The topic of this study is how methods for literacy development are used in upper secondary school education for poor comprehenders. The work was based upon the questions: 1) How do secondary school teachers employ methods for literacy development in their classroom instruction, with special focus on poor comprehenders? 2) How do secondary school teachers perceive that they employ methods for literacy development, with special focus on poor comprehenders? 3) What differences and similarities are there between the teachers? Two methods were used; classroom observations and interviews of three Swedish as a foreign language teachers and three first language content area teachers.  The results showed that all teachers employ different methods that enhance educational quality as well as literacy development strategies that have been proven beneficial for poor comprehenders. Variations in methods used are generally due to individual discrepancies in preferences rather than differences between first and second language teachers. The conclusion is that teachers who apply methods for literacy development should be able to adapt their whole class instruction according to the needs of poor comprehenders without lowering instructional quality.

Syftet med vår kvalitativa studie är att bidra med ökad kunskap om vilken erfarenhet och kunskap lärare som arbetar på mellanstadiet har om poor comprehenders. Vi vill även bidra med ökad kunskap om på vilka sätt elever med dessa svårigheter upptäcks och hur det kan påverka undervisningens utformning. Vi har genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med 12 lärare som undervisar eller har undervisat på mellanstadiet. Efter att ha gjort en tematisk analys av vårt material fann vi fem teman som belyser lärares kunskap om och erfarenhet av poor comprehenders samt hur undervisningen utformas och anpassas med tanke på dessa elever. Resultatet visar att begreppet poor comprehenders är okänt bland lärare men fenomenet väl känt. Poor comprehenders upptäcks ofta i klassrumsundervisningen. Kartläggning av läsförståelse sker på alla skolorna i vår studie men hur man dokumenterar och använder resultaten varierar, liksom hur undervisningen utformas och anpassas. En slutsats är att avsaknaden på ett vedertaget begrepp gör att det kan vara svårt att kommunicera runt den här gruppen av elever. En annan slutsats är att det inte finns någon tydlig definition av problematiken, vilket i sin tur kan leda till att kunskapen varierar i hur man bäst utformar undervisningen för att utveckla lärandet för poor comprehenders. Det finns en stor variation i graden av erfarenhet av att arbeta med förståelseproblematik.

Kraven på att läsa för att lära ökar i takt med att eleverna blir äldre, vilket ställer krav på deras läsförståelse. Syftet med studien är att öka kunskaperna om lärares och speciallärares/specialpedagogers uppfattningar om språkinriktad undervisning för elever benämnda som ”poor comprehenders”. Ytterligare ett syfte är att undersöka vilka möjligheter och hinder som lärarna uppfattar med en språkinriktad undervisning. Tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med lärare och speciallärare/specialpedagoger genomfördes och analyserades med en fenomenografisk metodansats. Utifrån studiens syfte utkristalliserades tre utfallsrum: olika arbetssätt och synsätt i språkinriktad undervisning, framgångsfaktorer och svårigheter i arbetet med språkinriktad undervisning och olika synsätt på elever med specifika läsförståelsesvårigheter. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna för studien är det sociokulturella och det inkluderande perspektivet.  Studiens resultat visar att informanterna uppfattar det sociala samspelet med eleverna som en styrka i den språkinriktade undervisningen, att intervjupersonerna snarare ser möjligheter än hinder med språkinriktad undervisning och att elevernas intresse för läsning har minskat. Möjligheter som informanterna lyfter fram är kunniga och stöttande kollegor.  Slutsatser i studien är betydelsen av en lärmiljö som utgår från ett gemensamt arbete i klassrummet och att pedagogernas intresse för språkinriktad undervisning har betydelse för det språkinriktade arbetet. Studiens informanter poängterar betydelsen av språkinriktad undervisning för elevernas språkliga utveckling.

