Using children’s literature to teach English has been promoted by researchers and educators because of its positive effects on learners – motivation, language learning, and personal growth. It is inline with the Hong Kong SAR government’s view on using literature and language arts in classrooms to motivate and teach reading and learning. However, using literature to teach is quite rarely seen in local schools. This dissertation study aims to research the effectiveness of an innovative reading programme—Novel Study—on motivating young learners to read in a local primary school. An action research was conducted in an grade 5 English class and the data was collected through thirty-six semi-structured interviews, observations from ten video-recorded lessons, students’ reading journals and the teacher-researcher’s teaching journals. This study finds that Novel Study had positive impacts on motivating children to read. One significant finding was that the reading programme brought enjoyment in reading and in working on different tasks in class. The study also shows encouraging effects in giving the teacher the opportunities to implement effective teaching strategies and meaningful tasks. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Limited research has been done on the reading strategies of primary school children learning English as a foreign language, particularly in the Hong Kong context. To contribute much needed research in this area, this study uses miscue analysis and prompted think aloud procedures to investigate the reading strategies used by higher and lower proficiency native Cantonese speaking students learning English as a foreign language in primary 4. As part of the investigation the study focuses on the strategies that these students use to comprehend unfamiliar words in context and the contribution of graphophonic awareness skills to the reading process. The study found that (a) higher proficiency students have a clearer awareness of the reading process and the importance of overall coherence and comprehension than their lower proficiency counterparts; (b) higher proficiency students were able to make efficient and effective use of the syntactic and semantic cueing systems to reduce their reliance on graphophonic and pictorial cues; and (c) higher proficiency students focused on more sophisticated graphophonic stategies, such as blending chunks of sounds, identification of syllable and association with other words, while lower proficiency students were more likely to engage in lower level pronunciation strategies, such as blending single sounds, or attempting whole word visual recall. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

Ho Fuk-chuen. / Questionnaires in Chinese. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-110). / Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background --- p.1 / Context of Study Problem --- p.2 / Purpose of Study --- p.5 / Significance of Study --- p.5 / Chapter 2 --- REVIEW OF LITERATURE --- p.7 / Component Processes of Reading --- p.7 / Decoding --- p.7 / Literal Comprehension --- p.8 / Inferential Comprehension --- p.11 / Comprehension Monitoring --- p.16 / Differences between Good and Poor Readers in Reading Process --- p.20 / Decoding --- p.20 / Literal Comprehension --- p.23 / Inferential Comprehension --- p.25 / Comprehension Monitoring --- p.28 / Training Methods for Enhancing Reading Comprehension --- p.30 / Review of Various Reading Programmes --- p.32 / Cooperative Learning --- p.43 / Proposed Reading Model --- p.49 / Chapter 3 --- METHODOLOGY --- p.52 / An Exploratory Study --- p.52 / Subjects --- p.55 / Passages --- p.56 / Treatments --- p.58 / Measures --- p.60 / Procedure --- p.64 / Design --- p.65 / Chapter 4 --- RESULTS --- p.67 / Age --- p.67 / Attainment Test --- p.68 / Pretest --- p.68 / Posttest --- p.70 / Passage Effects --- p.74 / Chapter 5 --- DISCUSSION --- p.75 / The Proposed Reading Model --- p.75 / Direct Instruction --- p.80 / Cooperative Learning with Direct Instruction --- p.82 / Traditional Method --- p.89 / Passages Effects --- p.91 / Chapter 6 --- "RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITAIONS AND CONCLUSIONS" --- p.92 / Recommendations --- p.92 / The Proposed Reading Model --- p.92 / Direct Instruction --- p.95 / Cooperative Learning with Direct Instruction --- p.95 / Traditional Method --- p.98 / Passages Effects --- p.100 / Limitations --- p.100 / Conclusions --- p.102 / REFERENCES --- p.103 / APPENDICES

