Silent Reading Reconsidered: Reinterpreting Reading Instruction and Its Effects

The effects of reading mode and braille reading patterns on braille reading speed and comprehension: A study of students with visual impairments in China

.The present study explored how average- and high-skilled second-grade readers (as identified by their Woodcock-Johnson III Test of Academic Achievement Broad Reading scores) differed on behavioral measures of reading related to comprehension: eye movements during silent reading and prosody during oral reading. Results from silent reading implicate word processing efficiency: high skilled readers had fewer fixations and intraword regressions, and shorter first fixation, gaze duration, and total word reading times. Their skipping and regression patterns during silent reading were representative of a more systematic approach to passage reading, suggesting that meta-cognitive or motivational factors may also differentiate the groups. Compared to high-skilled readers, average readers' oral reading was characterized by longer pauses, less differentiation across pause types, and more intrusions. Counter to prior research, aspects of prosody associated with expressivity favored average readers: they had a sharper pitch declination at the end of declarative sentences and used a wider range of pitch within sentences. High- and low-frequency target words yielded frequency effects during both silent and oral reading. Interactions with skill level on the oral reading task are discussed in terms of potential differences in strategic approaches to reading challenges.

BackgroundIn China, a growing number of adolescents have experienced traumatic events that have resulted in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Post-traumatic symptoms are common psychological problems in adolescents who have experienced traumatic events. However, existing studies tend to focus on the factors influencing PTSD, such as the response styles and social support, and studies on the relationships between parenting style, resilience and post-traumatic symptoms are still rare.ObjectivesTo analyze the relationships between parenting style, resilience and post-traumatic symptoms among adolescents in China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to December 2013 in the Liaoning Province, China. N = 5765 adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years old) were ultimately chosen to participate. The Chinese version of the Essen Trauma Inventory for Kids and Juveniles (ETI-KJ), a modified version of the Parental Authority Questionnaire, and the Chinese Resilience Scale were used to estimate the post-traumatic symptoms, parenting style, and resilience, respectively. Pearson’s correlations, multiple linear regression analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied to analyze the data.ResultsOf the adolescents, 39.76% (N = 2292) had been exposed to traumatic events during their lives. The prevalence of probable PTSD at the time of the interview (one-month-prevalence) was 12.65%. Parenting style and resilience were significantly associated with post-traumatic symptoms. According to the SEM, parenting style had a significant direct effect on resilience (0.70, P<0.01) and post-traumatic symptoms (-0.15, P<0.05), and resilience had a significant direct effect on the post-traumatic symptoms (-0.43, P<0.01). Furthermore, parenting style had a significant indirect effect (-0.43×0.70 = -0.30. P<0.01) on the post-traumatic symptoms through resilience. The SEM significantly explained 49% of the variance in resilience and 30% of the variance in post-traumatic symptoms.ConclusionsParenting style and resilience have significant effects on adolescents’ post-traumatic symptoms. Schools and social-related departments could share knowledge on the impact of parenting style with parents enabling them to improve their own parenting style and their children’s resilience and ability to respond effectively to traumatic events.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes* This paper extends an analysis reported by the writer in Educational Trends III, April 1934, pp. 7-13.

The effect of single syllable silent reading and pantomime speech in varied syllable positions on stuttering frequency throughout utterance productions

Vowel length is known to affect reaction times in single word reading. Eye movement studies involving silent sentence reading showed that phonological information of a word can be acquired even before it is fixated. However, it remained an open question whether vowel length directly influences oculomotor control in sentence reading. In the present eye tracking study, subjects read sentences that included target words of varying vowel length and frequency. In Experiment 1, subjects read silently for comprehension, whereas Experiment 2 involved oral reading. Experiments 3 and 4 additionally included an articulatory suppression task and a foot tapping task. Results indicated that in conditions that did not require additional articulation (Experiments 1 and 4) gaze durations were increased for words with long vowels compared to words with short vowels. Conditions that required simultaneous articulation (Experiments 2 and 3) did not yield a vowel length effect. The results point to an influence of phonetic properties on oculomotor control during silent reading around the time of the completion of lexical access.

