ABSTRACT

The present study examined whether syntactic comprehension constitutes a source of individual differences separate from vocabulary and of relevance to reading comprehension. One hundred and sixty-one Danish Grade 6 students completed multiple tests of syntactic comprehension, vocabulary, decoding, and reading comprehension. Syntax measures were designed to isolate syntactic skills. Syntax and vocabulary measures included expressive and receptive tasks to balance method variance. Structural equation models supported that syntactic comprehension and vocabulary constituted separate, moderately correlated factors, and that syntactic comprehension had the strongest direct effect on reading comprehension. The results suggest that syntactic comprehension and vocabulary are separate sources of individual differences, and thus that some students misunderstand texts due to difficulties establishing how individual words relate to each other in sentences based on syntactic signals. The study also suggests that for sixth-grade students, individual differences in syntactic comprehension are at least as important as individual differences in vocabulary.

Abstract

The authors, literacy and language researchers, and teacher educators and their daughters, use narrative inquiry to story the embodied digital literacy practices of two girls of color as the girls played Animal Crossing online during the COVID-19 pandemic and communicated about their (game)play via text messaging. We conceptually frame the girls enacting of embodied digital literacies during their (game)play as the interplay of cuentos, pláticas, and cousins, an intentionally stancetaking that centers minds/bodies/spirits of girls of color. We provide productive implications for teaching, teacher education, and research communities seeking to build with the embodied digital literacies of girls of color as strengths in and out of school contexts.

Reading Research Quarterly, Volume 60, Issue 2, April/May/June 2025.

The graphical abstract represents a descriptive account of repair, illustrating one reading orientation scholars might adopt to expand how power is read in critical literacy research.

Abstract

In the 21st century, the term “critical” has attached itself to numerous aspects of literacy research. However, what critical means remains commonly anchored to Freire and a primary critical reading practice—suspicious critique. Expanding critical literacy research (CLR), this article advances reading orientations as a conceptual tool for drawing attention to the phenomenological aspects of our critical reading practices and for exploring alternative “methods” and “moods” for reading power in literacy studies. Through three “re-turns” to previous publications within the field of critical literacy, I position myself as an exploratory case. The first re-turn surveys four leading models of critical literacy, which I encountered in my graduate training, and highlights how critique and suspicion function in these models. The second re-turn zooms into my own work, re-reading three previous publications to illustrate how suspicious critique has influenced my research. Experimental, my third re-turn presents previously unpublished data to engage an alternative reading method—reparative description—and illustrates how we might read power otherwise in CLR. Together, these re-turns emphasize the possibilities of accounting for reading orientations in CLR and for exploring additional methods and moods of reading within the field.

Abstract

In this article, the author explores rhetorical contextual languaging (as it relates to writing) as critical translingual assemblages of material ecologies↔affectual solidarities. Situated in the scholarship on critical translingual literacies, affect, and assemblage theory, two data-theory intervals are featured as exemplars. Data are drawn from global sociopolitical movements and from one Midwest U.S. classroom of adolescent youth enacting multilingual, multimodal, and material literacies. For each interval presented, the author thinks with theory-data to animate the critical translingual assemblages that are produced among writers of diverse racial and linguistic backgrounds, their shared affects and solidarities, and the material landscapes in which they are immersed. She concludes by discussing critical translingual assemblages as an ontological shift in multilingual writing research and as liberatory pedagogies that resist separating writers from the rhetorical contextual languaging and sensations demanded of translingual writing/processes.

Abstract

Cross-sectional studies have already addressed the question of the syllable's role in the first steps of reading acquisition—though with mixed results. To determine whether and when (1) syllables become units that drive the segmentation of and access to words and how (2) sublexical orthographic and phonological syllable frequency mediate the syllable effects, we conducted a short-term longitudinal study in French-speaking typically developing children who are learning to read (N = 50). We assumed that children early refer to orthographic regularities and sublexical orthographic and phonological frequency and structural properties of syllables to segment and access words. A lexical decision task in a visual masked priming paradigm was used to assess the automatic activation of syllables in good and poor readers at five different timepoints from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Our results confirmed a gradual use and reading level-dependent availability of phonological syllables. Good readers with good qualitative and quantitative phonological representations early automated and generalized the access and use of phonological syllables compared with poor readers who struggled with distributional and structural properties to access and use phonological syllables. Although high-frequency orthographic syllables consistently facilitated access to words in both good and poor readers, this was the phonological syllable frequency that modulated the expression, the direction, and the amplitude of the syllable effects, particularly in good readers. For the first time, our data provided a longitudinal overview of syllable effects at the first steps of learning to read in French-speaking children. These have implications for understanding reading acquisition and, by extension, set syllable-based reading interventions for children with reading difficulties.

