The ability to comprehend science texts is not only an academic skill but a life skill. Currently, however, the majority of students across grade levels in the United States are reading below grade level "and" have science achievement below grade level. The text structure strategy, a reading comprehension strategy in which students are…

Fountas and Pinnell (2012) warn that guided reading is not always synonymous with small-group instruction. While it may appear simple, much thought goes into a guided reading lesson. This chapter details the steps for teachers to follow in order to develop more effective guided reading and small group instruction for all students by identifying…

This article considers whether reading on screen is the same as reading on paper, and specifically whether reading comprehension is the same in both media. After reviewing relevant research, the article describes and reports the results of an NZCER research project that compared data records from online and paper-based versions of PAT: Reading…

Elevated levels of anxiety have been associated with students' poor academic performance. Research on domain-specific anxiety patterns in reading has demonstrated that reading anxiety is associated with, yet distinctive from, general anxiety. Reading anxiety is an unpleasant emotional reaction experienced by students when reading; it is a specific…

In this study, we used eye-tracking methodology for deeper understanding of the refutation text effect on online text comprehension. A refutation text acknowledges the reader's alternative conceptions about a phenomenon, refutes them and presents the correct conceptions. We tested two hypotheses about its facilitation effect: the coherence…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss reading comprehension deficits in adolescents in relation to their word reading skills and lexical and syntactic development. Although reading comprehension strategies (e.g., "Find the main idea") are often recommended, it is argued that before these can be effective, students'…

In this article, we examine the cognitive processes that are involved when readers comprehend conflicting information in multiple texts. Starting from the notion of routine validation during comprehension, we argue that readers' prior beliefs may lead to a biased processing of conflicting information and a one-sided mental model of controversial…

This paper describes the origins of the widely used curriculum--based measure of oral reading fluency (ORF) and how the creation and use of ORF norms has evolved over time. Norms for ORF can be used to help educators make decisions about which students might need intervention in reading and to help monitor students' progress once instruction has…

Prior research has suggested that episodes of mind wandering not only negatively impact text comprehension but also are associated with fluctuations in reading behavior. However, these studies typically do not account for differences in the fundamental nature of the text itself, namely, whether it is narrative or expository in structure. As much…

Research on Japanese reading has generally indicated that processing of the logographic script Kanji primarily involves whole-word lexical processing and follows a semantics-to-phonology route, while the two phonological scripts Hiragana and Katakana (collectively called Kana) are processed via a sub-lexical route, and more in a…

In this commentary, several core principles underlying the editorial and articles comprising the Special Issue on improving literacy engagement are identified and discussed. Those principles pertain to the multidimensional nature of literacy engagement, the explicit or implicit definitions offered for the construct, the positive contributions that…

In this study, researchers surveyed scholars affiliated with the National Academy of Education (NAE), NAE's International Affiliates, and Past Presidents of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), to solicit their "Top Ten" lists of books in education. Researchers conducted this study to help pre-service, new, and veteran…

Reading is a complex process that includes the integration of information about letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes). In many circumstances, such as noisy environments, response inhibition is an additional factor that plays a marked role in successful oral reading. Response inhibition can take the form of task relevant inhibition (i.e., foils…

Communication in the 21st century is no longer limited to a mastery of literal level comprehension, although it is an essential element of understanding. Now, more than ever, it is paramount that students are able to read and critically analyze texts in various genres. Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear and Leu (2008) outline the notion of New Literacies as…

Through an exploration of effective reading instructional approaches and intervention strategies that focuses on struggling readers at the elementary level, an understanding can be gained in knowing what works in the quest to close current reading gaps as identified by the state of study. By knowing the preferred methods of effective teachers'…