Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Stephanie Al Otaiba, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Childhood Education, Reading, and Disability Services. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 7, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 51 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MTech(Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / The importance of phonological awareness in the reading process is acknowledged, but that it is inadequate stems from a number of learners who still have reading problems in schools. Therefore, the influence of a motoric programme as an intervention method to improve the reading level of ten grade 2 learners by means of action research. The research group consisting of five boys and five girls with differing ages between 7 and 8 years receives mother t~unge: education in a primary school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Learners in the research group could not meet the national assessment standards as stated in the NCS for Reading and Looking (LO 3:3,4). The reading level of the research group was determined during a pre-evaluation phase by five Foundation phase educators using grade 2 reading material and professional observation recorded by means of open coding. These qualitative remarks were qualitively analysed to determine the impact the rnotoric prograrnrne had on the reading level of the group. The research group was subjected to a motoric plan consisting of big and small motoric movements over a period of ten weeks, three days a week for 30 minutes at a time. The programme was designed so that sensory systems and perceptual motoric processes would develop simultaneously as a unit as both are regarded as determinants of an improved reading level. Evaluation after completion of the motoric programme was conducted in the same way as the pre-evaluation phase, but with more advanced grade 2 reading material. Analysis of the data showed that the motoric programme improved reading levels with regard to fluency, speed, accuracy, synthesis/analysis and self correction. Additional observations such as extensive head movements, finger reading, bent posture, rhythmical swaying movements and conclusions made from sketches show a decrease with the best improvement at girls. The study shows that a motoric programme as intervension method supplies the necessary support needed to improve reading levels.

A minor dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Masters in Education Department of Education Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town, 2005 / Literacy research in South Africa and other developing countries has for the most part focused on poorly resourced environments and literacy practices in lower socio-economic communities. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of parents in early literacy development in well-resourced homes in South Africa. The study was aimed at investigating parents’ roles and perceptions of early literacy development in well-resourced home environments The study presents survey data from a large cohort of parents as well as observations and in-depth interviews with a smaller group of eight families. This study was conducted in a peri urban area in the Western Cape and engaged parents whose children were in reception year classrooms. The research evidence shows that reading success does not necessarily occur through the use of a variety of resources but that it needs to be mediated and modelled by parents in the home to have significant outcomes. The study finds that the parents’ perceptions and approaches only partially reflect what is envisaged to be good reading habits. The time constraints and pressures on parents today impact on literacy practices and restrict them from spending sufficient quality time engaged in these practices with their children. Finally the study shows that although children are exposed to books, television and computers in the home environment it does not necessarily ensure proficient and interested readers.

This research considers the predictive utility of 10 decoding skills on a student's ability to read. The 10 skills are Consonant Blends/Digraphs, Decode Multi-Syllable Words, Decode Patterns/Word Families, Letter Identification, Manipulation of Sounds, Matching Letters to Sounds, Phoneme Identification, Phonological Awareness, Syllable Types: CVC, CVCe, R-Control, and Vowel Digraphs/Diphthongs. The research also examines the nature of the relationships between the decoding skills and reading ability. Furthermore, the research decomposes reading ability into segment 1 assessing decoding, and segment 2, assessing comprehension. Specifically, the study assesses the manner in which each of the 10 skills contributes to the variance in the two segment scores. The literature is limited to efficacy studies related to programs used to teach reading, and prior studies addressing skills have failed to extend examination beyond correlations between phonological and phonemic awareness, and a student's ability to read. These issues were examined in the present research using assessment records of 541 kindergarten, first, and second grade students who had each been administered the 10 aforementioned decoding skills tests as well as a reading assessment administered in two parts (decoding and comprehension). All records reflected assessments occurring within the same school year for each student assessed. The dependent variables are scaled scores with a valid range from 100 to 350 and represent the combined reading score plus each of the two segment scores. Multiple regression analysis was employed to consider the predictive utility and examine the correlations between the variables. Hierarchical regression was employed to further scrutinize the variance accounted for by each decoding skill. As a group, the 10 decoding skills indicated that students scoring higher overall on decoding also scored higher on overall reading ability, segment 1, and segment 2 (p < .001). However, the coefficient of variation indicates the grouped decoding skills may not be useful for prediction purposes for the segment 1 assessment (CV = .103). Correlations between all independent variables and the dependent variables were moderate to high (.617 to .880), with the exception of Letter Identification and Matching Letters to Sounds which were low to moderate (.248 to .500). The correlation between Letter Identification and Matching Letters to Sounds was moderate (.579). Post hoc analysis indicated the inclusion of Letter Identification and Matching Letters to Sounds did not account for any statistically significant additional variance in the combined reading score (p = .459), the segment 1 score (p = .261), nor in the segment 2 score (p =.749). By itself decoding does not sufficiently predict reading ability. This study brings to light the nature of the relationship between discrete decoding skills and reading ability for early learners. The research identifies additional information for consideration by educators providing early literacy instruction which may help them zero in on difficulties students may be having as they advance in their literacy.

