This field study concentrates on how to improve the reading efficiency of Chinese tertiary students of English as a foreign language (henceforth EFL) with particular reference to Bejing Second Foreign Language Institute (henceforth Erwai). The study covers the following aspects in five chapters. Chapter 1 reports and analyses the findings of the research done to identify inefficient reading problems in the Chinese EFL reading situation. Based on the analysis of the existing problems, the chapter comes to a tentative conclusion that teaching reading skills could be one possible solution to the problems. To prove the relevance of the conclusion, the second chapter turns to a critical review of literature about the nature of the reading process. The emphasis in this chapter is on the psycholinguistic perspective of the reading process and its relevance to EFL teaching in China. Related to the psycholinguistic perspective of the reading process, Chapter 3 moves to some more specific issues concerning reading efficiency. The discussion deals with various factors which can influence reading efficiency and points out implications for teaching in the Chinese EFL reading situation. Having considered reading efficiency theoretically in Chapter 2 and 3, the study turns to the practical teaching of reading skills in Chapter 4 and 5. In these two chapters, efficient reading skills are analysed and suggestions are made about practical classroom teaching. It is hoped that these analyses and suggestions will give some impetus to improving the teaching of reading in the Chinese EFL field.

Am 20. November 2010 fand an der Universität Potsdam das 4. Herbsttreffen Patholinguistik statt. Die Konferenzreihe wird regelmäßig seit 2007 vom Verband für Patholinguistik e.V. (vpl) durchgeführt. Der vorliegende Tagungsband veröffentlicht die Hauptvorträge des Herbsttreffens zum Thema "Lesen lernen: Diagnostik und Therapie bei Störungen des Leseerwerbs". Des Weiteren sind die Beiträge promovierender bzw. promovierter PatholinguistInnen sowie der Posterpräsentationen enthalten. / On November 20, 2010, the 4th Herbsttreffen Patholinguistik took place at the University of Potsdam. This annual conference is organized by the Verband für Patholinguistik e.V. (vpl). The main topic was "Learning to read: Assessment and intervention in developmental dyslexia". These proceedings contain the four main lectures, the contributed talks of the "Spektrum Patholinguistik" covering various psycho- and neurolinguistic research areas, and the abstracts of the presented posters.

This thesis explores the possibilities of dyslexia prediction at primary children. It is divided into two parts a theoretical one and a practical one. The introduction of the theoretical part is focused on the children reading skills development. However, the possibilities of reading failure prediction and diagnosis of dyslexia are the key content of this part. In this respect I focus on the preschoolers and children at the beginning of the school attendance. I mention a few predictive batteries. The theoretical part is concluded with the current information about dyslexia prevalence in the Czech Republic and abroad. The practical part is based on the theoretical part. It contains the results of the research investigation. I got these results during the testing of morphological and phonological abilities as well as reading tests. The research was performed in the second class of primary school. The main objective of the thesis was to find out what is the relationship between performance in reading and morphological and phonological abilities.The test method of the quantitative investigation was used in this research.

The present research was an investigation of the effects of computer assisted instruction as a supplement to classroom instruction in reading and arithmetic. The purposes of this study were to determine the effectiveness of microcomputer usage in supplemental reading comprehension and math instruction. Utilizing an elaboration of the pre-test, posttest control group design, 66 fifth graders completed the 4-month study. One-way analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data.

