Language skills - Native language

Linguistic knowledge in mother tongue teaching: an analysis of the curriculum (2023). Pedagogical studies (Chile, Q3)
This research aims to describe the linguistic content and communication skills related to that content, in accordance with the curriculum currently in force in the Chilean education system. Using content analysis, the curriculum guidelines for seventh grade through tenth grade were analyzed. The results showed a clear predominance of content related to text linguistics (textual structure, coherence, cohesion) and psycholinguistics (text comprehension and production processes) in all areas covered by the guidelines. The results are consistent with the shift in discourse that has been adopted in mother tongue teaching, although grammatical knowledge is relegated to the realm of knowledge that is already acquired and should only be applied in textual development.

Poetic education: tensions, challenges, and lines of progress (2024). Educational Profiles (Mexico, Q3)
This article is situated in the disciplinary field of literature teaching, specifically in the line of research on poetry teaching. The objective is to develop a general overview of the knowledge built on poetic education in the 21st century, taking into account both scientific research and classroom experiences reported in academic discussion forums. The results of this overview are structured around the presentation, first, of the main problems and difficulties that have been identified in the teaching of poetry in traditional pedagogy. The second part offers an overview of the lines of progress that, emerging from educational research and experimentation, allow us to visualize ways of overcoming these tensions and explore innovations in this field.

The hidden depths of new word knowledge: using graded measures of spelling and semantic learning to measure vocabulary acquisition (2021). Learning and Instruction (UK, Q1)
We investigated whether the presence of spelling promotes new word learning (spelling facilitation). In Study 1 (N = 41) and Study 2 (N = 74), children were taught 16 unfamiliar polysyllabic words. Half of the words were presented with spelling and half without spelling. Learning assessments captured the degree of semantic and orthographic learning; they were administered one week after teaching (Studies 1 and 2) and, exceptionally, eight months later (Study 1 only). Bayesian analyses indicated that the presence of spelling was associated with greater word learning, although this effect was estimated with greater certainty for spelling learning than for semantic learning. Newly learned word knowledge was retained well over time, indicating that our paradigm was sufficient to support long-term learning. Our approach offers an example of how studies on word learning can go beyond simple measures of accuracy to reveal the cumulative nature of lexical learning.

Let's Eat Grandma: Awareness of Violations of Punctuation and Capitalization Rules Predicts the Development of Reading Comprehension (2023). Learning and Instruction (United Kingdom, Q1)
There is growing evidence that reading and writing are interconnected, but more studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms through which these two skills are associated. This paper presents a study that explored the relationship between second-grade students' awareness of punctuation and capitalization rule violations (a component of the writing process) and their reading comprehension. The results showed that students' awareness of punctuation and capitalization rule violations was moderately correlated with reading comprehension (r = .64) and predicted reading comprehension assessed in the spring after taking into account reading comprehension assessed in the fall, word decoding fluency, listening comprehension, general cognitive ability, and demographic variables. Our results highlight a poorly studied association between reading and writing and point to a potential new avenue for improving reading comprehension.

Using an image-based method to facilitate first sight word acquisition (2020). Learning and Instruction (UK, Q1)
This study investigated whether an intervention using words embedded with images may be more effective in teaching first sight words than one using words alone. Sixty-nine preschool children (4–5 years) enrolled in a school in Ontario, Canada, participated. The children were randomly divided into treatment and control groups; the treatment group was taught four words using words embedded in pictures, and the control group was taught using text only. Both groups also received phonics instruction to facilitate visual word acquisition. Children in the picture-embedded word group performed significantly better than those in the word-only group on a test administered immediately after training and on subsequent retention tests. This result, which contrasts with previous studies using picture-embedded words, may be due to the fact that this method uses a relevant linking phrase and action that help create an association between the picture and the word, as well as the incorporation of phonics instruction.

Performance gap: Socioeconomic status affects reading development beyond language and cognition in children living in poverty (2019). Learning and Instruction (United Kingdom, Q1)
Learning to read effectively is one of the main skills children need to learn at school and is important for functioning well in modern society. Although children's reading skills appear to be related to their socioeconomic status, only a few studies have examined how SES is related to the development of reading skills in children facing severe poverty. In this study, 322 Roma children living in severe poverty were followed from ages 7 to 9 and compared to an unselected sample of 178 non-Roma Romanian children. Roma children had both poorer initial reading skills and slower growth in reading skills. Unlike previous studies, socioeconomic status did explain the growth in reading ability once other well-known cognitive and linguistic factors were controlled for. In the case of Roma children, the effects of socioeconomic status on reading ability growth were partly mediated by school absenteeism. Thus, interventions targeting Roma children living in extreme poverty should focus both on the quality of reading instruction and on broader aspects of these children's lives.