Chow Wing-yin. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-73). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; questionnaires in Chinese. / Acknowledgements --- p.i / Table of contents --- p.iii / Abstract (English) --- p.v / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.vi / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction --- p.1 / Emergent Literacy and Language Development / Situation in Hong Kong / Parent-child Reading / Interaction during Parent-child Reading / Dialogic Reading / Dialogic Reading and Linguistic Skills / Phonological Awareness and Chinese Acquisition / Morphological Awareness and Chinese Acquisition / "Objectives, Design and Hypothesis of the Present Study" / Chapter Chapter Two --- Method --- p.22 / Participants / Measures / Procedure / Chapter Chapter Three --- Results --- p.35 / Pretest Measures / Storybook Identification / Group Improvement / Follow-up Questionnaire / Responses to the Morphological Construction task / Dialogic reading and morphology trainingiv / Chapter Chapter Four --- Discussion --- p.49 / Effectiveness of Dialogic Reading / Effectiveness of Dialogic Reading with Morphology Training / Effectiveness of Typical Reading / Significance of the Results from the Present Study / Limitations and Suggestions / Conclusion / References --- p.62 / Appendices --- p.74 / Chapter A. --- Children's questionnaire on reading / Chapter B. --- Storybook identification task / Chapter C. --- Demographic questionnaire / Chapter D. --- Follow-up questionnaire for the dialogic reading condition / Chapter E. --- Follow-up questionnaire for the dialogic reading with morphology condition / Chapter F. --- Titles of storybooks / Chapter G. --- Dialogic reading guideline / Chapter H. --- Dialogic reading bookmark / Chapter I. --- Morphology training guideline / Chapter J. --- Sample items of morphological construction training / Chapter K. --- Sample items of homophone training

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the content and characteristics of the currently available commercial reading software for Pre-K through third grade children. The design of the study was a content analysis. Based on the evaluation rubric established by the researcher, ten commercial reading software were selected to be analyzed. By reviewing and transcribing, the data were obtained, and then coded, categorized, and interpreted. The findings from the analysis revealed that all reading software programs offered exercised for practicing basic phonics skills; the alphabetic principle, letter-sound association, word knowledge, sentence building, and reading comprehension. Depending on the software developers, phonics-based practice was presented in two ways; separate skill-based practice emphasis and storybook-reading emphasis. All software programs utilized drill-and-practice, direct instruction and mastery learning methods and utilized gaming strategies to motivate and engage the learners. Multimedia technology was used to make the software more appealing. All reading software programs were developed on the perspectives that view learning to read as the continuum of a child's oral language development and background experience about words. It is recommended that parents and teachers review and select the software based on reliable information sources, use the software as supplementary practice based on the learning objectives identified and individual student needs.

Much of the current discourse surrounding the practice of early reading has emerged from policies that dictate the definition and means by which reading is taught and by which reading success is measured. Although this discourse directly influences the work of preschool teachers, little is known about what preschool teachers think about early reading and how they develop these understandings or constructions. Research concerning preschool teachers’ constructions is useful because of the potential influence on teachers' decisions and classroom behaviors. The purpose of this study is to better understand preschool teachers’ constructions concerning early reading and the process of learning to read. Six preschool teachers, with a variety of personal, educational, and professional experiences, from four diverse early childhood programs in the North Texas area were interviewed over a nine-month period during which each participant was interviewed for approximately three hours. Through systematic, inductive analysis, three themes were identified under an overarching theme of the interdependent and relational nature of early reading influences: out-of-school interactions, in-school interactions, and interactions with text. Without exception, these teachers referred to their life experiences as influencing their approach to teaching in general and to teaching reading in particular. The goals these preschool teachers had for their students and their instructional decisions were indications of their unique and evolving constructions of early reading and are absolutely grounded in their practice – in their life experiences and in their daily interactions with children. This study suggests that stakeholders should remember that these practical experiences are a primary influence on how preschool teachers think about early reading and the process of learning to read.

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-35).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: David Kaplan, School of Education. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences