial additive genetic and shared environmental effects were found for early literacy skills measured in kindergarten. In first grade, variance in early reading was associated with large additive genetic effects for middle and high neighborhood income twins, but shared environmental influence was substantial for low neighborhood income twins. Results suggest that the etiological architecture of some early literacy skills may differ across economic contexts.
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Date Issued: 2010-09-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_20563747, 10.1007/s10519-010-9368-7, PMC3529359, 20563747, 20563747
Format: Citation

Title: Examining transactional influences between reading achievement and antisocially-behaving friends.
Creator: Hart, Sara A, Mikolajewski, Amy J, Johnson, Wendy, Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette
Abstract/Description: The association between poorer academic outcomes and having antisocial friends is reliably demonstrated yet not well understood. Genetically sensitive designs uniquely allow for measuring genetic vulnerabilities and/or environmental risk in the association of antisocial friend behavior and poor school achievement, allowing for a better understanding of the nature of the association. This study included 233 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading. First, the role of antisocial...
Show moreThe association between poorer academic outcomes and having antisocial friends is reliably demonstrated yet not well understood. Genetically sensitive designs uniquely allow for measuring genetic vulnerabilities and/or environmental risk in the association of antisocial friend behavior and poor school achievement, allowing for a better understanding of the nature of the association. This study included 233 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading. First, the role of antisocial friends as an environmental moderator of reading comprehension was examined. Antisocial friends significantly moderated the nonshared environmental variance in reading comprehension, with increased variation at lower levels of association with antisocial friends, with niche-picking indicated. Second, the role of reading comprehension as an environmental moderator of antisocial friends was examined. Reading comprehension significantly moderated the nonshared environmental variance in associating with antisocial friends, with increased variance at lower levels of reading comprehension and indication that common genetic influences contributed to higher reading achievement and better-behaved friends. In total, these results suggested reciprocal influences between reading achievement and antisocially-behaving friends. The impact of antisocial friends appeared to be limited in the extent to which they can undermine reading achievement, and high reading achievement appeared to support less association with antisocial friends.
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Date Issued: 2014-12-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25242836, 10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.008, PMC4166503, 25242836, 25242836
Format: Citation

Title: Examining transactional influences between reading achievement and antisocially-behaving friends.
Creator: Hart, Sara, Mikolajewski, Amy, Johnson, Wendy (Psychologist), Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette
Abstract/Description: The association between poorer academic outcomes and having antisocial friends is reliably demonstrated yet not well understood. Genetically sensitive designs uniquely allow for measuring genetic vulnerabilities and/or environmental risk in the association of antisocial friend behavior and poor school achievement, allowing for a better understanding of the nature of the association. This study included 233 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading. First, the role of antisocial...
Show moreThe association between poorer academic outcomes and having antisocial friends is reliably demonstrated yet not well understood. Genetically sensitive designs uniquely allow for measuring genetic vulnerabilities and/or environmental risk in the association of antisocial friend behavior and poor school achievement, allowing for a better understanding of the nature of the association. This study included 233 pairs of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading. First, the role of antisocial friends as an environmental moderator of reading comprehension was examined. Antisocial friends significantly moderated the nonshared environmental variance in reading comprehension, with increased variation at lower levels of association with antisocial friends, with niche-picking indicated. Second, the role of reading comprehension as an environmental moderator of antisocial friends was examined. Reading comprehension significantly moderated the nonshared environmental variance in associating with antisocial friends, with increased variance at lower levels of reading comprehension and indication that common genetic influences contributed to higher reading achievement and better-behaved friends. In total, these results suggested reciprocal influences between reading achievement and antisocially-behaving friends. The impact of antisocial friends appeared to be limited in the extent to which they can undermine reading achievement, and high reading achievement appeared to support less association with antisocial friends.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_psy_faculty_publications-0013, 10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.008
Format: Citation

