Comparing graphs and text: Effects of complexity and task

Graphs are commonly believed to facilitate users’ compre-hension. We explored the effect of graphs on comprehension compared to text, manipulating content complexity (single bar vs. double bar graphs) and question type (point-locating vs. comparison questions). A total 78 college students viewed graph and text stimuli and answered comprehension questions while their eye movements were recorded. The results indicate that students do not always process graphs more efficiently than text conveying the same information. Students processed graphs significantly faster than text only when the more complex questions were shown. When the more complex graphic patterns were presented, the advantage of graphs over text became less apparent. The students also spent the majority of their time looking at specific information on the axes and label regions of the graphs with the increasing complexity of graphs and tasks. These findings are discussed related to theories of learning including cognitive load theory and perceptual salience theory

Effects of Multisensory Phonics-Based Training on the Word Recognition and Spelling Skills of Adolescents with Reading Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an Orton-Gillingham-based reading instruction system, the Barton Reading and Spelling System (BRSS; Barton 2000), that was used as a supplemental reading instruction program for increasing the lower-level reading skills of a group of adolescents with persistent reading problems. Nine students participated in the supplemental reading program based on pre-test scores of a spoken and written language assessment battery. Progress was measured at the end of intervention by post-testing students on the same assessment battery. Each student showed some improvements from their pretest to posttest scores on all of the measures utilized, with some having moderate to large effect sizes, supporting the view that the BRSS is an appropriate supplemental reading program for struggling adolescent readers within a response to instruction framework. Future research should include a larger sample size and a control group

Generalization of early metalinguistic skills in a phonological decoding study with first-graders at risk for reading failure

This training study was designed to examine the effects of training letter-sound correspondences and phonemic decoding (segmenting and blending skills) on the decoding skills of three first-grade children identified to be at risk for reading failure. This training study was to examine the degree to which the subjects could readily learn decoding skills necessary for early reading and to determine the degree to which phonemic decoding training on CVC syllable structures generalize to untrained syllable structures. Three experimental subjects served as their own controls in a single-subject multiple-baseline design. Experimental subjects were compared to matched control subjects on their ability to decode real-word and pseudo-word stimuli and on formal test scores of reading and spelling. Following training, experimental subjects demonstrated substantial increases in their acquisition and generalization of phonological decoding skills, but revealed much smaller changes on pre-test to post-test measures of formal reading and spelling when compared to their matched control subjects

Effects Of Phonological Decoding Training On Children\u27S Word Recognition Of Cvc, Cv, And Vc Structures

The effects of training in letter-sound correspondences and phonemic decoding (segmenting and blending skills) on three kindergartners\u27 word recognition abilities were examined using a single-subject multiple-baseline design across behaviors and subjects. Whereas CVC pseudowords were trained, generalization to untrained CVC pseudowords, untrained CVC real words, untrained CV and VC pseudowords, and untrained CV and VC real words were assessed. Generalization occurred to all of the untrained constructions for two of the three subjects. The third subject did not show the same degree of generalization to VC pseudowords and real words; however, after three training sessions, this subject read all VC constructions with 100% accuracy. Findings are consistent with group training studies that have shown the benefits of decoding training on word recognition and spelling skills and with studies that have demonstrated the effects of generalization to less complex structures when more complex structures are trained

Effects of Phonological Decoding Training on Children's Word Recognition of CVC, CV, and VC Structures

The effects of training in letter-sound correspondences and phonemic decoding (segmenting and blending skills) on three kindergartners\u27 word recognition abilities were examined using a single-subject multiple-baseline design across behaviors and subjects. Whereas CVC pseudowords were trained, generalization to untrained CVC pseudowords, untrained CVC real words, untrained CV and VC pseudowords, and untrained CV and VC real words were assessed. Generalization occurred to all of the untrained constructions for two of the three subjects. The third subject did not show the same degree of generalization to VC pseudowords and real words; however, after three training sessions, this subject read all VC constructions with 100% accuracy. Findings are consistent with group training studies that have shown the benefits of decoding training on word recognition and spelling skills and with studies that have demonstrated the effects of generalization to less complex structures when more complex structures are trained