The ability to extract meaning from text is an important skill. Yet many students struggle with effectively comprehending what they read. In comparison with research carried out with younger students, there is a lack of research in the reading comprehension of adolescents (Grades 4 – 12). The goal of this dissertation was to increase our understanding of the factors that underlie the poor reading comprehension abilities of this older group of students. This dissertation includes two studies drawn from a sample of 137 age 15 year old high school students. Study One utilized archival data from government mandated tests of reading achievement of 78 students administered in Grades 3, 6, and 10, and results from a commercially available test of reading comprehension administered in Grade 10. This longitudinal study examined the prevalence of the stability, cumulative growth, and compensatory models in reading comprehension development. Probabilities of later-grade reading achievement categorization conditioned on earlier-grade reading achievement were computed, the prevalence of developmental paths was estimated, and tests of regression to the mean were conducted. Overall findings suggest considerable stability across time. Study Two examined the specificity of the comprehension weaknesses of 15 year old readers whose comprehension skills are below those expected from their skill in word reading and nonverbal ability (unexpected poor comprehenders). Regression analyses identified unexpected poor comprehenders, and two contrast groups (expected average and unexpected good comprehenders). Characteristics of unexpected poor comprehenders are examined after controlling for word-reading accuracy, phonological decoding, reading rate, nonverbal ability, and vocabulary. Findings indicate a critical disadvantage of unexpected poor comprehenders lies in their weakness in vocabulary and that comprehension difficulties related to the identification of details and main ideas in summary writing remain when vocabulary is controlled. Implications for interpreting previous and informing future research are discussed. Results of both studies are discussed with respect to the nature of the reading comprehension construct, identification and remediation of reading comprehension difficulties, and the assessment of reading comprehension. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-08-28 13:32:25.641

The aim of the present thesis was to examine the cognitive and language profile in children with poor reading comprehension using a longitudinal perspective. Even though comprehension skills are closely connected to educational success, comprehension deficits in children have been neglected in reading research. Understanding factors underlying reading is important as it improves possibilities of early identification of children at risk of developing reading problems. In addition, targeted interventions may prevent or reduce future problems. Descriptions of the cognitive and language profile in children with different types of reading problems from an early age and over time is an important first step. The three studies included in this thesis have been conducted using data from the International Longitudinal Twin Study (ILTS). In the ILTS, parallel data have been collected in the US, Australia, Sweden and Norway. Altogether, more than 1000 twin pairs have been examined between the ages 5 and 15 years using well known predictors of reading, along with decoding, spelling, reading comprehension and oral language measures. In the three studies, the Simple View of Reading has been used as a theoretical framework and children who exhibited different kinds of comprehension related difficulties have been identified at different ages. The studies include both retrospective and prospective analyses. The results across studies indicated a robust oral language deficit in all subtypes displaying comprehension problems. The oral language deficit was widespread and included vocabulary, grammar and verbal memory. In addition, the oral language deficit was manifested as compromised phonological awareness and print knowledge prior to reading instruction. Reading comprehension deficits were late emerging across studies in children with comprehension difficulties. / Syftet med avhandlingen har varit att undersöka den kognitiva och språkliga profilen hos barn med läsförståelseproblem i ett longitudinellt perspektiv. Förståelserelaterade problem är eftersatt del av läsforskningen, trots att denna typ av svårigheter har visat sig få stora konsekvenser för fortsatt framgång i skolan. Att förstå underliggande faktorer när det gäller läsning är viktigt för att kunna identifiera barn tidigt i utvecklingen och anpassa undervisningen efter deras behov. Att beskriva barnens kognitiva och språkliga profil från tidig ålder och över tid är ett viktigt första steg i detta arbete. De tre studierna som ingår i avhandlingen har baserats på data från the International Longitudinal Twin Study (ILTS). I projektet har data samlats in i USA, Australien, Sverige och Norge. Sammanlagt har mer än 1000 tvillingpar testas vid upprepade tillfällen i åldersspannet 5 till 15 år. Testmaterialet innefattar ett stort batteri av språkliga och kognitiva tester, samt tester i läsning och stavning. Med utgångspunk i the Simple View of Reading har grupper av barn med olika typer av förståelseproblem identifierats vid olika tidpunkter i utvecklingen. Studierna innehåller både retrospektiva och prospektiva analyser. Resultaten visar en tydligt bred språklig nedsättning hos barnen med förståelserelaterade problem som visar sig tydligt i mätningar av ordförråd, grammatik och verbalt minne. Problemen är stabila över tid och visar sig tidigt i utvecklingen även som fonologiska svårigheter. Svag språklig profil påverkar inte läsförståelse förrän barnen gått i skolan ett antal år.