Title: Floor effects associated with universal screening and their impact on the early identification of reading disabilities.
Creator: Catts, Hugh W, Petscher, Yaacov, Schatschneider, Christopher, Sittner Bridges, Mindy, Mendoza, Katherin
Abstract/Description: Response to intervention (RTI) holds great promise for the early identification and prevention of reading disabilities. The success of RTI rests in part on the accuracy of universal screening tools used within this framework. Despite advancements, screening instruments designed to identify children at risk for reading disabilities continue to have limited predictive validity. In this study, the authors examined a common screening instrument for the presence of floor effects and investigated...
Show moreResponse to intervention (RTI) holds great promise for the early identification and prevention of reading disabilities. The success of RTI rests in part on the accuracy of universal screening tools used within this framework. Despite advancements, screening instruments designed to identify children at risk for reading disabilities continue to have limited predictive validity. In this study, the authors examined a common screening instrument for the presence of floor effects and investigated the impact that these effects have on the predictive validity of the instrument. Longitudinal data (kindergarten to third grade) from a large cohort of children were used. These data included children's performance on five measures from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and two reading achievement outcome measures. The results showed that DIBELS measures were characterized by floor effects in their initial administrations and that these effects reduced the predictive validity of the measures. The implications of these findings for early identification are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2009-03-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_19098274, 10.1177/0022219408326219, PMC4308976, 19098274, 19098274, 0022219408326219
Format: Citation

Title: Home Environmental and Behavioral Risk Indices for Reading Achievement.
Creator: Taylor, Jeanette, Ennis, Chelsea R, Hart, Sara A, Mikolajewski, Amy J, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: The goal of this study was to identify home environmental and temperament/behavior variables that best predict standardized reading comprehension scores among school-aged children. Data from 269 children aged 9-16 ( = 12.08; = 1.62) were used in discriminant function analyses to create the and indices. Family income was controlled in each index. The final and models each classified around 75% of cases correctly (reading comprehension at grade level vs. not). Each index was then used to...
Show moreThe goal of this study was to identify home environmental and temperament/behavior variables that best predict standardized reading comprehension scores among school-aged children. Data from 269 children aged 9-16 ( = 12.08; = 1.62) were used in discriminant function analyses to create the and indices. Family income was controlled in each index. The final and models each classified around 75% of cases correctly (reading comprehension at grade level vs. not). Each index was then used to predict other outcomes related to reading. Results showed that and/or accounted for 4-7% of the variance in reading fluency and spelling and 20-35% of the variance in parent-rated problems in math, social anxiety, and other dimensions. These metrics show promise as environmental and temperament/behavior risk scores that could be used to predict and potentially screen for further assessment of reading related problems.
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Date Issued: 2017-07-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_29151723, 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.05.010, PMC5685532, 29151723, 29151723
Format: Citation

Title: Incorporating RTI in a Hybrid Model of Reading Disability.
Creator: Spencer, Mercedes, Wagner, Richard K, Schatschneider, Christopher, Quinn, Jamie, Lopez, Danielle, Petscher, Yaacov
Abstract/Description: The present study seeks to evaluate a hybrid model of identification that incorporates response-to-intervention (RTI) as a one of the key symptoms of reading disability. The one-year stability of alternative operational definitions of reading disability was examined in a large scale sample of students who were followed longitudinally from first to second grade. The results confirmed previous findings of limited stability for single-criterion based operational definitions of reading disability...
Show moreThe present study seeks to evaluate a hybrid model of identification that incorporates response-to-intervention (RTI) as a one of the key symptoms of reading disability. The one-year stability of alternative operational definitions of reading disability was examined in a large scale sample of students who were followed longitudinally from first to second grade. The results confirmed previous findings of limited stability for single-criterion based operational definitions of reading disability. However, substantially greater stability was obtained for a hybrid model of reading disability that incorporates RTI with other common symptoms of reading disability.
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Date Issued: 2014-08-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25422531, 10.1177/0731948714530967, PMC4240020, 25422531, 25422531
Format: Citation

Title: Identifying and Intervening with Beginning Readers Who Are At-Risk for Dyslexia: Advances in Individualized Classroom Instruction..
Creator: Al Otaiba, Stephanie, McDonald Connor, Carol, Foorman, Barbara, Schatschneider, Christopher, Greulich, Luana, Sidler, Jessica Folsom
Date Issued: 2009-10-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25598861, PMC4296731, 25598861, 25598861
Format: Citation

