The association between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension has been extensively researched. However, modeling the contribution of vocabulary knowledge within different frequency ranges to second language (L2) learners' reading comprehension is an underexplored area. Thus, the present study examines the degree to which high-, mid-, and…

Although there are many methods available for assessing text comprehension, the cloze test is not widely acknowledged as one of them. Critiques on cloze testing center on its supposedly limited ability to measure comprehension beyond the sentence. However, these critiques do not hold for all types of cloze tests; the particular configuration of a…

Background: South Africa's participation across a number of international large-scale assessment programmes provides continued evidence of poor student achievement across grades and phases. Despite discouraging achievement results, evidence of slow progress begins to emerge, yet systemic inequalities persist. Aim: This article aims to unpack the…

Calls for empirical investigations of the Common Core standards (CCSSs) for English Language Arts have been widespread, particularly in the area of text complexity in the primary grades (e.g., Hiebert & Mesmer "Educational Research," 42(1), 44-51, 2013). The CCSSs mention that qualitative methods (such as Fountas and Pinnell) and…

Research documents the benefits of reading aloud to children and suggests that the more children are engaged during the read aloud experience the greater the benefit to their language and reading development. Children's engagement during a read aloud can be increased by creating anticipation regarding the story, making predictions about what will…

Digitalization produces increasingly multimodal and interactive literary forms. A major challenge for foreign language education in adopting such forms lies in deconstructing discursive borders between literary education and digital education (romance of the book vs. euphoric media heavens), thereby crossing over into a perspective in which…

Given that much of the research on classroom libraries focus on elementary school classrooms, this study sought to examine classroom libraries at the middle school level. Access to books is especially important for middle school students given the persistent decline in reading engagement at this level. The research questions guiding this…

We examined the efficacy of a content acquisition and reading comprehension intervention implemented in eighth-grade social studies classrooms. Using a within-teacher randomized control design, 18 eighth-grade teachers' social studies classes were randomly assigned to a treatment or comparison condition. Teachers taught all their classes…

The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of two storybooks -- one with realistic and one with non-realistic characters -- on children's comprehension performance. Children's performances in character and event recall, reasoning and problem-solving were compared. The participants were 100 young children enrolled in 1 of 13 classes at 4…

Reading comprehension is not an area of much attention in the EFL scene in Saudi Arabia. The reason is simple: In the current teacher perception of foreign language acquisition in the country, vocabulary and grammar are the only two components paid any attention. With the teacher at the center of the learning process, learner centric tasks such as…

Many children with different kinds of learning problems struggle with reading. To help them combat their challenges, easy-to-implement interventions are needed. Reading racetracks have proven to be effective tools to increase sight word fluency in students with disabilities. The purpose of this single-case study was to evaluate this technique, for…

This article shares processes and practices which foster students' critical consciousness. Critical consciousness, the core of social justice teaching, is a heightened awareness of the world and the power structures that shape it. Teachers can become forces for equity and change by: challenging students to reflect critically on their beliefs and…

This paper examines the use of Computer Assisted Instruction to develop students' Reading Skill in English Language. Two objectives and two research questions were formulated to guide the study. Senior Secondary School Students two (SS II) of a selected school were the participants of this study. Due to the timeframe and nature of the research,…

The purpose of this study was to explore reading rates in informational text for children in the primary grades (1-3) by analyzing a large, preexisting statewide dataset (n = 21,005). The results indicated that children in the primary grades read informational text at approximately two-thirds the rates that would be anticipated based on previous…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on student scores on the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA®) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading Assessment when students are engaged with on-line adaptive diagnostics and instruction via the Curriculum Associates (CA) i-Ready Reading on-line platform. Outcomes were explored based on…