Reading Research Quarterly, Volume 60, Issue 2, April/May/June 2025.

The Reading Tree.

Abstract

In this essay, I outline some of the essential ingredients of a universal theory of reading acquisition, one that seeks to highlight commonalities while embracing the global diversity of languages, writing systems, and cultures. I begin by stressing the need to consider insights from multiple disciplines including neurobiology, cognitive science, linguistics, socio-cultural, and historical inquiry, although my major emphasis is on a writing systems approach. A theme common to several of these perspectives is the need to attain a level of word reading speed and effortlessness necessary to overcome the severe limitations of human (sequential) information processing thereby allowing the reader to devote maximum cognitive resources to comprehension. I then present the Combinatorial Model—a universal theory of learning to read based on the fundamental principle of spoken and written language combinatoriality. This principle (“infinite ends from finite means”) makes it possible for children to learn how to decipher (i.e., decode), combine and chunk/unitize a limited and learnable set of rudimentary (typically meaningless) elements such as letters, aksharas, syllabograms, and character components into a nested hierarchy of meaningful higher-order units such as morphemes and words that can be recognized instantly and effortlessly via rapid parallel processing of their constituent elements. Combinatoriality enables an orthography to provide learnability and decipherability for the novice reader (via phonological transparency) as well as unitizability and automatizability for the expert (via morphemic transparency). I then elaborate on the (i) dual nature of this model and the unfamiliar-to-familiar/novice-to-expert framework, (ii) the unit/s of unitization, and (iii) the dual nature of writing. I liken the development of reading to a tree that grows both upwards and outwards. Vertical growth can be thought of as a universal 3-phase progression from sub-morphemic, through morpho-lexical, to supra-lexical phases in which later-developing phases do not replace earlier phases but are added in a nested combinatorial hierarchy. Outward growth is conceptualized as a process of knowledge arborization—ongoing refinement, elaboration, and diversification. I conclude by noting that, despite important recent advances, our knowledge of learning to read in non-European and non-alphabetic systems is still in its infancy. Current research is over-reliant on English—an outlier orthography—together with a handful of Roman-script Western European languages. This has led reading science to neglect many issues of global significance such as homography, tone, diacritics, visual complexity, non-linearity, linguistic distance, multilingualism, multiscriptism, and more. An appreciation of the specifics of the particular language (or languages) and orthography (or orthographies) a child is learning to read within the broader context of global linguistic, orthographic, and cultural diversity is crucial not only for a deeper understanding of learning to read a specific language but for a truly global non-ethnocentric science of reading.

Graphical abstract illustrating the impact of an online course on enhancing student motivation and engagement in reading contemporary American literature. Key elements include improved reading efficiency, curiosity, confidence, and engagement, with visual indicators of growth through bar charts and upward arrows, highlighting the positive outcomes of interactive distance learning.

Abstract

The effectiveness of distance learning primarily depends on the motivation and engagement of students. The aim of this article is to determine whether the developed online course enhances students' motivation to read and their engagement with contemporary American literature. The methodology is based on an experimental design. A mixed-methods approach was employed for data analysis, combining statistical data analysis (t-test) with qualitative survey methods (pre- and post-testing). The study was conducted with a sample of 150 Chinese students from two universities (Leshan Normal University and Wuhan Qingchuan University), who took the “Contemporary American Literature” course from September to December 2022. The pre-and post-testing data indicate significant improvements across most parameters. For instance, reading efficiency, students' confidence in their reading abilities, and their potential to succeed in reading tasks increased by 21.4%; the “Challenge” dimension showed a notable growth of 17.2%; curiosity rose by 16.7%; and engagement in reading also increased by 18.5%. This demonstrates that students developed a greater interest in stories, particularly those related to fantasy, mystery, and adventure, and formed a deeper connection with characters and narratives. Most notably, avoidance of reading tasks decreased by 16.7%, which is a positive outcome as it indicates a reduced likelihood of students avoiding reading assignments. Given the large sample size, the critical t-value is approximately 1.96. Since all t-values exceed the critical value of 1.96, the null hypothesis was rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis for each dimension. This indicates that the course had a statistically significant impact on the students' motivation and engagement in reading. The practical significance of these results underscores the potential of contemporary American literature courses, particularly those utilizing interactive methods in distance learning.