Title: Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, And Shifting Predict Reading Disability Symptoms In A Hybrid Model: Project Kids.
Creator: Daucourt, Mia C., Schatschneider, Christopher, Connor, Carol M., Al Otaiba, Stephanie, Hart, Sara A.
Abstract/Description: Recent achievement research suggests that executive function (EF), a set of regulatory processes that control both thought and action necessary for goal-directed behavior, is related to typical and atypical reading performance. This project examines the relation of EF, as measured by its components, Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting, with a hybrid model of reading disability (RD). Our sample included 420 children who participated in a broader intervention project when they...
Show moreRecent achievement research suggests that executive function (EF), a set of regulatory processes that control both thought and action necessary for goal-directed behavior, is related to typical and atypical reading performance. This project examines the relation of EF, as measured by its components, Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting, with a hybrid model of reading disability (RD). Our sample included 420 children who participated in a broader intervention project when they were in KG-third grade (age M = 6.63 years, SD = 1.04 years, range = 4.79-10.40 years). At the time their EF was assessed, using a parent-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), they had a mean age of 13.21 years (SD = 1.54 years; range = 10.47-16.63 years). The hybrid model of RD was operationalized as a composite consisting of four symptoms, and set so that any child could have any one, any two, any three, any four, or none of the symptoms included in the hybrid model. The four symptoms include low word reading achievement, unexpected low word reading achievement, poorer reading comprehension compared to listening comprehension, and dual-discrepancy response-to-intervention, requiring both low achievement and low growth in word reading. The results of our multilevel ordinal logistic regression analyses showed a significant relation between all three components of EF (Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting) and the hybrid model of RD, and that the strength of EF's predictive power for RD classification was the highest when RD was modeled as having at least one or more symptoms. Importantly, the chances of being classified as having RD increased as EF performance worsened and decreased as EF performance improved. The question of whether any one EF component would emerge as a superior predictor was also examined and results showed that Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting were equally valuable as predictors of the hybrid model of RD. In total, all EF components were significant and equally effective predictors of RD when RD was operationalized using the hybrid model.
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Date Issued: 2018-03-20
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000427890900001, 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00238
Format: Citation

Title: Investigating Predictors of Listening Comprehension in Third-, Seventh-, and Tenth-Grade Students: A Dominance Analysis Approach..
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth L, Spencer, Mercedes, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study rank ordered the contributive importance of several predictors of listening comprehension for third, seventh, and tenth graders. Principal components analyses revealed that a three-factor solution with fluency, reasoning, and working memory components provided the best fit across grade levels. Dominance analyses indicated that fluency and reasoning were the strongest predictors of third grade listening comprehension. Reasoning emerged as the strongest predictor of seventh and tenth...
Show moreThis study rank ordered the contributive importance of several predictors of listening comprehension for third, seventh, and tenth graders. Principal components analyses revealed that a three-factor solution with fluency, reasoning, and working memory components provided the best fit across grade levels. Dominance analyses indicated that fluency and reasoning were the strongest predictors of third grade listening comprehension. Reasoning emerged as the strongest predictor of seventh and tenth grade listening comprehension. These findings suggest a shift in the contributive importance of predictors to listening comprehension across development (i.e., grade levels). The implications of our findings for educators and researchers are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2015-01-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_26877573, 10.1080/02702711.2014.963270, PMC4750491, 26877573, 26877573
Format: Citation

Title: Misunderstood statistical assumptions undermine criticism of the National Early Literacy Panel's Report.
Creator: Schatschneider, Christopher, Lonigan, Christopher J
Date Issued: 2010-05-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_22294803, 10.3102/0013189X10369931, PMC3268038, 22294803, 22294803
Format: Citation

Title: Modeling the Relations Among Morphological Awareness Dimensions, Vocabulary Knowledge, and Reading Comprehension in Adult Basic Education Students.
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth L., Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study extended the findings of Tighe and Schatschneider (2015) by investigating the predictive utility of separate dimensions of morphological awareness as well as vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension in adult basic education (ABE) students. We competed two- and three-factor structural equation models of reading comprehension. A three-factor model of real word morphological awareness, pseudoword morphological awareness, and vocabulary knowledge emerged as the best fit and...
Show moreThis study extended the findings of Tighe and Schatschneider (2015) by investigating the predictive utility of separate dimensions of morphological awareness as well as vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension in adult basic education (ABE) students. We competed two- and three-factor structural equation models of reading comprehension. A three-factor model of real word morphological awareness, pseudoword morphological awareness, and vocabulary knowledge emerged as the best fit and accounted for 79% of the reading comprehension variance. The results indicated that the constructs contributed jointly to reading comprehension; however, vocabulary knowledge was the only potentially unique predictor (p = 0.052), accounting for an additional 5.6% of the variance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying a latent variable modeling approach to examine individual differences in the reading comprehension skills of ABE students. Further, this study replicates the findings of Tighe and Schatschneider (7015) on the importance of differentiating among dimensions of morphological awareness in this population.
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Date Issued: 2016-02-04
Identifier: FSU_libsubv1_wos_000369224400001, 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00086
Format: Citation

