Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-119). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-64).

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in oral and silent reading comprehension performance with passages of varying length through the use of both a questioning and a retelling format. In analyzing reading comprehension performance scores, answers were sought for the following questions: (1) What differences between oral and silent reading comprehension performance can be identified with passages of varying length when question responses are the measure of comprehension? (2) What differences between oral and silent reading comprehension performance can be identified with passages of varying length when retelling scores are the measure of comprehension? (3) In either oral or silent reading, to what extent is the information sought by means of traditional questions supplied by the reader during a retelling activity? To answer these questions, 80 sixth grade students from one public school located in a southwestern metropolitan area were randomly assigned to eight treatment groups. Subjects were of average ability as measured by a standardized test of silent reading achievement. A story with a sixth grade readability level was considered the long passage. The first portion of this same story was considered the short passage. All subjects completed an experimenter constructed instrument designed to reveal preferences for oral or silent reading in various situations. The 40 subjects randomly assigned to the question treatment groups read the assigned passage, either long or short, in the assigned mode of presentation, either oral or silent, and responded to questions asked orally by the experimenter. The 40 subjects randomly assigned to the retelling treatment groups also read the assigned passage in the assigned mode of presentation and retold the story to the experimenter. Open-ended questions were asked by the experimenter in order to elicit additional information. Following the retelling, the questions used with the question treatment groups were asked of the subjects in the retelling treatment groups. Access to the story was not allowed during retelling or questioning. Finally, subjects in the retelling groups were asked to react to various vocabulary items when again shown the story. Findings based on the statistical analysis of the data gathered in this study were as follows: (1) No significant differences were found between oral and silent reading comprehension of long and short passages when either questioning or retelling was the measure of reading comprehension performance. (2) Significant differences were found in performance between the questioning and retelling groups on questioning tasks when scores for the retelling groups were based only on information supplied during spontaneous retelling and open-ended probing. (3) Significant differences were found favoring a preference for silent over oral reading in various reading situations. (4) In the questioning condition, silent reading of passages was significantly faster than oral reading of passages. (5) No significant differences were found in the words per second reading rate for passages in the retelling condition. The findings of this study supported these conclusions: (1) Regardless of mode of comprehension assessment, students are able to perform equally well after reading orally or silently. (2) Varying the length of passages does not affect performance in reading comprehension tasks. (3) Different modes of comprehension assessment do not necessarily yield the same kinds of information about reading ability. (4) Students prefer silent reading as an activity but that preference is not reflected in superior silent reading performance. (5) Students, when aware of the mode of comprehension assessment to be used, may make differential adjustments in their rate of reading.

This thesis investigates development and transfer of oral reading fluency among early French immersion students. Using a longitudinal design, students were assessed on phonological awareness, rapid naming, word-level fluency and text-level fluency in English and in French in Grade 2 and Grade 3. In three related studies, this thesis examines transfer both within levels of fluency individually (word-level and text-level) and between levels of fluency (from word-level to text-level). The results indicated that word-level fluency significantly improved over the one-year period in both English and in French. Language status comparing English-as-first-language students (EL1) and English-language-learners (ELLs) did not influence fluency performance in either language. Further, results showed bidirectional transfer of fluency at the word-level and the text-level independently, and unidirectional transfer from word to text fluency from French to English only. These findings provide evidence supporting cross-language transfer of oral reading fluency both within and between levels of the construct.

This thesis investigates development and transfer of oral reading fluency among early French immersion students. Using a longitudinal design, students were assessed on phonological awareness, rapid naming, word-level fluency and text-level fluency in English and in French in Grade 2 and Grade 3. In three related studies, this thesis examines transfer both within levels of fluency individually (word-level and text-level) and between levels of fluency (from word-level to text-level). The results indicated that word-level fluency significantly improved over the one-year period in both English and in French. Language status comparing English-as-first-language students (EL1) and English-language-learners (ELLs) did not influence fluency performance in either language. Further, results showed bidirectional transfer of fluency at the word-level and the text-level independently, and unidirectional transfer from word to text fluency from French to English only. These findings provide evidence supporting cross-language transfer of oral reading fluency both within and between levels of the construct.

This mixed model study informed by a multi-modal approach investigated the relationship between reading aloud and the student revision process. Participants for this study were undergraduate juniors and seniors enrolled in any one of four sections of English 393 (Writing Competency Course) at Ball State University during the summer semester of 2003. These students had previously failed the Writing Competency Exam at Ball State; therefore, they had to complete English 393 successfully to fulfill Ball State's writing competency requirement and, ultimately, to graduate. Specifically, this study examined what types of surface and global features that these English 393 students noticed when reading their initial essay drafts aloud to themselves and what global revisions they made, if any, based upon these initial observations. Methods used were audio recordings, observation logs, multiple copies of student drafts, pre- and postattitudinal surveys, read-aloud surveys, post-revision surveys, introductory and concluding instructor surveys, additional instructor surveys, and reviews of composition/rhetoric textbooks.Results of this study indicated that students enrolled in English 393 courses at Ball State University during the summer of 2003 predominantly noticed surface features in their essays as a result of reading their initial drafts aloud to themselves. Therefore, using this read-aloud method did not prompt the large majority of these junior- and senior-level English 393 students to make global revisions in their drafts. They predominantly made surface-level revisions, indicative of the types of revisions that freshman college writers make. While one student from the population did make global revisions as a result of using the read-aloud method, the researcher attributed this anomaly to the student's probable oral learning style and/or the student's previous experience using the read-aloud method. / Department of English

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-77). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-118). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.53-58).