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McMaster KL, Kendeou P, Kim J, Butterfuss R. Efficacy of a Technology-Based Early Language Comprehension Intervention: A Randomized Control Trial. JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 2024; 57:139-152. [PMID: 37366054 DOI: 10.1177/00222194231182974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
We examined the efficacy of a Technology-Based Early Language Comprehension Intervention (TeLCI) designed to teach inferencing in a non-reading context. A group of Grades 1 and 2 students from 2 elementary schools in the U.S. Midwest identified as at risk of comprehension difficulties were assigned randomly to a business-as-usual control group or to use TeLCI over an 8-week period. TeLCI comprised three learning modules per week that involved (a) learning new vocabulary, (b) watching fiction or nonfiction videos, and (c) answering inferential questions. Students also engaged in small-group read-alouds with their teachers once per week. Students who experienced TeLCI improved their inferencing and benefited from scaffolding and feedback provided during the intervention. Students' pre- to posttest inferencing gains were comparable with those of control students. Female students and those receiving special education services appeared less likely to benefit from TeLCI, whereas multilingual students were more likely to respond. Further work is needed to determine the optimal conditions under which TeLCI will benefit young children.
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Sinha N, Nikki Arrington C, Malins JG, Pugh KR, Frijters JC, Morris R. The reading-attention relationship: Variations in working memory network activity during single word decoding in children with and without dyslexia. Neuropsychologia 2024; 195:108821. [PMID: 38340962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
This study utilized a neuroimaging task to assess working memory (WM) network recruitment during single word reading. Associations between WM and reading comprehension skills are well documented. Several converging models suggest WM may also contribute to foundational reading skills, but few studies have assessed this contribution directly. Two groups of children (77 developmental dyslexia (DD), 22 controls) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task to identify activation of a priori defined regions of the WM network. fMRI trials consisted of familiar word, pseudoword, and false font stimuli within a 1-back oddball task to assess how activation in the WM network differs in response to stimuli that can respectively be processed using word recognition, phonological decoding, or non-word strategies. Results showed children with DD recruited WM regions bilaterally in response to all stimulus types, whereas control children recruited left-lateralized WM regions during the pseudoword condition only. Group-level comparisons revealed activation differences in the defined WM network regions for false font and familiar word, but not pseudoword conditions. This effect was driven by increased activity in participants with DD in right hemisphere frontal, parietal, and motor regions despite poorer task performance. Findings suggest the WM network may contribute to inefficient decoding and word recognition strategies in children with DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Sinha
- Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - C Nikki Arrington
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States; GSU/GT Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30318, United States; Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States
| | - Jeffrey G Malins
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
| | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States; Department of Linguistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States; Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States
| | - Jan C Frijters
- Department of Child and Youth Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Robin Morris
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States
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Church JA. The Brain's Control Networks in Reading: Insights From Cross-Task Studies of Youth. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:257-266. [PMID: 38745918 PMCID: PMC11091959 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Humans engage multiple brain systems to read successfully, including using regions important for vision, language, and control. Control refers to the set of executive processes in the brain that guide moment-to-moment behavior in service of our goals. There is a growing appreciation for the role of the brain's control system in reading comprehension, in reading skill change over time, and in those who have difficulty with the reading process. One way to understand the brain's control engagement in reading may be to study control engagement across multiple tasks in order to study consistencies, or cross-task similarities, relative to reading-specific variations. In this commentary, I briefly summarize some of our recent work studying the brain's control networks across different tasks (e.g., when reading, or doing different executive function tasks). I then review our findings of when control activation does or does not relate to measures of reading ability, and reading growth over time. The utility of cross-task comparisons in neuroimaging is noted, as well as the need to better understand multiple sources of heterogeneity in our developmental samples. I end by discussing a few of the many future directions for further study of the brain with regard to the brain's control processing and academic achievement.