Title: Applying a Multiple Group Causal Indicator Modeling Framework to the Reading Comprehension Skills of Third, Seventh, and Tenth Grade Students.
Creator: Tighe, Elizabeth L, Wagner, Richard K, Schatschneider, Christopher
Abstract/Description: This study demonstrates the utility of applying a causal indicator modeling framework to investigate important predictors of reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth grade students. The results indicated that a 4-factor multiple indicator multiple indicator cause (MIMIC) model of reading comprehension provided adequate fit at each grade level. This model included latent predictor constructs of decoding, verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory and accounted for a...
Show moreThis study demonstrates the utility of applying a causal indicator modeling framework to investigate important predictors of reading comprehension in third, seventh, and tenth grade students. The results indicated that a 4-factor multiple indicator multiple indicator cause (MIMIC) model of reading comprehension provided adequate fit at each grade level. This model included latent predictor constructs of decoding, verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory and accounted for a large portion of the reading comprehension variance (73% to 87%) across grade levels. Verbal reasoning contributed the most unique variance to reading comprehension at all grade levels. In addition, we fit a multiple group 4-factor MIMIC model to investigate the relative stability (or variability) of the predictor contributions to reading comprehension across development (i.e., grade levels). The results revealed that the contributions of verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and working memory to reading comprehension were stable across the three grade levels. Decoding was the only predictor that could not be constrained to be equal across grade levels. The contribution of decoding skills to reading comprehension was higher in third grade and then remained relatively stable between seventh and tenth grade. These findings illustrate the feasibility of using MIMIC models to explain individual differences in reading comprehension across the development of reading skills.
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Date Issued: 2015-04-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_25821346, 10.1007/s11145-014-9532-1, PMC4371741, 25821346, 25821346
Format: Citation

Title: Behavioral genetic approach to the study of dyslexia.
Creator: Hensler, Brooke Soden, Schatschneider, Christopher, Taylor, Jeanette, Wagner, Richard K
Abstract/Description: Dyslexia is a prominent focus of practitioners, educators, and researchers because of the myriad consequences of failing to read proficiently. The aim of this study was to provide a brief overview of how twin studies can offer insight on the cause of many human behaviors and disorders including dyslexia, discuss common misconceptions regarding findings from behavioral genetic studies, briefly review the evidence on the relationship between genes, environment, and dyslexia, and finally present...
Show moreDyslexia is a prominent focus of practitioners, educators, and researchers because of the myriad consequences of failing to read proficiently. The aim of this study was to provide a brief overview of how twin studies can offer insight on the cause of many human behaviors and disorders including dyslexia, discuss common misconceptions regarding findings from behavioral genetic studies, briefly review the evidence on the relationship between genes, environment, and dyslexia, and finally present some findings from a large-scale twin study on reading and dyslexia. Participants were twins from a large ethnically and socioeconomically diverse twin sample in an ongoing longitudinal study of reading and dyslexia. Heritabilities of reading ability and dyslexia were calculated for 1,024 first grade twins on a standardized reading measure. Children were identified as dyslexic if they scored at the 15th percentile or below on a reading measure. Relatively high heritabilities were observed for both reading ability and dyslexia indicating substantial genetic influences. Further, results indicated some overlap of genetic factors influencing reading ability and dyslexia. Behavioral genetic studies offer a means of understanding the cause of dyslexia. This study extended research to a more diverse sample than extant studies and found lower heritability estimates of reading ability and dyslexia, but a similar pattern of results indicating possible genetic overlap. Twin studies provide perspective for discoveries of specific genes involved in dyslexia by quantifying the amount of variance waiting to be accounted for by genes while simultaneously providing an impetus to continue working on efforts for environmental intervention.
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Date Issued: 2010-09-01
Identifier: FSU_pmch_20814252, 10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181ee4b70, PMC2952936, 20814252, 20814252, 00004703-201009000-00002
Format: Citation

Florida Learning Disability Research Center (36)	+ -
Florida Center for Reading Research (7)	+ -
Department of Psychology (6)	+ -
School of Teacher Education (1)	+ -

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Child, Preschool (6)	+ -
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Comprehension (4)	+ -
Longitudinal Studies (4)	+ -
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Diseases in Twins/epidemiology (2)	+ -
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text (44)	+ -
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Taylor, Jeanette (14)	+ -
Hart, Sara A (10)	+ -
Wagner, Richard K (9)	+ -
Al Otaiba, Stephanie (8)	+ -
Tighe, Elizabeth L (7)	+ -

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