The research presented in this thesis had two overarching aims; the first, to supplement our knowledge concerning the aetiological underpinnings of poor comprehension, and the second, to investigate the impact of being a poor comprehender on behavioural and educational outcomes in the school context. A combination of standardised test batteries, novel experimental paradigms, and questionnaire measures were used to obtain data that addressed hypotheses connected to these two aims. Poor comprehenders were found to have working memory deficits, as well as more specific deficits in suppressing irrelevant information from working memory. However, these deficits were largely confined to the verbal domain, giving credence to the theory that their poor performance on working memory and suppression tasks may be driven by underlying language difficulties. Poor comprehenders did show some evidence of broader executive deficits in both the verbal and non-verbal domains, raising the possibility that there might be subgroups of poor comprehenders with distinct aetiological profiles. In terms of behavioural and educational outcomes, poor comprehenders’ deficits were found to impact selectively on these areas, producing a distinct pattern of behavioural and educational impairments. These findings highlighted the need for early identification of, and effective intervention for, poor comprehenders.

The current longitudinal research examined the story-writing development of students from Grades 4 to 6 (N = 178). All students began formal schooling in English in Grade 1. Students were classified in Grade 4 as typical readers (scoring above the 40th percentile in both decoding and reading comprehension; n = 72), poor decoders (scoring below the 30th percentile in decoding; n = 53), or poor comprehenders (scoring above the 40th percentile on decoding but below the 30th percentile, relative to their language group, in reading comprehension; n = 26). Students who spoke English as a first language (EL1s) and English language learners (ELLs) were proportionally represented in each reading group. A series of repeated measures ANOVAs tested the effects of language and reading group on students’ cognitive, linguistic and literacy development. Despite the fact that ELLs did not achieve native-like English language proficiency, showing delays in vocabulary and reading comprehension, they matched their EL1 peers in all other areas of cognitive and literacy development, including story-writing. Both EL1s and ELLs developed story-writing skills in a similar manner, showing significant growth from Grade 4 to Grade 6. Typically developing ELLs were thus able to attain age-appropriate story-writing levels. Additionally, poor decoders and poor comprehenders generally showed similar profiles of strengths and weaknesses, regardless of whether English was their first or second language. The major difference was that ELL poor comprehenders were more likely to have longstanding reading comprehension problems, while many EL1 poor comprehenders had improved by Grade 6. In general, poor decoders displayed more pervasive difficulties across cognitive, linguistic and literacy domains, while poor comprehenders had specific weakness in nonverbal reasoning, receptive vocabulary and listening comprehension. Nevertheless, both reading disorder groups had significant difficulties in story-writing, struggling with the mechanics of writing, sentence structure, and overall story organization. Regression analyses indicated that cognitive, linguistic and language skills were strong concurrent and longitudinal predictors of story-writing. However, the strongest predictor of Grade 6 story-writing skill was Grade 4 story-writing performance, suggesting that story-writing skills tend to be relatively stable over time. The results generally support the ‘simple view of writing’ (Berninger, 2000). Practical recommendations for assessment and instruction are presented.