The primarily goal of this study was to examine the patterns of cognitive and language processing of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and how they related to their text comprehension, interpreted within constructivism. The study aimed to characterize the difference in language, character decoding, metacognitive processing and text comprehension between children with SLI and those under typical development; to identify the inter-relationships among their language processing, character decoding, metacognitive processing and text comprehension; and to investigate how the implementation of cognitive reading strategies instruction change their language processing, character decoding, metacognitive processing, belief towards reading and text comprehension. Two studies were carried out. In Study One, 73 participants were recruited from two Hong Kong primary schools; they were at second and third grade, 42 were diagnosed of SLI and the other were under typical development. Standardized instruments were used to tap children’s language processing and character decoding respectively. Researcher developed Metacognitive Processing Scale were adopted to rate their metacognitive and deep processing of text. A set of comprehension test, comprised of forced-choice inferential questions and two recall tasks, were used to assess their depth in understanding different types of text. Analyses indicated that SLI students did not only score poorer in language processing, but also in character decoding, metacognitive processing and text comprehension. Further analyses of both the entire sample and the SLI sample, indicated that there were significant correlations between character decoding, language processing, metacognitive processing with children’s text comprehension scores. In Study Two, there were 40 participants recruited from the SLI sample of the Study One. Cognitive reading strategy instruction program were developed. 21 participants was randomly selected to receive the experimental instruction and the another 19 were under conventional instruction as control. Besides the measures used in the Study One, interviews and teacher-reporting questionnaires were used to tap children’s belief towards reading and their classroom engagement. Analysis of pre-instruction and post-instruction tests indicated the experimental children showed significantly better progress on their oral language, text comprehension and belief about reading. Both the experimental and the control group showed similar progress on character decoding. The study offers both theoretical and educational contribution on the literacy development among the population of SLI. It identifies the role of metacognitive processing on literacy achievement. It provides the evidence of implementing cognitively-based reading strategies for literacy instruction for children with SLI within Chinese context. Upon the introduction of inclusive education, teachers now face students with much wider diversity, including a significant number of children with SLI. Possible collaboration between frontline teachers and speech therapists in designing potential classroom activities is discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Lam Wai Yung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-133). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Table of contents --- p.v / Chapter Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1 .1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purposes of The Study --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- Phonological Awareness and Reading --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Word recognition and reading --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Relationship between phonological awareness and reading performance --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Two Views About Levels of Phonological Awareness --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Linear view of levels of phonological awareness --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Hierarchical view of levels of phonological awareness --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Measurement of Phonological Awareness --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Various task types --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Various levels of difficulty of phonological tasks --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Task analysis studies --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4 --- Development of Levels of Phonological Awareness --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Developmental sequence of phonological awareness --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Underlying reasons for the sequential development --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5 --- Levels of Phonological Awareness and Reading --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Syllable awareness and English reading --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Phoneme awareness and English reading --- p.32 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Onset-rime awareness and English reading --- p.34 / Chapter 2.6 --- Chinese Reading English as A Second Language --- p.39 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Orthographic and phonological differences between Chinese and English --- p.39 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Influence of learning Chinese on phonological awareness - --- p.41 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Phonological awareness development in Chinese children - --- p.44 / Chapter 2.6.4 --- Effects of first language learning on reading English --- p.49 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- METHOD --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1 --- Subjects --- p.54 / Chapter 3.2 --- Tasks --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Syllable level tasks --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2.1.1 --- Syllable detection --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2.1.2 --- Syllable deletion --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Onset-rime level tasks --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Onset-rime detection --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- Onset-rime deletion - --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Phoneme level tasks --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Phoneme detection --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Phoneme deletion - --- p.61 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Word recognition test --- p.62 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices --- p.62 / Chapter 3.3 --- Procedure --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- RESULTS --- p.64 / Chapter 4.1 --- Descriptive Data --- p.64 / Chapter 4.2 --- Patterns of Phonological Awareness --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- The performance of three graders in the tasks of three levels of phonological awareness --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Patterns of phonological development --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3 --- Measuring Phonological Awareness: Detection Vs. Deletion --- p.82 / Chapter 4.4 --- Predicting English Word Reading Performance --- p.92 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary of Results --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- DISCUSSION --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1 --- Patterns of Phonological Awareness --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Progressive development in phonological awareness over grade --- p.98 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- The characteristics of phonological development in Hong Kong children --- p.103 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Developmental progression from large via medium to small units --- p.107 / Chapter 5.2 --- Measurement of Phonological Awareness --- p.110 / Chapter 5.3 --- Phonological Awareness and Word Reading --- p.114 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1 --- Major Findings --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Patterns of phonological awareness --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Measurement of phonological awareness --- p.120 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Phonological awareness in predicting English reading --- p.121 / Chapter 6.2 --- Limitations --- p.122 / Chapter 6.3 --- Implications and Recommendations --- p.123 / Chapter 5.6.1 --- Pedagogical implications --- p.123 / Chapter 5.6.2 --- Future research recommendations --- p.124 / References --- p.126 / Appendixes --- p.134

Chong Ka Yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75). / Abstract in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / Chapter CHAPTER I: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Phonological Awareness as a Predictor of English Reading and Spelling --- p.1 / Levels of Phonological Awareness --- p.4 / Factors Affecting the Development of Phonological Awareness --- p.6 / oral language experience --- p.6 / orthographic experience --- p.8 / phonological training --- p.8 / Transfer of Phonological Awareness in Bilingual Studies --- p.9 / factors affecting the transfer of phonological awareness --- p.11 / Introduction to Hanyu Pinyin --- p.13 / The Present Study --- p.14 / Chapter CHAPTER II: --- STUDY1 --- p.18 / Method --- p.18 / Design --- p.18 / Participants --- p.19 / Procedures --- p.20 / Tasks --- p.20 / Results --- p.25 / Group differences on Phonological Awareness and English measures Relationship between Phonological Awareness and Pinyin --- p.25 / Performance on English Reading and Spelling --- p.28 / Relationship between Phonological Awareness of different Languages --- p.33 / Discussion --- p.34 / Chapter CHPAPTER III: --- STUDY2 --- p.36 / Method --- p.36 / Design --- p.36 / Participants --- p.37 / Procedures --- p.38 / Tasks --- p.39 / Results --- p.42 / Effect of Pinyin training on Phonological Awareness --- p.48 / Transfer of Phonological Awareness --- p.50 / Effect of Pinyin Training on English Reading and Spelling --- p.52 / Decomposing the Effect of Pinyin Training on English Reading and Spelling --- p.53 / Discussion --- p.59 / Chapter CHPATER IV: --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.65 / Limitations --- p.67 / Conclusion --- p.69 / REFERENCES --- p.70 / APPENDIX A: ENGLISH VOCABULARY TEST (STUDY 1) --- p.76 / APPENDIX B: NONWORD SPELLING TASK ITEMS (STUDY 1) --- p.77 / APPENDIX C: PSEUDOWORD READING ITEMS (STUDY1) --- p.78 / APPENDIX D: PHONEMIC ONSET DELETION TASK (CANTONESE) --- p.79 / APPENDIX E: PHONEMIC ONSET DELETION TASK (MANDARIN) --- p.80 / APPENDIX F: PHONEMIC ONSET DELETION TASK (ENGLISH) --- p.81 / APPENDIX G: NONWORD SPELLING TASK ITEMS (STUDY 2) --- p.82 / APPENDIX H: PSEUDOWORD READING ITEMS (STUDY2) --- p.83 / APPENDIX J: PINYIN TEST (STUDY 2) --- p.84 / APPENDIX K: MANDARIN ORAL TEST (STUDY 2) --- p.85