A presente pesquisa enfoca as características das questões de leitura da Prova Brasil para o 5 ano do Ensino Fundamental e o desenvolvimento das habilidades de leitura exigidas por essa Prova. Insere-se no projeto observatório da Educação/UNITAU `Competências e habilidades de leitura; da reflexão teórica ao desenvolvimento e aplicação de propostas didático-pedagógicas, n23038010000201076, financiado por CAPES/INEP. Foi motivada pelo interesse dos professores em conhecer melhor a Prova Brasil para desenvolver nos alunos as habilidades leitoras e pelo fato de os alunos demonstrarem muitas dificuldades de compreensão textual. A pesquisa objetiva, de modo geral e no âmbito do Projeto Observatório/UNITAU, contribuir para oferecer subsídios para um trabalho focado no desenvolvimento de habilidades de leitura de alunos do 5 ano do Ensino fundamental. Especificamente os objetivos dessa pesquisa são: 1 Identificar os gêneros discursivos que aparecem nas questões da Prova Brasil para o 5 ano até 2011 e as habilidades de leitura cobradas nessas questões; 2 Desenvolver atividades de leitura em uma sala do 5 ano do ensino fundamental, focando nos três gêneros discursivos mais frequentemente utilizados na Prova Brasil, identificados no primeiro objetivo citado fábula, poema e tira , e refletir sobre os resultados obtidos. Fundamenta-se na concepção bakhtiniana de gêneros discursivos; na abordagem sociocognitiva de leitura; nos conceitos de competências e habilidades leitura; no conceito de sequência didática. Os procedimentos metodológicos da pesquisa dar-se-ão por meio de: análise qualitativo-interpretativista das questões da Prova Brasil para o 5 ano e de desenvolvimento de pesquisa-ação em uma sala de 5 ano de uma escola da rede municipal de Taubaté. Como resultados, observou-se que o levantamento sobre os gêneros discursivos das questões da Prova Brasil foi fundamental para encaminhar a pesquisa-ação e que as sequências didáticas de leitura e as coletâneas de textos foram muito eficientes para organizar um trabalho de leitura que explora as características dos gêneros discursivos alvo da leitura e mobiliza habilidades cobradas pela Prova Brasil. Os alunos mostraram-se interessados pelos textos e, pelos resultados das atividades, pudemos observar que se apropriaram das principais características dos gêneros, inclusive do poema, pouco conhecido por eles até a participação nesta pesquisa-ação. Conclui-se que atividades de leitura na perspectiva desenvolvida nesta pesquisa contribuem significativamente para o desenvolvimento de habilidades de leitura. / This research focuses on the characteristics of the reading and interpretation questions of `Prova Brasil for the 5th grade of Elementary School and on the development of reading skills required for this event. It is part of the project called UNITAU Education Observatory `reading competences and skills; from theoretical reflection to the development and implementation of educational and pedagogical proposals, number 23038010000201076, sponsored by CAPES / INEP. Its motivation was teachers interest to know `Prova Brasil better in order to develop students reading abilities and for the fact that many students show difficulties in reading comprehension. The research aims, in general and within the UNITAU Observatory Project, to help provide grants for a work focused on developing students reading skills in the 5th grade of Elementary School. Specifically, the objectives of this research are: 1) Identify the discursive genres that appear in questions of `Prova Brasil for the 5th grade until 2011 and the reading skills evaluated in these questions; 2) Develop reading activities in a 5th grade class, focusing on the three discursive genres, the ones most often found in `Prova Brasil, identified in the first mentioned purpose - fables, poems and strips - and reflect on the results. It is based on Bakhtins concept of discursive genres, on the sociocognitive approach to reading, on the concepts of reading competences and skills, on the concept of didactic sequence. The research methodological procedures are qualitative- interpretative analysis of the questions of `Prova Brasil for 5th grade and the development of action research in a 5th grade classroom of a school in the city of Taubaté. As a result, it was observed that the survey on the questions of discursive genres `Prova Brasil was very important to further the action research and that the reading didactic sequences and the collections of texts were very efficient to organize a reading work that explores the characteristics of target discursive genres and mobilizes skills evaluated in `Prova Brasil. Students were interested in the texts, and by the results of the activities, we conclude that they could learn the main features of the genres, including poems, little known by them until they participated in this action research. We concluded that reading activities in the perspective developed in this research can contribute significantly to the development of reading skills.

This diploma thesis deals with the Lapbook teaching method and its use to develop reading literacy for preschool-age children. The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of the text read by children and their creation of their own interactive book. The work presents an integrative project that is to stimulate children's interest in literature, understanding the story through appropriately selected activities and get acquainted with the entire process of making a Lapbook. The work is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part characterizes in general reading literacy, reading pre-literacy and its anchoring in the Framework Educational Program for Preschool Education. Furthermore, the characteristics of the period in terms of the child's development and the development of reading skills, the factors influencing reading, such as the influence of family or kindergarten, and the prerequisites for the development of reading literacy. The topic is also the importance of the book for preschool children and reading strategies with a focus on the E - U - R model (evocation - awareness of meaning - reflection). Finally, it deals with the definition of the Lapbook teaching method and instructions for its production. The practical part is based on action research, which was focused on...

Education is a fundamental precondition for progress and growth in South Africa (Spaull, 2011, p. 1). Literacy opens the doors to better livelihoods, improved health and expanded opportunity (UNESCO, 2011). Illiteracy is a serious constraint to improving education standards in South Africa. Prominent research studies stress the low levels of reading ability across the country. At the onset of Grade One, pre-reading skills are taught. Pre-reading skills are foundational skills and essential for later reading success. Teachers in English Second Language environments face the daunting challenge of teaching learners to read in a foreign language. This qualitative research study, which was conducted at a low-fee private school in Pretoria Central Business district, aimed to explore the methods that educators were using to teach second language English Learners (ESL) pre-reading skills. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and document analysis revealed that educators had a limited theoretical knowledge of pre-reading skills due to a lack of tertiary education and curriculum training. Numerous methods of teaching pre-reading skills were identified during pre-reading lesson observations. The synthetic phonics approach, multisensory teaching, using dramatization and subtractive bilingualism were methods of instruction used to develop phonemic awareness and English oral language competency. The study highlighted the numerous challenges faced by ESL teaching working in a low-socioeconomic environment and the ways in which the teachers overcame these challenges. Based on this study’s results, recommendations are provided to enhance the teaching of pre-reading skills to ESL learners. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Studien syftar till att undersöka hur och varför fem svensklärare i årskurs 4–6 arbetar med skönlitteratur i undervisningen samt vad de ser för möjligheter och utmaningar i sitt arbete med skönlitteratur. För att samla in data genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet visar att lärarna arbetar med skönlitteratur på olika sätt och att det finns möjligheter såväl som utmaningar inom arbetsområdet. Slutsatser som kan dras utifrån studien är att de intervjuade lärarna arbetar med skönlitteratur för att utveckla elevernas kunskaper och bilda demokratiska samhällsmedborgare. De arbetar dock med det ena som ett primärt syfte och det andra som ett sekundärt syfte, vilket leder till att ett av områdena hamnar i skymundan. Vidare diskuteras de förutsättningarna som finns på varje enskild skola, där det visar sig att skolbiblioteket spelar en central roll. Majoriteten av de intervjuade lärarna anser att förutsättningarna vad gäller skolans bibliotek och bristande tillgång till rådgivning av bibliotekarie gör det svårt att hitta böcker som är relevanta för eleverna.