Inattentive reading on screen: Reading medium affects attention and reading comprehension under time pressure (2021). Learning and Instruction (United Kingdom, Q1)This study explored the influence of reading media and reading time on readers' task attention, metacognitive calibration, and reading comprehension. One hundred forty college students were assigned to one of four experimental conditions, which varied in terms of reading medium (print or screen) and reading time (unlimited or under time pressure). Readers' mind wandering during reading, their prediction of their performance on a comprehension test, and their comprehension of the text were measured. Print readers, but not screen readers, mind wandered less in the time-under-pressure condition than in the free-time condition, indicating greater task adaptation in the print version. Consequently, screen readers in the time-pressured condition understood less than the other three groups. Mind wandering and text comprehension were similar in the free reading time condition, regardless of medium. Finally, there were no differences in the metacognitive calibration of readers. The results support the hypothesis of superficial information processing when reading on screen under time pressure.

Teaching and learning approaches incorporated into language education: a review of mixed studies (2022). Educational Research Review (United Kingdom, Q1)
The notion of embodied learning has gained traction in the educational sciences over the past decade and has reached language teaching, with researchers recognizing language learning as an embodied process. This review of mixed studies adds to, and reviews empirical research published between 1990 and 2020 that uses embodied learning approaches in language teaching. The review focuses on embodied approaches in first, second, and foreign language learning and teaching at various educational levels. It covers 41 empirical studies, with a majority published between 2019 and 2020, suggesting that the research area is growing rapidly. The results show that the studies align with two strands: (1) embodied learning through the orchestration of embodied language learning and teaching, and (2) embodied learning in naturally occurring language learning interactions. The review identifies several embodied learning activities and presents how they contribute to language learning and teaching in different ways. The review proposes an understanding of embodied language learning that holds the potential to engage students holistically, while fostering language learning skills and adding emotional and motivational benefits to language learning.

Don't throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension (2018). Educational Research Review (United Kingdom, Q1)
With the growing dominance of digital reading over print reading, understanding the effects of medium on reading comprehension has become critical. However, research findings comparing learning outcomes in print and digital media are mixed, making it difficult to draw conclusions. In the current meta-analysis, we examined research from recent years (2000–2017), comparing the reading of comparable texts on paper and on digital devices. We included studies with between-participant (n = 38) and within-participant (n = 16) designs with 171,055 participants. Both designs showed the same advantage of reading on paper over digital reading (Hedge's g = -0.21; dc = -0.21). The analyses revealed three significant moderators: (1) time frame: the advantage of reading on paper increased in time-restricted reading compared to self-paced reading; (2) text type: the advantage of paper reading was consistent in studies using informational texts, or a mix of informational and narrative texts, but not in those using only narrative texts; (3) year of publication: the advantage of paper reading increased over the years. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.

The impact of shared book reading on children's language skills: A meta-analysis (2019). Educational Research Review (UK, Q1)
Shared book reading is believed to have a positive impact on young children's language development, and shared reading interventions are often carried out in an attempt to boost children's language skills. However, despite the volume of research in this area, several questions remain unanswered. The current meta-analysis explored whether shared book reading interventions are equally effective (a) across a range of study designs; (b) across a range of different outcome variables; and (c) for children from different SES groups. The potentially moderating effects of intervention duration, child age, use of dialogic reading techniques, the person conducting the intervention, and the mode of intervention delivery were also explored. Our results show that, although there is an effect of shared reading on language development, this effect is smaller than that reported in previous meta-analyses (= 0.194, p = .002). They also show that this effect is moderated by the type of control group used and is insignificant in studies with active control groups (= 0.028, p = .703). Finally, they show no significant effects of differences in the outcome variable (ps ≥ .286), socioeconomic status (p = .658), or any of our other potential moderators (ps ≥ .077), and no significant effects for studies with follow-up ( = 0.139, p = .200). Based on these results, we make a series of recommendations for researchers and educators on the design and implementation of future shared reading interventions.