Practice in oral and silent reading is an important component in the development of reading skills. But the extent to which students' reading instruction em phasizes such practice has not been documented. In this study, observational techniques were used to investigate the extent to which second-grade students actually read during a typical reading instructional period. Data on 53 events within 6 categories were collected in 10-second intervals during 2 two hour reading periods for each of 27 students. Approximately 240 minutes of scheduled reading time was observed; about 75% of that time was allocated to reading instruction. Students actually engaged in oral and silent reading 10-12 minutes during one reading period. The results are discussed with regard to effects of practice time on student reading.

Reading in some form occupies a large share of the curriculum of both lower and upper grades. In the first grade the time is almost wholly occupied in teaching children how to read; and, oral reading predominates. As the child progresses through the grades the time devoted to oral reading gradually diminishes and the time devoted to silent reading increases. These two forms of reading have entirely different aims. Oral reading above the primary grades aims to convey the thought to some hearer. Correct pronunciation, clear expression, and good enunciation are, therefore, necessary in the oral work. These, however, are only the mechanics which enable the reader to con vey the thought which he has in mind with force and understand ing. In silent reading, on the other hand, the aim is to teach the pupil to obtain the thought from the printed page for himself. This silent reading is followed by some form of reproduction either at once or at some future time. Until recently the teacher of the upper elementary grades has not felt the importance of teaching silent reading. Even now it is very probable that she does not realize the full importance of this teaching. Reading, oral or silent, means the recognition of the printed word as a sym bol and a correct interpretation of the symbol into a picture for which the symbol stands. Factors in Silent Reading

The complementary view of strategy combinations points to the fact that a combination of strategies that promote memory encoding and retrieval practice strategies can be effective in improving memory retention. This study examines the effectiveness of the combination of oral reading and retrieval practice strategies and the effect of the development of reading patterns on their effectiveness. This study designed a mixed experimental design of 3 (grades: Grade three, Grade five, college students) × 2 (reading mode: oral reading and silent reading) × 2 (learning strategies: re-learning and retrieval practice). Among them, reading mode is the within-subject variable, and learning strategy and grade are the between-subjects variables. The dependent variable is the ratio of specific words recalled in the final test. The results show that the oral and retrieval practice is a significant and effective combination of memory strategies for primary school students who are mainly oral reading or in the transition from oral reading to silent reading. It is significantly better than the three strategy combinations of oral reading combined with re-leaning, silent reading combined with re-learning, and silent reading combined with retrieval practice. For adult students who dominated silent reading, silent reading combined with retrieval practice is the best memory strategy.

ABSTRACTThe history of reading is a comparatively recent field. Work to date has been diverse both in period and methodology, ranging from case studies of individuals to statistical analyses of populations. This diversity means that it can be hard to discern either a broadly agreed narrative of reading practices or a clear set of debates. However, a range of scholars have emphasized contrasts between intensive and extensive reading, oral and silent reading, utilitarian and recreational reading, and public and private reading. These contrasts have been aligned with historical periods, with oral reading, for example, being associated with early modern reading in contrast to later periods. This article analyses the reading practices of Samuel Pepys and concludes that his example supports a contrast between a more intensive, oral, utilitarian, and public reading in the seventeenth century and that of later periods. Pepys's reading practices are also shown to have profound effects on his interpretation of texts. He sees texts of all genres as scripts to be performed by particular individuals, and judges them according to their suitability for this performance in a specific context.

