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Toward a Theoretical Model of Text Complexity for the Early Grades: Learning from the Past, Anticipating the Future
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Mesmer, Heidi Anne; Cunningham, James W.; Hiebert, Elfrieda H. – Reading Research Quarterly, 2012
In this conceptual essay, we offer rationales and evidence for critical components of a working model of text complexity for the early grades. In the first three sections of the article, we examine word-level, syntax-level, and discourse-level features of text, posing questions for future research. In the fourth section, we address elements of…
Descriptors: Primary Education, Reader Text Relationship, Difficulty Level, Familiarity
The Effects of Familiarity or Distance in the Critical Reading of Texts.
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de Oliveira Pimenta, Sonia Maria – ESPecialist, 1989
Analyzes the familiarity or distance aspects as well as interest in topics of texts in the light of reader-text interaction. Results found that familiarity and interest with a topic of a text may influence the reading process in terms of evaluation, reader text interaction, and critical reading. (20 references) (Author/VWL)
Descriptors: Critical Reading, English (Second Language), Familiarity, Postsecondary Education
Testing Reading Comprehension in LSP: Does Topic Familiarity Affect Assessed Difficulty and Actual Performance?
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Peretz, Arna S.; Shoham, Miriam – Reading in a Foreign Language, 1990
Investigates hypothesis that topic familiarity and assessed difficulty of a text correlate positively with performance on reading comprehension tests. A study of 177 advanced students of English for Specific Purposes indicates that students' subjective evaluation of the relative difficulty of a reading text is not always a reliable index of their…
Descriptors: Difficulty Level, English for Special Purposes, Familiarity, Performance Factors