Reading Research Quarterly, Volume 60, Issue 2, April/May/June 2025.

The graphical abstract describes the development and validation of the Teacher-Reported Reading Engagement Survey (TRRES), highlighting its unidimensionality, discrimination capacity for high engagement levels, high reliability, and fairness.

Abstract

This study aimed to design and validate the Teacher-Reported Reading Engagement Survey (TRRES) to complement self-reported measures and comprehensively assess reading engagement among adolescents. Drawing insights from literature and expert feedback, a new 10-item Likert scale instrument was created, capturing three facets of reading engagement: behavioral, social, and cognitive (Lee et al., 2021). A sample of 534 low-income 8th and 9th graders from Santiago, Chile, was used to assess TRRES's reliability for educational settings. Face validity was confirmed through expert reviews and exit interviews. Internal validity was rigorously assessed with Item Response Theory (IRT). Specifically, a polytomous Rasch model confirmed a unidimensional construct. For reliability measures, Expected A Posteriori (EAP) and Cronbach's alpha were used, resulting in very high reliability (EAP = 0.83; alpha = 0.96). To increase TRRES' practical use among teachers, a 3-item version (TRRES-A) was evaluated following criteria of being short and easy to use, yielding high reliability (EAP = 0.79; alpha = 0.87). Results highlight TRRES-A as a short, practical, and highly reliable screener for measuring reading engagement through adolescence. The initial 10-item version, suitable for qualitative purposes, complements the shorter version's practicality. Limitations include the TRRES's constrained sensitivity in distinguishing students with low levels of engagement, emphasizing the need for fine-grained analyses that yield this type of finding and inform stakeholders' decisions when choosing an instrument. Findings suggest valuable applications for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking nuanced insights into reading engagement among adolescents.

Abstract

The relationship between reading and well-being is gaining increasing interest among those working in research, policy and practice, as we seek to better understand if, and how, reading books supports wellbeing. To date, the majority of research has focused on children and young people, neglecting to consider the well-being benefits that reading books may have later in life. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 15 older adults (aged 63–83) from the UK, we provide novel insights into how reading fiction supports feelings of positive affect (emotions elicited by, and influencing, reading experiences), connection (to fictional characters, settings, and authors, in addition to real-life others) and personal growth (lifelong reflection, empathy and enhanced understanding of others, and improved knowledge and communication). This article provides much needed nuanced insights into the role of fiction book reading later in life. Implications for practice and future research directions are suggested.

This research project investigated the effects of UFLI Foundations, a foundational reading skills instructional program, on early literary development with kindergarten and first grade students with below average early literacy skills using a cross-cohort quasi-experimental design. Multilevel modeling showed that students in the treatment group demonstrated significantly higher early literacy skills in March or April of the school year, as compared to the control group, and high adherence of program implementation led to higher growth.

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the positive effects of systematically teaching phonemic awareness and phonics in kindergarten and first grade, but many commonly used reading curricula do not adequately incorporate these foundational skills. In this study, we examined the efficacy of an instructional program (UFLI Foundations) in foundational reading skills (i.e., phonemic awareness and phonics) with students in kindergarten and first grade. We compared students who received a full year of the instructional program to propensity score matched control students, who received business-as-usual instruction, with a cross-cohort quasi-experimental design. Multilevel modeling results demonstrated that adding instruction in foundational skills increased early literacy skills scores by more than 1.0 standard deviation. Further, we found that students of teachers who taught with greater adherence to the UFLI Foundations program had larger effects. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Abstract

