Mental health among students with neurodevelopment disorders: case of dyslexic children and adolescents

ABSTRACT Several research studies have been devoted to study the links between emotional disorders and learning disabilities. However, very minimal of this research has focused on dyslexic students. Objective: The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to assess self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in dyslexic Arabic-speaking children and adolescents and (2) to describe psychiatric comorbidities in these subjects by comparing them to their non-dyslexic peers. Methods: In total, 205 students (56 dyslexics and 149 good readers), pursuing their education in ordinary schools in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region of Morocco responded to Taylor’s Self-Assessment Scale of Anxiety, Beck’s Depression Questionnaire, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI). Results: Overall, dyslexics were more anxious, more depressed, and had disturbed self-esteem compared to their non-dyslexic peers. The percentage of psychiatric comorbidity was higher in the dyslexic group. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach that integrates emotional needs assessment into the rehabilitation care of dyslexic children and adolescents.

The Effect of Illustrations on the Ability of Children to Draw Inferences While Reading Narrative Texts

<p>Materials used to teach reading in New Zealand schools, as elsewhere, generally include illustrations to help learners develop reading skills. The present research tests the claim that the availability of pictures can hinder rather than help the complex constructive processes of reading and considers whether or not boys are more at risk than girls. It does this by considering how pictures affect the ability of learners to practice making inferences and how the use of pictures in instructional material might be one factor that could affect the development of an ability to integrate the skill of making inferences with the other skills that are performed during reading. The construction of a mental model while reading gives rise to making inferences and depends on the integration of such inferences. This process leads to an enhanced memory of the text and assists comprehension. Four questions were raised: To what extent do 7-9 year old readers draw inferences from pictures rather than text? Is there any difference between male and female readers of this age and in each of these reader groups in how illustrations affect their ability to draw inferences from text? Do pictures hinder 7 -9 year old readers who can decode text well and have a high level of vocabulary knowledge but do not comprehend well (referred to throughout as 'difference poor readers') in their attempts to incorporate general knowledge in their comprehension of text? Do pictures hinder 7-9 year old good readers in the same way? A repeated measures study was designed; 48 children read four stories each, rotated between 4 groups (good readers and poor readers, male and female) so that each story was read with and without pictures. Each child read 2 stories in one condition in the first session and the other 2 stories in the other condition in the second session. The order in which the stories were read was also rotated. The children gave oral answers to questions designed to probe for evidence of inference making after each reading with books open and then re-told the stories with books closed. Results indicated that for these participants, the male difference poor readers were more likely than any in the other groups to make more inferences from the text without the pictures; for some the response also indicated that the nature of their reading experience was profoundly affected. The good readers also tended to make fewer inferences with pictures as did half of the female difference poor readers. The other half seemed to make very few inferences unless pictures were present but these inferences were more influenced by the text than the pictures. These findings suggest that if the aim is to teach comprehension of text then learning materials might be more effective if they did not contain illustrations.</p>

The Effect of Illustrations on the Ability of Children to Draw Inferences While Reading Narrative Texts

<p>Materials used to teach reading in New Zealand schools, as elsewhere, generally include illustrations to help learners develop reading skills. The present research tests the claim that the availability of pictures can hinder rather than help the complex constructive processes of reading and considers whether or not boys are more at risk than girls. It does this by considering how pictures affect the ability of learners to practice making inferences and how the use of pictures in instructional material might be one factor that could affect the development of an ability to integrate the skill of making inferences with the other skills that are performed during reading. The construction of a mental model while reading gives rise to making inferences and depends on the integration of such inferences. This process leads to an enhanced memory of the text and assists comprehension. Four questions were raised: To what extent do 7-9 year old readers draw inferences from pictures rather than text? Is there any difference between male and female readers of this age and in each of these reader groups in how illustrations affect their ability to draw inferences from text? Do pictures hinder 7 -9 year old readers who can decode text well and have a high level of vocabulary knowledge but do not comprehend well (referred to throughout as 'difference poor readers') in their attempts to incorporate general knowledge in their comprehension of text? Do pictures hinder 7-9 year old good readers in the same way? A repeated measures study was designed; 48 children read four stories each, rotated between 4 groups (good readers and poor readers, male and female) so that each story was read with and without pictures. Each child read 2 stories in one condition in the first session and the other 2 stories in the other condition in the second session. The order in which the stories were read was also rotated. The children gave oral answers to questions designed to probe for evidence of inference making after each reading with books open and then re-told the stories with books closed. Results indicated that for these participants, the male difference poor readers were more likely than any in the other groups to make more inferences from the text without the pictures; for some the response also indicated that the nature of their reading experience was profoundly affected. The good readers also tended to make fewer inferences with pictures as did half of the female difference poor readers. The other half seemed to make very few inferences unless pictures were present but these inferences were more influenced by the text than the pictures. These findings suggest that if the aim is to teach comprehension of text then learning materials might be more effective if they did not contain illustrations.</p>

