Exploring the Korean Hangul Word Decoding Properties of Children with Reading Disabilities: Implication for Reading Intervention and Reading Related Language Factors

Objectives: This study analyzed the Korean Hangul word decoding properties of children with reading disabilities by considering reading intervention and reading related language factors.Methods: A corresponding sample t-test, correlation analysis, and repeated measurement were examined for the relevance of Hangul and reading difficulties, predictors of Hangul reading difficulties, and the effects of Korean word meaningfulness (word/non-word) and spelling regularity (regular/irregular) variables.Results: 1) After reading intervention, children with reading disabilities improved in their Hangul decoding, listening comprehension, phonological awareness, and word writing scores. 2) Before and after reading interventions, variables related to decoding were receptive vocabulary, phonological awareness, word writing, and rapid naming. 3) The variables of children’s ability that predicted decoding were word writing, listening comprehension, receptive vocabulary, and rapid naming; and the variable that predicted non-word decoding was word writing. Phonological awareness, which showed significant correlation with decoding scores, did not act as a significant predictor of decoding scores. 4) Reading interventions and decoding-level variables (word meaning and spelling regularity) both showed significant effects in the decoding of Korean Hangul, especially after reading interventions.Conclusion: The reading disability of Hangul is acting on both the characteristics of the ideogram and phonogram system, and the characteristics of Hangul’s unique spelling system.

A Systematic Quality Review of Technology-Aided Reading Interventions for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Technology has been widely used to teach reading skills to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the quality of research backing up this practice has not yet been fully investigated. The purpose of this review was to examine the quality of research on technology-aided reading interventions for students with ASD and summarize study characteristics of research studies with meeting the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) design standards. A total of 31 studies using group design ( n = 4) or single-case design ( n = 27) were systematically aggregated, and 16 studies (52%) met the WWC design standards. Study features related to participants, intervention, technology usage, and outcome variables were synthesized for these 16 studies. Results indicated that two types of technology (i.e., computer, iPad) were used to deliver reading instruction through software programs or support interventionist-directed reading instruction. Finally, implications for research and practice are discussed.

Reading and Literacy Interventions for Improving Reading and Motivation in Adolescence: A Narrative Review

Reading interventions measuring motivational outcomes in adolescence vary in terms of their theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches and findings. However, a review of these is not currently available. Drawing on narrative review principles, this article synthesises academic and grey literature to outline the breadth and scope of interventions which have measured changes in adolescents’ reading motivation and reflects upon those interventions identified. Key characteristics from the existing literature include a strong focus on struggling readers and skills-based goals. Outcomes of reading interventions measuring motivational effects among adolescents are mixed, and often not explicitly grounded in theory. There is also a notable absence of research taking account of the opinions and experiences of adolescents. There is need for much deeper exploration of “what works” for motivating adolescents to read; this should be based in established theory and centre the experiences of adolescents themselves.

Understanding the Dynamics of Dosage Response: A Nonlinear Meta-Analysis of Recent Reading Interventions

Researchers have noted a nonlinear association between reading instruction dosage (i.e., hours of instruction) and reading outcomes for Grade K–3 students with reading difficulties (K–3 SWRD). In this article, we propose a nonlinear meta-analysis as a method to identify both the maximum effect size and optimal dosage of reading interventions for K–3 SWRD using 26 peer-reviewed studies including 186 effect sizes. Results suggested the effect sizes followed a concave parabolic shape, such that increasing dosage improved intervention effects until 39.92 hours of instruction (dmax = 0.77), after which the intervention effects declined. Moderator analyses found that maximum intervention effects on fluency outcomes were significantly larger (dmax = 1.34) than the overall maximum effect size. Also, when students received 1:1 instruction, the dosage response curve displayed a different functional form than the concave parabolic shape, showing the effect increased indefinitely after approximately 16.8 hours of instruction. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Reading and Writing Interventions for Students with Disorders of Intellectual Development

Students with disorders of intellectual development (ID) experience challenges in reading and writing, indicating the need for research-based interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of reading and writing interventions for students aged 4–19 with disorders of ID using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs (QEDs). We conducted electronic searches of relevant databases, backward and forward searches, and contacted experts in the field. Based on predefined criteria, nine studies were included in the systematic review, and seven were included in the meta-analysis. The reading interventions included decoding strategies, often combined with sight-word and supplemental instructions appropriate to the participants’ adaptive and cognitive skills. None of the studies aimed to increase writing skills. The overall mean effect size from the reading interventions for trained reading was large (g = 0.95, 95% CI = [0.51, 1.38]), for transfer reading small-to-moderate (g = 0.49, 95% CI = [0.20, 0.78]) and for transfer writing small (g = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.36, 0.44]). Students with disorders of ID can benefit from reading interventions combining decoding strategies and sight word reading. There is a need for RCT and QED studies investigating writing interventions for students with disorders of ID only.

Integrating Word-Meaning Instruction Within Word-Reading Instruction

Despite strong theoretical and empirical evidence suggesting that word meaning knowledge plays a critical role in word reading, interventions for students with word reading difficulties and disabilities frequently target word reading instruction in isolation. This article bridges reading theory to practice by describing one approach to integrate word-meaning instruction within word-reading instruction to support students who have mastered foundational phonics skills but require additional support to read multisyllabic words with accuracy and fluency. Included are the steps a teacher could use to implement integrated word reading and word meaning instruction utilizing the multisyllabic, academic vocabulary words students must be able to read and understand to comprehend complex science or social studies texts.