Effects of additions to independent silent reading on students' reading competence, motivation, and behavior: results of a meta-analysis (2024). Educational Research Review (United Kingdom, Q1)
A frequently used approach to increase students' reading frequency is to invest in independent silent reading (ISR) in schools: regularly scheduling time during which students read silently from books of their own choice. However, evidence on the impact of ISR is inconclusive and there appear to be significant barriers to its effects on students' reading frequency, motivation, and proficiency: particularly struggling readers have difficulty choosing appropriate books; simply setting aside time for reading does not guarantee that students read, ISR lacks accountability, and students do not always have the opportunity to interact about what they read. The objective of the current meta-analysis was to test whether additions to ISR that aim to overcome these barriers contribute to the effects of ISR on student reading. Using the results of 51 effect studies covering 56 samples of primary and secondary school students, we established a positive short-term intervention effect, small but significant, on general reading competence (Cohen's d = 0.27). Furthermore, we found that additions to the ISR were particularly effective for students at risk of failing in reading; for stronger readers, the effects were absent. Finally, we found a negative effect of teacher assistance or instruction, suggesting that activities during reading may interfere with students' engagement with texts.

The association between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2024). Educational Research Review (United Kingdom, Q1)
Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language. For example, the word “evaluation” means “to make a judgment about something” and is composed of two morphemes: the base “evaluate” and the affix “-ment”; adding the prefix “re-” to the word ‘evaluation’ changes its meaning to “evaluate something again.” Morphological awareness is the “awareness of the morphemic structure of words and the ability to reflect on and manipulate that structure” (Carlisle, 1995, p. 194). Morphological awareness in children aged 5 to 14 is strongly associated with different aspects of literacy (e.g., Carlisle, 1995; Deacon & Kirby, 2004; Levesque et al., 2021) and is proposed to support reading comprehension by providing critical information about the meanings of complex words (Rastle, 2019). However, the reported strength of this association differs substantially across studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of morphological awareness and its association with reading comprehension in children learning to read in English. To understand the basis for differences across studies, we explored possible moderators of this association: chronological age, the type of morphologically complex words investigated, and the characteristics of the measures used to assess both morphological awareness and reading comprehension.

Activities, evaluation, and proposals for improvement in the initial training of early childhood, primary, and secondary school teachers in relation to their oral language competence (2024). Educational profiles (Mexico, Q3)
A large number of university teachers recognize that oral language competence (OLC) is not sufficiently included in teaching plans and feel that they are not competent enough to support their students in this area. The objectives of this study are: to explore the activities that university teachers of initial teacher training propose to their students in relation to ORC; to find out how they assess this competence; to explore students' perceptions of ORC; and to find out what teachers propose to improve the ORC of future teachers. Seventeen university teachers from four Spanish universities were interviewed. The results indicate that few activities are carried out to contribute to the development of students' CLO, that students have few linguistic resources, and that teachers agree on the need to participate in training processes to contribute more effectively to the development of this competence.

Short breaks at school: effects of physical activity and mindfulness intervention on children's attention, reading comprehension, and self-esteem (2021). Trends in Neuroscience and Education (Germany, Q1)
Background: Although breaks are essential for restoring the cognitive and psychological conditions for learning, short breaks have not been established within school lessons and the specificity of their effects has not been frequently investigated. Therefore, the effects of physical activity (Study 1) and a mindfulness intervention (Study 2) were investigated. Procedure: Using a control-group intervention design, the effects of 10 minutes of daily physical activity (Study 1: N = 162, 4th grade) and mindfulness breaks (Study 2: N = 79, 5th grade) within regular school classes over a period of 2 weeks to investigate the impact on attention, reading comprehension, and self-esteem. Results: The physical activity intervention improved children's attention (attention processing speed: p < .004 = .05, attention-performance: p < .025, = .03), and the mindfulness intervention improved reading comprehension (p < .012, = 0.08) compared to controls. The results also indicated that self-esteem moderated the relationship between the groups and the improvement in attention in study 1. Conclusion: Brief physical and mindfulness breaks in the classroom could promote attention and reading comprehension, which are known to promote overall academic success.

Strategies to promote reading literacy: teaching practices and enjoyment of reading (2023). Psicotema (Spain, Q1)
Background: Reading literacy is key to personal development and educational success. Previous studies have examined variables that influence and improve the development of reading literacy in specific contexts. However, there is no consensus on which teaching practices promote reading development in different settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate how educational strategies influence the development of reading literacy and to analyze their predictive capacity in diverse cultural, educational, and social contexts. Method: The study used data from 294,527 students in 37 countries collected as part of the 2018 PISA study. The data were analyzed using an adaptation of the Difference in Differences methodology, which allowed the effects of factors on the acquisition of reading literacy to be isolated. Results: Students who enjoyed reading and explicitly used an effective reading strategy obtained reading scores that exceeded their mathematics results on the PISA scale by 4 to 9 points on average. Conclusions: The identification of key factors in the acquisition of reading skills (such as enjoyment of reading) and the use of effective strategies (such as summarizing texts) underscores the need for appropriately targeted educational policies.