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The twofold purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the relative importance of decoding skills to reading comprehension in reading development and to identify which reader characteristics and reading assessment characteristics contribute to differences in the decoding and reading comprehension correlation. A meta-analysis of 110 studies found a sizeable average corrected correlation (r̄c = .74). Two reader characteristics (age and listening comprehension level) were significant moderators of the relationship. Several assessment characteristics were significant moderators, particularly for young readers: the way that decoding was measured and, with respect to the reading comprehension assessment, text genre; whether or not help was provided with decoding; and whether or not the texts were read aloud. Age and measure of decoding were the strongest moderators. We discuss the implications of these findings for assessment and the diagnosis of reading difficulties.

Previous studies have documented robust relationships between emergent literacy and later reading performance. A growing body of research has also reported associations between motivational factors and reading in early phases of reading development. However, there is less research about cross-lagged relationships between motivational factors and reading skills in beginning readers. To examine relationships between early reading skills, literacy interest and reader self-concept, we tested 1141 children twice during their first year of formal reading instruction in school. Cross-lagged analysis showed strong stability in reading skills and medium stability in literacy interest and reader self-concept over the first school year. We also found bidirectional relationships between reading skills and self-concept and between the motivational components of literacy interest and reader self-concept. In the final part of the article, we address the potential theoretical progress attainable through the use of cross-lagged designs in this field.

One of the aims for compulsory education is to diminish or alleviate differences in children’s skills existing prior to school entry. However, a growing gender gap in reading development has increasingly been documented. Regrettably, there is scant evidence on whether differences between genders (favouring girls) have their roots in pre-reading skills or whether determining mechanisms are related to factors to do with schooling. We examined the extent to which pre-reading skills assessed in Kindergarten (age 6) predict reading comprehension in Grade 9 (age 15) and, whether the gender difference in reading comprehension can be explained by gender differences in the Kindergarten pre-reading skills. A sample of 1010 Finnish children were assessed on letter knowledge, phonological awareness, rapid naming, vocabulary, and listening comprehension in Kindergarten and on reading comprehension using PISA Reading tasks in Grade 9. Path models showed that gender as well as Kindergarten pre-reading skills except for phonological awareness were significant predictors of reading comprehension in Grade 9 accounting for 28% of the variance. There were gender differences in most of the measures, but the prediction model estimates were similar for boys and girls except that for boys, letter knowledge was a somewhat stronger predictor of reading comprehension than for girls. The gender effect on reading comprehension was only partially mediated via pre-reading skills. The findings suggest that Kindergarten pre-reading skills are powerful predictors of reading comprehension in Grade 9, but the gender difference found in PISA Reading in Finland does not appear to be pronounced in Kindergarten but rather emerges during the school years.

As students are processing information from digital media and educational materials, they are increasingly being interrupted by competing media and their surroundings. This trend of increased interruptions suggests the continuous increase of instances of fragmented reading in learning settings for the younger generation of students. This study investigated learning in situations where information and the processing of information were either fragmented or congruous. In this study, information (congruous and fragmented) and information processing (congruous and fragmented) were examined using a 2 × 2 design on reading materials. Four classes totaling 129 students participated in the study. The effects of these two factors on reading skills (including reading attention and comprehension), perceived reading motivation, persistence, and attitude of primary school students were investigated. The findings showed four effects. (1) Significant differences in the reading comprehension and attention scores of the four student groups; (2) significant influence of reading processing (congruous vs. fragmented) on reading comprehension results; (3) an interaction between genders and reading conditions, that is, girls exhibited higher reading attention than boys when using fragmented reading materials; and (4) a relationship among different levels of reading engagement and reading skills, that is, readers with medium-level reading engagement gained high reading scores regardless of their reading conditions. Fragmented information and fragmented information processing are increasingly common in and out of classroom. The results of this study may help in the design of instruction, instructional activities, and instructional support, especially amid the expansion of ICT in various educational contexts.

Young Adult literature is a growing genre. This study examined print exposure within Adult fiction, and Children’s and Young Adult fiction in 90 adolescents (Mage = 16.3). Results showed that scores on an Author Recognition Test (ART) containing the names of Children’s and Young Adult fiction authors were positively correlated with adolescents’ general reading and spelling abilities and single-word reading speed. The same pattern was either weaker, or absent, with scores on an ART containing Adult authors names. Furthermore, recognizing Children’s and Young Adult authors predicted performance on the adolescents’ standardized reading and spelling measures, above and beyond recognizing adult authors. Scores on the ART containing Children’s and Young Adult authors also predicted reading speed, even after controlling for general reading and spelling abilities. These findings add to three decades of inquiry into the cognitive correlates of print exposure.

