Identification of struggling readers or at risk of reading difficulties with one-minute fluency measures

Abstract Background: To identify readers who are struggling or at risk of reading difficulties, reference standards in oral reading fluency (ORF) are used to conduct an assessment that is based on a widely reported method known as curriculum-based measurement (CBM), which itself is based on 1-min fluency measures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' ORF (with a 1-min fluency measure) to characterize their fluency and to determine references of appropriate development in reading at the 50th percentile. Method: For this study, a database of readings made available by the Learning Studies Research Laboratory was used. This database consisted of 365 readings by elementary-school students from the third to fifth grades in two cities in the interior of the state of São Paulo from two different public school systems that use the same teaching methodology. The data consisted of digital audio recordings of the passage "The Umbrella" (text suitable for schooling levels) of the Protocol for Assessment of Reading Comprehension procedure. For this procedure, three steps were performed: step 1—listening to the 365 readings and assessing the scores for the number of words read correctly per minute; step 2—the calculation of the mean and percentiles for each grade; and step 3—the adaptation of the reference table to indicate students eligible to receive reading fluency intervention. Results: Third-year students who correctly read 86 or more words per minute, fourth-year students who correctly read 104 or more words per minute, and fifth-year students who correctly read 117 or more words per minute were considered students who had made adequate progress in reading. Conclusion: It was possible to classify students based on the 1-min fluency measures, with reference intervals of words read correctly per minute per school year (for the third, fourth, and fifth years) for those who were making adequate progress in reading and reference intervals for those who were considered readers who were struggling or at risk of reading difficulties.

Conciencia sintáctica y comprensión de lectura en niñez vulnerable / Syntactic awareness and reading comprehension in vulnerable children / Consciência sintática e compreensão de leitura em infância vulnerável

La relación entre Conciencia Sintáctica y Comprensión de Lectura ha sido insuficientemente investigada en escolares de habla hispana. El presente trabajo tiene como propósito analizar el desarrollo de la Conciencia Sintáctica y su relación con la Comprensión de Lectura en escolares chilenos socialmente desfavorecidos que asisten a escuelas vulnerables. El estudio utilizó una metodología de tipo transversal, descriptiva y correlacional. La muestra consideró 161 escolares básicos de ambos sexos: 61 de segundo año, 55 de tercer año y 57 de cuarto año de enseñanza básica, de dos centros educacionales. Los resultados muestran rendimientos bajo el promedio esperado para la edad, tanto en Comprensión de Lectura como en Conciencia Sintáctica en todos los grupos. El estudio evidencia además, una relación significativa entre las variables estudiadas.

Syntactic awareness is one of the metalinguistic skills used in readingcomprehension that has been less researched in the Spanish language. This study aims to analyze thedevelopment of syntactic awareness and its relation to the development of reading comprehensionskills among socially disadvantaged children who attend schools classified as vulnerable. The studyuses a descriptive correlational and transversal methodology. The sample consists of 161 childrenof both sexes: 61 in the 2nd Grade, 55 in the 3rd Grade and 57 in the 4th Grade in two schools. Theresults of the study indicate a level of performance that is below the expected average in terms ofreading comprehension skills based on students’ age, as well as below average results for syntacticawareness. The study also reveals a high significant correlation between both variables.

A relação entre Consciência Sintática e Compreensão de leitura temsido insuficientemente investigada em escolas de língua espanhola. Este trabalho tem por objetivoanalisar o desenvolvimento da consciência sintática e sua relação com o desenvolvimento dacompreensão de leitura em estudantes chilenos socialmente desfavorecidos que freqüentam escolasvulneráveis. O estudo utilizou uma metodologia transversal, descritiva e correlacionai. A amostra foicomposta por 161 escolas básicas de ambos os sexos: 61 alunos do segundo ano, 55 do terceiro ano e57 do quarto ano do ensino básico de dois centros educacionais. Os resultados mostram rendimentosabaixo da média esperada para a idade, tanto na compreensão de leitura como em consciênciasintática em todos os grupos. O estudo evidencia também uma correlação altamente significativaentre as variáveis estudadas.

Current reading behaviors of university undergraduates in China / 中华医学图书情报杂志

The effects of external factors, internal factors and behavior outcomes on reading behaviors of university undergraduates in China and the role of library in their reading were analyzed with the associated problems pointed out and suggestions proposed for their solution.