High quality prekindergarten programs that provide students with core academic skills have been found to increase subsequent student reading achievement. However, students across the United States continue to show deficiencies in reading skills, a problem which may stem from a lack of participation in early childhood education. The study district offered a prekindergarten program, but the impact on later reading achievement was unknown. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of a prekindergarten program on the subsequent reading skills of kindergarten students. The constructivist learning theories of Whitehurst, Lonigan, Piaget, and Vygotsky provided foundation. Research questions focused on the difference in early literacy skills between kindergarteners who attended the district's public prekindergarten program (n = 64) with students who did not participate (n = 64). Scores on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) were compared using repeated measure analysis of variance at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year for those students who participated in a Pre-K program and those students who did not. Statistically significant findings revealed that participation in the public prekindergarten program yielded greater early literacy skills for kindergarteners when compared to those children who were not enrolled. The positive social change implications included providing local data on the reading achievement outcomes of students attending prekindergarten. The study findings will be useful to school administrators, teachers, and parents when making decisions on prekindergarten program availability and attendance.

Forskning visade att cirka var fjärde pojke har svårigheter med läsningen. Att läsförmågan är mer bristande hos pojkar än hos flickor kan resultera i en senare språkutveckling och vara avgörande för pojkars prestation inom alla skolämnen. Denna litteraturöversikt syftade därför till att redogöra för vad som kan förklara pojkar och flickors skilda förmågor i läsning på lågstadiet och hur lärare kan kompensera för dessa. De två frågeställningar som skulle besvaras var: Vad kan förklara pojkar och flickors skilda läsförmågor? Hur kan lärare kompensera för de skillnader som finns i pojkar och flickors skilda läsförmågor?. Tio referentgranskade artiklar inhämtades från en forskningsdatabas och är grunden för studiens resultat. Anledningen till att valet föll på dessa artiklar berodde på att de kunde bidra med att svara på forskningsfrågorna och undersökte elever på lågstadiet. Med hjälp av tematisk analys tematiserades samt analyserades sedan de valda artiklarna. I resultatet framgick det att elevers skillnad i motivation, attityder till läsning och lärares förväntningar hade ett samband med pojkar och flickors skilda läsförmågor. Detta kunde förklaras genom att lärare hade lägre förväntningar på pojkar samt att pojkar hade både en sämre motivation och attityder till läsning, i jämförelse med flickor. Däremot kunde tilltro till läsning och oro kopplat till läsning inte lika starkt bevisas ha ett samband med pojkar och flickors skilda läsförmågor. Resultatet synliggjorde även att lärare behöver bli medvetna om stereotypa föreställningar, uppmuntra och stötta pojkar samt tillgängliggöra ett brett utbud av böcker, för att kompensera för de skillnader som finns. / ​​Previous research showed that around one in four boys have difficulties with reading. The fact that reading skills are more deficient in boys than girls can result in later language development and can be decisive for boys' achievements in all school subjects. The purpose of this literature study was therefore to present what explanations there are for boys and girls different reading skills in primary school and what teachers can do to compensate for these differences. The two research questions that were to be answered were: What can explain boys and girls' different reading skills? How can teachers compensate for boys and girls' different reading skills? Ten peer reviewed articles were collected from a research database and were the basis for the studies result. These articles were included because they could contribute to answering the research questions and investigated children in primary school. Through thematic analysis the chosen articles were thematized and analyzed. The result showed that students' differences in motivation, attitudes to reading and teachers' perceptions had a connection to boys and girls' different reading skills. This could be explained by the fact that teachers had lower expectations when it came to boys reading and that boys had both lower motivation and poorer attitudes towards reading, compared to girls. On the other hand confidence in reading and anxiety in connection to reading could not as strongly be proven to have a connection to boys’ and girls’ different reading skills. The result also showed that teachers need to be conscious about stereotypical representations, encourage and support boys and have a large supply of books available, to compensate for the differences in reading skills.