Working memory and inductive reasoning ability each appear related to children's achievement in math and reading. Dynamic measures of reasoning, based on an assessment procedure including feedback, may provide additional predictive value. The aim of this study was to investigate whether working memory and dynamic measures of analogical reasoning are unique predictors of children's concurrent and subsequent reading and math achievement. School children (N = 188, M = 7.1 years, SD = 11 months) were administered a dynamic test of analogical reasoning comprising a pretest‐training‐posttest design. Pretest performance measures static reasoning ability, whereas posttest performance and feedback‐needs during training are considered dynamic measures. Verbal and visuo‐spatial working memories were assessed prior to dynamic testing. Performance on national reading and math achievement tests were gathered at two time points within one school year. A multilevel mixed‐effects model indicated that verbal (but not visuo‐spatial) working memory and dynamic reasoning measures formed unique predictors of concurrent and subsequent achievement in math and reading. Verbal working memory efficiency and performance on a dynamic test of analogical reasoning were both positively related to math and reading achievement in children in kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Dynamic assessment, in addition to working memory assessment, may be useful for educational psychologists when attempting to gauge children's future school performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Despite the perceived importance of time spent reading on reading growth, research supporting this notion is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of time spent reading at school and at home on intermediate grade students’ reading achievement. One hundred and ninety-five students in Grades 5 and 6 kept daily reading logs from mid-January through mid-May. A stepwise multiple regression analysis, in which standardized reading comprehension scores prior to the study served as a covariate, revealed that amount of time spent on reading during the reading period contributed significantly to gains in students’ reading achievement. Time spent on reading at home was not significantly related to reading achievement gains. Findings provide needed research support for the idea that time engaged in silent reading at school is beneficial to intermediate grade students.

In this study the researcher investigated the relative effects of different reading methods on the comprehension performance of the students. The scores of participants who read three comparable passages in three ways (oral, silent and subvocalizing) were compared. Results revealed a significant difference between oral reading and subvocalization, and between oral reading and silent reading. Oral reading had the greatest effect on comprehension performance among the three reading methods examined. All groups reported that oral reading was the most preferred reading method with the majority of respondents feeling the style best supported comprehension. Feedback suggested that oral reading was preferred specifically because it helps in memorizing words and texts, concentration, and practicing and pronouncing words for real world encounters. It is recommended that second language lecturers and students use all available reading methods in order to identify which method best serves their study objectives.

In this study the researcher investigated the relative effects of different reading methods on the comprehension performance of Balikpapan Foreign Language Academy EFL Third Semester students. The scores of participants who read three comparable passages in three ways (oral, silent and subvocalizing) were compared. Results revealed a significant difference between oral reading and subvocalization, and between oral reading and silent reading. Oral reading had the greatest effect on comprehension performance among the three reading methods examined. All groups reported that oral reading was the most preferred reading method with the majority of respondents feeling the style best supported comprehension. Feedback suggested that oral reading was preferred specifically because it helps in memorizing words and texts, concentration, and practicing and pronouncing words for real world encounters. It is recommended that second language lecturers and students use all available reading methods in order to identify which method best serves their study objectives.

This study examines teacher reading instruction strategies, defined as specific teaching activities aimed at developing students' reading comprehension skills, including guiding students to identify main ideas, make inferences, predict text content, self‐monitor understanding, and evaluate text credibility. Using PIRLS 2021 data from primary schools, the study analyzes how the frequency of these instructional strategies affects students' reading achievement. Regression results show a significant positive relationship between the use of diverse reading instruction strategies and student reading performance. Advanced methods such as double machine learning (DML) and instrumental variable (IV) methods further confirm a robust causal impact of these teaching strategies, even after controlling for potential biases and endogeneity. The effect is particularly strong when teachers engage in daily reading for pleasure and when students have a solid literacy foundation. Additionally, mediation analysis reveals that teacher assessment strategies partially mediate the positive impact of reading instruction, highlighting the role of formative assessment in supporting reading development. These findings emphasize the importance of equipping teachers with effective reading instructional practices and fostering teacher reading engagement to enhance literacy outcomes. The study offers practical implications for educational policymakers aiming to improve reading achievement through evidence‐based instructional and assessment strategies.