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Gioia AR, Ahmed Y, Woods SP, Cirino PT. PROPERTIES OF A COMBINED MEASURE OF READING AND WRITING: THE ASSESSMENT OF WRITING, SELF-MONITORING, AND READING (AWSM READER). READING AND WRITING 2023; 36:723-744. [PMID: 37124450 PMCID: PMC10147347 DOI: 10.1007/s11145-022-10274-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
There is significant overlap between reading and writing, but no known standardized measure assesses these jointly. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the properties of a novel measure, the Assessment of Writing, Self-Monitoring, and Reading (AWSM Reader), that simultaneously evaluates both reading comprehension and writing. In doing so, we evaluate reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and various aspects of construct-related validity, including separate criterion measures of reading and writing, and the AWSM Reader's relations with other variables, including language and executive function (EF), both of which are implicated for both reading and writing. Participants were 377 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders with or at-risk for reading and writing difficulties. Reliability was low for the AWSM Reader reading comprehension (α = .58), but good for writing (α = .75-.80). Criterion-related validity indices revealed moderate correlations with other standardized and commonly used reading and writing measures, r = .47 to .50 (all ps < .001). Additionally, validity data supported the relations of both language and EF to AWSM Reader reading and writing, with EF showing unique prediction in both reading and writing domains. Results provide initial support for the measure per se but stress the difficulty in constructing combined reading and writing measures; directions are given for future work. Results also add to data on the contributions of language and EF to both reading and writing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Gioia
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yusra Ahmed
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven P Woods
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul T Cirino
- University of Houston Department of Psychology, Houston, TX, USA
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Capin P, Gillam SL, Fall AM, Roberts G, Dille JT, Gillam RB. Understanding the nature and severity of reading difficulties among students with language and reading comprehension difficulties. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2022; 72:249-275. [PMID: 35524931 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-022-00255-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the presence of word reading difficulties in a sample of students in Grades 1-4 (n = 357) identified with language and reading comprehension difficulties. This study also examined whether distinct word reading and listening comprehension profiles emerged within this sample and the extent to which these groups varied in performance on cognitive and demographic variables. Findings showed that the majority of students (51%) with language and reading comprehension difficulties demonstrated significant risk in word reading (more than 1 SD below the mean), even though the participant screening procedures did not examine word reading directly. Three latent profiles emerged when students were classified into subgroups based on their performance in listening comprehension (LC) and word reading (WR): (1) severe difficulties in LC and moderate difficulties in WR (11%), (2) mild difficulties in both LC and WR (50%), and (3) moderate difficulties in LC and mild difficulties in WR (39%). Of note, even though students were identified for participation on the basis of poor oral language and reading comprehension abilities, all profiles demonstrated some degree of word reading difficulties. Findings revealed there were differences in age and performance on measures of working memory, nonverbal reasoning, and reading comprehension performance between profiles. Implications for educators providing instruction to students with or at risk for dyslexia and developmental language disorders were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Capin
- Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, Department of Special Education, College of Education SZB 228, The University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, Austin, TX, D4900, USA.
| | - Sandra L Gillam
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, USA
| | - Anna-Maria Fall
- Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, Department of Special Education, College of Education SZB 228, The University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, Austin, TX, D4900, USA
| | - Gregory Roberts
- Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, Department of Special Education, College of Education SZB 228, The University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, Austin, TX, D4900, USA
| | - Jordan T Dille
- Teacher Education, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, USA
| | - Ronald B Gillam
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, USA
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Rodríguez C, Areces D, García T, Cueli M, Gonzalez-Castro P. Neurodevelopmental disorders: An innovative perspective via the response to intervention model. World J Psychiatry 2021; 11:1017-1026. [PMID: 34888170 PMCID: PMC8613753 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i11.1017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of conditions classified together by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders which include intellectual disability, communication disorders, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorder (SLD), and motor disorders. SLD is present in many students, who exhibit significant difficulties in the acquisition of reading, written expression, and mathematics, mostly due to problems with executive functions (EF). The present study is a review of the current situation of neurodevelopmental disorders and SLD focusing on the benefits of the response to intervention model (RtI), which allows the combination of evaluation and intervention processes. It also addresses the key role of EF. The importance of adapting RtI to new possibilities such as the use of virtual reality is discussed and a theoretical framework for carrying that out is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celestino Rodríguez
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Asturias, Spain
| | - Debora Areces
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Asturias, Spain
| | - Trinidad García
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Asturias, Spain
| | - Marisol Cueli
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Asturias, Spain
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Efficacy of the RtI Model in the Treatment of Reading Learning Disabilities. EDUCATION SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/educsci11050209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: The response to intervention (RtI) model makes possible the early detection of reading problems and early intervention for students at risk. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effective measures that identify struggling readers and the most effective practices of the RtI model in reading in Primary Education. (2) Method: A systematic review of the literature published between 2010 and 2020 was performed, analyzing in the 31 selected articles, the identification and monitoring methods and the interventions at the different tiers of the RtI model. (3) Results: There are different methods to identify struggling readers, and there is no consensus on the matter. There are also many differences in the implementation of the different tiers of the RtI model; however, its effectiveness is demonstrated. (4) Conclusions: The implementation of the RtI model in a flexible way adapted to the circumstances of each moment, and can be considered as a highly effective resource in the prevention and early detection of reading learning problems.