Reading is developed over time and involves the interaction of both simple and complex skills characterised by a hierarchical sequence of foundational reading skills. However, research has shown that children who do not acquire mastery of foundational reading skills have limited chances of acquiring reading success. This study examines the relations between sub-components of reading in Xitsonga and their impact on Grade 1 learners' reading ability. It also aims to identify which early reading skills predict later reading accomplishment. Data in this study was obtained from 75 Grade 1 learners in the Limpopo Province. The early-grade reading assessment tool adapted to Xitsonga was used to test the learners' foundational reading skills: phonological and phonemic awareness, letter-sound knowledge, word reading, oral reading fluency and reading comprehension skills. The results present a compelling relationship between the subcomponents of reading and show that deficits in the development of foundational reading skills negatively impact learners' ability to read. Regression analysis showed that oral reading fluency was the only significant predictor of reading comprehension. Hence, there is a need for reading to be taught and learned consciously in alphabetic languages to help learners develop their early reading skills, which play important roles in the acquisition of reading. Index Terms--Xitsonga, foundational reading skills, sub-components of reading, early grade reading

The ability to read is fundamental in determining an individual’s academic success and social integration, and it is also known to have an impact on other cognitive abilities. A lack of foundational pre-reading skills can accumulate later, causing reading and learning problems. Early diagnosis and development of these skills are therefore essential. Although the importance of early reading development has always been stressed, recent years have drawn increasing attention to the need for targeted improvement. We have addressed this need by developing a computer-based training program in pre-reading skills for first graders; the present paper presents the results of an intervention using this program. Participants in the quasi-experimental study were 336 first graders. To increase the validity of the results, propensity score matching was utilized to analyze the impact of the pre-reading skills program. As a result of the program, students’ development in the intervention group significantly accelerated (Cohen’s d = .59). An immense effect of the intervention was indicated among students in the lower third skill group (Cohen’s d = 2.83).Latent-change analyses supported the relevance and importance of the development of phonological awareness at the ages of 6–8 and the generalizability of the results (χ 2  = 14.9; df = 10; p  < .05; CFI = .991; TLI = .989; RMSEA = .58 (CI: .000, .114). This research demonstrates that an effective computer-based program can effectively bridge the learning gap in pre-reading skills during early stages of education, even in challenging times without the direct involvement of a teacher.

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a training reading program consisting of six units and multiple activities using the differentiated instruction strategy on the reading comprehension improvement of Jordanian third graders with learning difficulties. A total of 120 Jordanian third graders with learning difficulties from 17 governmental schools in Amman participated in the study. About 90 of them were categorized under an experimental group and taught using the differentiated strategy and were then divided into three groups based on their preferred learning styles: kinesthetic, auditory, and visual, while the remaining 30 students were categorized under a control group and taught using the traditional strategy of teaching. The findings showed an important impact of the differentiated instruction strategy on the improvement of the reading comprehension skill of Jordanian students with learning difficulties. Furthermore, the findings showed the importance of the use of the preferred learning styles of students in the teaching process.differentiated instruction

Background. Many school principals face challenges in carrying out effective leadership in managing schools, which impacts teachers' creativity in teaching and student learning achievement. Research on the efforts of school principals in improving students' reading ability in elementary schools is still limited. Therefore, this study specifically aims to explore the leadership practices of principals in elementary schools in Indonesia that have successfully shown significant improvements in the reading ability of lower-grade students.Materials/methods. The case study method was carried out through structured interviews and document studies on 6 learning facilitators (Fasda) who have assisted 11 elementary schools in Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The interview was conducted to explore information about the facilitator's experience in accompanying the principal, which had an impact on improving students' reading ability in the lower grades. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.Results. The study results show that school principals have done many things to improve the reading ability of low-grade students, such as adjusting school policies and innovations, collaborating with various parties, conducting teacher training on learning methods, and allocating special funds to improve teacher resources and learning spaces.Conclusion. This research shows that school principals' leadership has a central role in improving the quality of student learning and literacy. The principal succeeded in formulating strategic policies through the formation of literacy teams, classroom innovation, and collaboration with various parties. This policy creates a learning ecosystem that supports the development of teachers' teaching skills and students' reading skills.

This study examined the impact of utilizing the Fryer model technique to enhance vocabulary acquisition among new students at Jordan’s Othman bin Affan Secondary School as a component of reading proficiency. The sample for this research consisted of 128 male students in the ninth grade during the 2023–2024 academic year. The sample was evenly allocated into two groups: the control group and the experimental group. The experimental group participated in an educational program utilizing the Fryer model, compared to the control group, which adhered to the more conventional curriculum. The data were acquired and structured using a quantitative approach. The pre- and post-assessments were intended to evaluate how the pupils performed before and after the training program. The analysis’ findings revealed a notable improvement in the results of the experimental group compared to the control sample. The inadequate results of the control group were due to the group’s insufficient understanding of the Fryer model since they were not taught using this method.