One avenue for developing second language (L2) vocabulary knowledge is through Extensive Reading (ER). ER can provide opportunities for incidental learning to occur. Class time is often too restricted for sufficient attention to deliberate learning (Hunt & Beglar, 2005) meaning ER is important for L2 vocabulary development. This article builds…

THE HYPOTHESIS TESTED WAS THAT WHEN PICTURES AND WORDS ARE PRESENTED TOGETHER, THE PICTURES MAY MISCUE AND DIVERT ATTENTION, AND THEREBY INTERFERE WITH THE ACQUISITION OF READING RESPONSES. IN EXPERIMENT 1, 30 RANDOMLY ASSIGNED PRE-FIRST GRADERS LEARNED TO READ FOUR WORDS WITH NO PICTURES, A SIMPLE PICTURE, OR A COMPLEX PICTURE PRESENT. DURING…

Sixty of the possible beginning phonemes of English monosyllables were paired with the vowel /a/ in nonsense syllables, and used in illustrative one-syllable words. The sixty manners of commencing words had been scaled in terms of their relative perceptual similarity-dissimilarity in sounds. Both syllables and words were divided into three levels…

Results of a study using the keyword method of vocabulary learning showed increased comprehension of English vocabulary in context, as well as usage of that vocabulary in a novel context. (MKM)

A study extended word association methodology beyond isolated word stimuli to investigate the effects of written context on the meanings that proficient readers impart to words. A repeated-measures design was used to assess the responses of 62 sixth grade readers to target words at three levels: no context, limited context, and expanded context.…

Noting that current cognitive theories focus on the belief that knowledge is an organized collection of long-term structures upon which various processing mechanisms operate, this paper argues that mental functioning may be more readily characterized if the idea of abstract long-term associations and structures is abandoned. It proposes a model of…

First grade children were the subjects for this investigation which focused on the role of meaning in the learning of sight vocabulary. (HOD)

Study investigated incidental learning of word meanings from context during normal reading. Effects of word and text properties were examined in detail. Small but reliable gains in knowledge were found at all grade levels and ability levels tested. (RB)

There are basically two different models for the word recognition process. One model postulates that a reader primarily uses sound/symbol cues to recognize a word; a second model states that a reader focuses mainly on whole-word characteristics. To determine which model best fits beginning and adult readers, a multiple regression analysis was…

As research progresses in the direction of studying more complex materials such as sentences and paragraphs, it becomes increasingly useful to have a pool of associative norms. The stimulus words for the free association norms presented here were chosen because 100 of them were not used before, they are primary associates of words for which norms…

This study examined the assumption that language expression and reading performance are related processes. Subjects included a total of 676 nine-year-old children of heterogeneous socioeconomic status, intelligence, and achievement levels. Verbal fluency was defined as being a measure of associative verbal encoding (a/v/e), wherein children give…

Critically analyzes explanations of reading difficulty and research methods used to investigate reading difficulty. (Author)

Research into the reading process has shaped an understanding of how readers "make meaning" when they are engaged in a reading activity. This research has highlighted a learning triad--the reader, the text, and the context (or learning environment)--that interactively affects the manner in which the student will comprehend a particular…