Abstract The authors sought to further the understanding of reading processes and their links to comprehension using two reading tasks for elementary‐grade students. One hundred sixty‐six students in grades 2–5 were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: reading with questions presented concurrently with text or reading with questions presented after reading the text (with the text unavailable when answering questions). Eye movement data suggested different processes for each task: Rereading occurred and more time was spent on higher level processing measures in the with‐text condition, and in particular, those who did not reread had more accurate answers than those who engaged in rereading. Measurement of students’ precision in returning directly to the portion of the passage with information corresponding to a question also predicted students’ response accuracy.

Abstract Despite a heightened focus on information literacy, students and adults alike struggle to assess online information. In this article, the authors argue that the K–12 information literacy curriculum needs to focus on supporting students to develop identities as expert information seekers to address complex and mutable modern literacy needs. The authors explore commonalities and themes within three different expert information‐seeking professions: academic librarians, journalists, and nonfiction children's book authors. From semistructured interviews emerged distinct themes of doing, knowing, and being that expert information seekers employed when encountering information. The authors believe that these identity practices could form the basis of an information‐seeking curriculum that can help address the challenges of the current online information environment.

Abstract Oral deaf children and hearing children with dyslexia both experience literacy challenges, although their reasons differ. The authors explored the problems underlying poor literacy in each group and drew implications for reading interventions. Data were collected using standardized literacy and phonological measures from 69 severe‐to‐profoundly prelingually deaf children ages 10 and 11 years, all communicating with spoken language, and compared with equivalent data from 20 hearing children with a history of dyslexia matched on reading ability. Children were given a large battery of tasks assessing word and nonword reading, spelling, vocabulary, and reading‐related skills, including letter sound knowledge, phonological awareness, rapid automated naming, and verbal short‐term memory. Striking similarities were observed for word reading, nonword reading, and spelling across groups, and associations between the measures and reading‐related skills were similar. However, differences between the two groups emerged in the strength of association between literacy and vocabulary. Regression analyses confirmed vocabulary as a key predictor of literacy in the oral deaf group. These results suggest that not only children with a history of dyslexia but also oral deaf children who struggle with reading should receive specialist literacy support. Reading interventions for oral deaf children should target phonological and language skills within a fully integrated approach.

Abstract It is commonly believed that reading challenges should be addressed early to reduce the likelihood that developmental delays will impact students over the long term. However, students in developing countries often have limited access to reading resources. In this study, the authors used a randomized controlled trial of 11,083 fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students in 120 primary schools in rural China to examine the causal effect of an in‐class library program on student reading outcomes and academic achievement in schools with poor reading resources over an eight‐month period. An in‐class library was installed in each of the selected classes in the 40 treatment schools. The authors found that the program significantly improved student affinity toward reading and student reading habits, and in these regards, it narrowed the gap between male and female students, between low‐ and high‐performing students, and between left‐behind children and children living with parents. However, the authors found no overall effect of the program on reading and academic achievement and a negative effect on student confidence in reading. There was also no effect on student, teacher, and primary caregiver perceptions toward the effect of independent reading on academic achievement, nor any effect on whether teachers and primary caregivers provided reading instructions to students. The authors propose three possible explanations for these findings: a lack of reading instruction from teachers and caregivers, a lack of reading materials specifically tailored to local needs and interests, and the relatively short duration of the intervention.

Abstract In this study, the authors used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 to examine the instructional time allocation and instructional practices in eighth‐grade English language arts classes for struggling readers, as measured by track level. The authors also analyze the titles and text complexity of the last three books assigned to students. The authors found that track level continues to be a significant predictor of what happens instructionally in the classroom. Struggling readers placed in low‐track classes spent a larger portion of class time on skills and strategy instruction, completing worksheets, watching videos, and reading aloud than students in grade‐level classes. Students in high‐track classes spent more time on literature analysis, comprehension instruction, and group projects and were more frequently assigned homework than students in grade‐level classes. Although there was considerable overlap in the text complexity and the text titles of books assigned at each track level, students in low‐track classes read less challenging texts than students in grade‐level or above‐grade‐level classes. Regression models controlling for a variety of student, teacher, and school variables, including student achievement, show that these adjustments in class time allocation, instructional practices, and text complexity go above and beyond what would be expected based on student achievement alone.

Abstract In this secondary analysis study, the authors explored the relations between reading comprehension and oral reading performance in fourth‐grade students, using a data set from the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) special study of oral reading. The data set consisted of 1,713 students randomly selected from the 140,000 fourth graders who participated in the 2002 main NAEP reading assessment. Oral reading was measured by word‐reading accuracy, rate, and prosody. The authors investigated how these variables related to NAEP comprehension across the ability distribution, with a focus on students with low comprehension scores. The results add to the literature in several ways. First, indicators of oral reading fluency continue to explain variation in reading comprehension, even when students had been given multiple opportunities to familiarize themselves with the passage that they read aloud. Second, word‐reading accuracy and reading rate independently explained comprehension scores. Third, the authors observed qualitatively different profiles of fourth‐grade readers with low comprehension scores. Nearly all students with reading rates lower than one standard deviation below the mean also had problems with word recognition, as evidenced by the relatively higher number of word‐reading errors and low prosody ratings. The authors interpret these findings in light of the lexical quality hypothesis and the verbal efficiency theory, which emphasize the importance of word‐level accuracy and automaticity to reading comprehension.

Reading Research QuarterlyVolume 53, Issue 3 p. 273-276 Issue InformationFree Access Issue Information First published: 26 June 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.208AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume53, Issue3July/August/September 2018Pages 273-276 RelatedInformation

Abstract This study explored the connection between gesture and writing in early childhood. Participants were 139 children ages 2 years 6 months to 5 years 11 months attending two U.S. childcare centers serving low‐income, urban families. Qualitative methods were used to record adult–child writing interactions in classroom composing events and in a standard photo caption writing task. Analysis of children's photo captions showed that 55% of children ages 2 years 6 months to 3 years 5 months used at least one kind of inscribed gesture (e.g., boundary inscriptions, pointing lines). Use of inscribed gestures decreased for older preschoolers. The younger preschoolers also used inscribed gestures in classroom composing events but less frequently. Multimodal interaction analysis was used to microanalyze talk, gesture, body posture, proxemics, and graphic activity for a subsample of 28 children ages 2 years 6 months to 3 years 5 months as they wrote photo captions with adults. Results showed that empty‐handed and object gestures were important modes of communication for preschoolers and adults engaged in writing events. As children pointed to the page with a pen in hand, they inscribed their gestures on the page, creating graphic arrays that indicated the target of joint attention. Adults foregrounded and reframed the child's inscribed gestures as emergent forms of writing, offering timely responses that provided opportunities to learn social expectations for writing processes, messages, and purposes. Overall, inscribed gestures served as an initial form of meaningful participation in writing events for preschoolers. In line with Vygotsky, gesture provided a launching point for learning to write in early childhood.