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN L2 LITERACY ACQUISITION

Statistical learning (SL) approaches to reading maintain that proficient reading requires assimilation of rich statistical regularities in the writing system. Reading skills in developing first-language readers are predicted by individual differences in sensitivity to regularities in mappings from orthography to phonology (O-P) and semantics (O-S), where good readers rely more on O-P consistency, and less on O-S associations. However, how these regularities are leveraged by second-language (L2) learners remains an open question. We utilize an individual-differences approach, measuring L2 English learners’ sensitivity to O-P, O-S, and frequency during word-naming, across two years of immersion. We show that reliance on O-P is leveraged by better readers, while reliance on O-S is slower to develop, characterizing less proficient readers. All factors explain substantial individual variance in L2 reading skills. These findings show how SL plays a key role in L2 reading development through its role in assimilating sublexical regularities between print and speech.

The development of Chinese character reading and knowledge in young children

Early reading and literacy are critical for helping children to become good readers, and character reading and knowledge are important aspects. However, few studies have investigated this issue. By drawing on 127 children between 4 and 6 years of age from five Level 1 kindergartens in Shanghai, this study examined the development of Chinese character reading and knowledge in young children. Character reading was assessed using the revised Chinese Communicative Development Inventory. Children’s knowledge of Chinese characters was administered through three tasks, namely stroke-pattern recognition, visual memorization and component detection, and component positioning. Results indicated that children acquired some characters before formally learning to read and write. Both character reading and knowledge developed rapidly with age. Further, children’s knowledge of Chinese characters was closely associated with their character reading. Findings suggest that children’s interest and knowledge of characters should be fostered during the early years to prepare them to be successful readers.

More than Surviving, Thriving in the Information Age: Reading as a bais for using Information Technology Efficiently

Within recent years, computer technology has revolutionized infomation production, in storage, and information retrieval. Information is available in unprecedented quantity, easily and quickly obtained, often inexpensively. The patterns of work are changing; learning how to learn becomes more necessary than ever for survival. Standard information-handling skills and strategies and a range of technical skills will enhance the chances of success, but reading skills are fundamental. We can learn from the skills exhibited by good readers and good users of infomation; awareness of the habits of poor readers and infomation-users will help us help them cope in an increasingly in-glutted world.

From Literacy to Information Literacy: Reading for Understanding in the Real World

Good readers evaluate as they go along, open to triggers and alarms which warn that something is not quite right, or that something has not been understood. Evaluation is a vital component of information literacy, a keystone for reading with understanding. It is also a complex, complicated process. Failure to evaluate well may prove expensive. The nature and amount of information on the Internet make evaluation skills ever more necessary. Looking at research studies in reading and in evaluation, real-life problems are suggested for teaching, modelling and discussion, to bring greater awareness to good, and to less good, readers.

INVESTIGATING FACTORS AFFECTING POOR READING CULTURE AMONG EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Reading books has not become a habit among university students in Kurdistan; one can count the good readers in a class with fingers of a hand. This is a big crisis and needs serious work. The problem is demonstrated through the students’ performance and proven knowledge in the academic years and it matters because when the students graduate in the university and during the university academic years they do not have sufficient knowledge that a university student needs to have. This study aims to investigate the factors that affect poor reading culture of the EFL learners in Kurdistan universities. It provides the major factors that affect the reading interest of EFL learners. For this purpose, a questionnaire, and an interview are used. The questionnaire is designed to obtain certain information regarding the learners’ reading culture, environment, factors that motivate and demotivate them. The interview is designed to ask certain questions which are answered by university lecturers and one of them is the director of the general library in one of the universities. Through the study, it was found that reading books has not become a habit among university students in Kurdistan and they have given little or no attention to reading books, and students’ cultural environment demotivates them from reading books. Kurdish culture, lack of role models, and insufficient libraries are among factors of poor reading culture among university students. However, it was found that university libraries are quite sufficient for reading books. Therefore, the results indicate that the reading culture is not at the needed level and students are not used to providing a decent time for reading daily. They spend their free time on other things rather than reading. The findings of this study may serve as reliable data regarding the culture and habit of reading which shows an up-to-date piece of information about one of the great aspects of EFL learners in universities in Kurdistan which is reading culture.