Previous studies uncover that vocabulary knowledge may be related to compound structure awareness (the awareness of relational structure embedded in compound words), and they both contribute to reading comprehension. Yet, limited studies have examined the dynamic relationship between vocabulary knowledge and compound structure awareness, or their joint contributions (including growth rates) to reading comprehension. Our study aimed to fill this gap in Chinese, an ideal target language with complex grammatical structures of compound words. We followed 125 native Mandarin-Chinese-speaking children in Mainland China from Grades 3 to 6, with one testing point in the fall of each grade and a total of four testing times. These children's vocabulary, compound structure awareness, and text reading comprehension were measured as three key variables, and their Chinese character reading, word reading fluency, and compounding awareness were measured as three control variables in model analyses; all materials were adopted from previous research and were highly reliable and valid. We fitted the latent growth models and found that children's initial vocabulary in Grade 3 significantly predicted their compound structure awareness growth over Grades 3 to 6, and then predicted reading comprehension in Grade 6. However, such results were not evident the other way around. Importantly, initial vocabulary knowledge and compound structure awareness in Grade 3 and their growth rates from Grades 3 to 6 contributed to reading comprehension skills in Grade 6. Our findings demonstrate the necessity of considering vocabulary knowledge and compound structure awareness jointly and longitudinally to support early reading development.

Abstract

The article explored the impact of topic background knowledge (TBK) on children's language ability development and reading-related emotional factors. TBK refers to the foundational knowledge that children possess concerning a specific subject or topic. The content schemata theory suggests that a high level of TBK facilitates information processing during reading activities, benefiting language learning outcomes, fostering reading interest, and reducing reading anxiety. The current study used experts' evaluation of TBK levels that children might have towards books, children's key cue predictions, eye-tracking indicators, and topic-related knowledge test to select low-level TBK books that children had. A total of 346 kindergarteners and their parents were selected and randomly divided into four groups across TBK levels (high level vs. low level) that children had in selected books, and the parent–child interactive reading approach [Dialogic reading (DR) vs. Typical reading (TR)]. This study enhanced children TBK through pre-learning activities which provided relevant information related to the target book content. The high-level TBK children received relevant knowledge pre-learning activities towards books used in formal reading intervention, while low-level TBK children received irrelevant knowledge pre-learning activities to counterbalance. The children were pretested on their receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading interest, and reading anxiety. After an eight-week intervention, a posttest was administered to assess the same measures. The results showed that both TBK and parent–child interactive reading approach enhanced children's language development via book reading activities. Furthermore, a pre-learning activity is an appropriate approach to enhance the level of TBK. This study extended the application of the content schemata theory in parent–child reading activities and highlighted the importance of TBK in parent–child reading.

We examined the effectiveness of phonological awareness (Rosner’s Auditory Segmentation) and working memory (pseudoword repetition) tests in the Russian language for students with different levels of phonological ability. The findings suggest that the overall item difficulty is too low to fully capture the range of phonological ability in native Russian-speaking children. Based on item analysis, we argue that increasing syllable count and subsyllabic complexity in pseudoword items, as well as using auditory segmentation items with middle or final elision will be most effective for detecting higher levels of ability.

Abstract

Phonological awareness and phonological working memory are essential for successful language acquisition and development of literacy. Although this essence is language-universal, its degree varies for different languages, depending, in part, on language transparency. The current study analyzes the adapted versions of the pseudoword repetition test (assessing phonological working memory) and Rosner's Auditory Segmentation test (assessing phonological awareness) in a typically developing Russian native sample of children (n = 502). As a preparatory step to item analysis, we investigated the effects of grade and gender on performance using a mixed effects model. The initial item analysis was carried out using model comparison within the Item Response Theory model framework and threshold/slope analysis. The majority of the items in both assessments did not differentiate between students with different levels of phonological ability. Further item selection using regression tree models led to the formation of predictive and non-predictive item subsets for each assessment. After comparing the item subsets on various linguistic metrics, the differences were found in number of syllables and subsyllabic complexity for the pseudoword repetition test and elision segment position for the auditory segmentation test. The findings inform test development strategies in the cases of extremely low difficulty/discrimination of the items and outline a blueprint of pseudoword repetition and auditory segmentation test's adaptation for potentially detecting higher levels of phonological ability in transparent languages such as Russian.