The current longitudinal research examined the story-writing development of students from Grades 4 to 6 (N = 178). All students began formal schooling in English in Grade 1. Students were classified in Grade 4 as typical readers (scoring above the 40th percentile in both decoding and reading comprehension; n = 72), poor decoders (scoring below the 30th percentile in decoding; n = 53), or poor comprehenders (scoring above the 40th percentile on decoding but below the 30th percentile, relative to their language group, in reading comprehension; n = 26). Students who spoke English as a first language (EL1s) and English language learners (ELLs) were proportionally represented in each reading group. A series of repeated measures ANOVAs tested the effects of language and reading group on students’ cognitive, linguistic and literacy development. Despite the fact that ELLs did not achieve native-like English language proficiency, showing delays in vocabulary and reading comprehension, they matched their EL1 peers in all other areas of cognitive and literacy development, including story-writing. Both EL1s and ELLs developed story-writing skills in a similar manner, showing significant growth from Grade 4 to Grade 6. Typically developing ELLs were thus able to attain age-appropriate story-writing levels. Additionally, poor decoders and poor comprehenders generally showed similar profiles of strengths and weaknesses, regardless of whether English was their first or second language. The major difference was that ELL poor comprehenders were more likely to have longstanding reading comprehension problems, while many EL1 poor comprehenders had improved by Grade 6. In general, poor decoders displayed more pervasive difficulties across cognitive, linguistic and literacy domains, while poor comprehenders had specific weakness in nonverbal reasoning, receptive vocabulary and listening comprehension. Nevertheless, both reading disorder groups had significant difficulties in story-writing, struggling with the mechanics of writing, sentence structure, and overall story organization. Regression analyses indicated that cognitive, linguistic and language skills were strong concurrent and longitudinal predictors of story-writing. However, the strongest predictor of Grade 6 story-writing skill was Grade 4 story-writing performance, suggesting that story-writing skills tend to be relatively stable over time. The results generally support the ‘simple view of writing’ (Berninger, 2000). Practical recommendations for assessment and instruction are presented.

Syftet med detta examensarbete har varit att utifrån ett lärarperspektiv, belysa möjligheter och problem i läsförståelseundervisningen och att bidra till en fördjupad kunskap om elever i behov av särskilt stöd i sin läsutveckling. Det empiriska materialet består av en enkät som har vesvarats av 64 lärare som undervisar i svenska i år 1-6. Studien är kvalitativ och inspirerad av enomenografin. Resultaten visar att lärarna i studien har erfarenhet av flera olika typer av lässvårigheter. Läsförståelsesvårigheter upptäcks på flera olika sätt: läsförståelse, avkodning, muntlig fömåga, svårigheter med andra uppgifter, arbetsminne, ordförråd, strategier för att inte läsa samt känslomässiga reaktioner. Flera av informanterna har mött elever i år 3-4 som kan avkoda bra men ändå inte förstår innehåller i en text. En del av lärarna menar att deras utbildning inte påverkat deras undervisning i läsförståelse. Andra menar att utbildningen har gjort det och att extra utbildning i läsförståelse innebär en skillnad. Det finns många olika orsaker till bristande läsförståelse och det finns en grupp elever som har specifika läsförståelsesvårigheter. Dessa elever kan vara svåra att upptäcka. För att de ska få adekvat hjälp krävs att lärare förstår vad som gör att svårigheterna uppstår och att de pedagogiska insatserna anpassas efter elevernas behov.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers in grades 1-3 work with reading comprehension in the classroom. This essey will further analyze how they describe the concept poor comprehenders and how they discover if a pupil have bad reading comprehension. I have used the following questions:  How do teachers describe the concept poor comprehenders? How do the teachers work with reading comprehension in the classroom? How do the teachers describe how they find out if a pupil have bad reading comprehension?  The study is based on a qualitative method with three interviews and three observations. The theories and central concepts that I used is poor comprehenders, reading comprehension, reading comprehension strategies and pedagogical methods. The result shows that the teachers have difficulities of explaining the concept poor comprehenders When comparing which reading comprehension method they use in the teaching, the result shows that they have used similar methods but in different ways. The result also shows that all the teachers in this study believes that it´s hard to find out if a pupil have problems with reading comprehension.