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Gerst EH, Cirino PT, Macdonald KT, Miciak J, Yoshida H, Woods SP, Gibbs MC. The Structure of Processing Speed in Children and its Impact on Reading. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:84-107. [PMID: 33519305 PMCID: PMC7839965 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2020.1862121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study had two aims. First, we set out to evaluate the structure of processing speed in children by comparing five alternative models: two conceptual models (a unitary model, a complexity model) and three methodological models (a stimulus material model, an output response model, and a timing modality model). Second, we then used the resulting models to predict multiple types of reading, a highly important developmental outcome, using other well-known predictors as covariates. Participants were 844 children enrolled in third through fifth grade in urban public elementary schools who received 16 measures of processing speed that varied in the above dimensions. A two-factor complexity model that differentiated between simple and complex processing speed was the preferred model and fit the data well. Both types of PS predicted reading fluency, and complex (but not simple) PS predicted single word reading and comprehension. Results offer insight to the structure of processing speed, its relation to closely related concepts (such as executive function), and provide nuance to the understanding of the way processing speed influences reading.
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Examining the Influence of Interactions Between Early Reading Skills and Executive Functioning on Second Grade Reading Achievement. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1891/jcep-d-20-00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Questions still exist about the interplay between foundational literacy components and budding cognitive structures that are thought to influence advanced reading abilities. Understanding interactions between executive functions (EFs) and specific early reading skills could contribute to our understanding of later reading achievement. The present study used multilevel modeling to examine whether EFs (i.e., working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition) moderate the relation between various early reading skills in kindergarten and second grade reading achievement in a sample of 18,174 participants from the ECLS: K-2011 database. Our findings suggested that early teacher-rated reading skills are related to second grade reading abilities. Both working memory and inhibition were important moderators for reading independently in kindergarten and are associated with later reading achievement in second grade. Research implications and the importance of understanding the intersection of cognitive processes and learning in early childhood are discussed.
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Koltermann G, Becker N, Lopes-Silva JB, Gomides MRDA, Paiva GM, Haase VG, de Salles JF. Are "cool" executive function impairments more salient in ADHD symptoms than in reading disability? Dement Neuropsychol 2020; 14:47-55. [PMID: 32206198 PMCID: PMC7077861 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642020dn14-010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Reading disability (RD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
symptoms often co-occur in school-age children. Methods: The present study evaluated the performance of 216 Brazilian children from
3rd and 4th grades on “cool” executive function
(EF) abilities and phonological processing. The children were divided into
three groups: those with ADHD symptoms only, those with RD only, and
controls. Results: MANOVA analyses, controlling for age and nonverbal intelligence, showed worse
performance for the RD group, compared to the ADHD symptoms group, on
measures of phonological processing (phonemic awareness, phonological
short-term memory, and lexical access) and “cool” EF components
(orthographic verbal fluency and processing speed). The ADHD symptoms group
did not differ from the control group on the majority of the “cool” EF
tasks. Compared to the control group, the ADHD symptoms group and the RD
group both showed significantly more errors in rapid automatized naming of
figures, which evaluates the inhibition component of EF; performance on this
task was similar for these groups. Conclusion: We conclude that children with RD have greater impairment in phonological
processing and “cool” EF compared to those with ADHD symptoms. Furthermore,
deficits in inhibitory control may be shared among children with both
conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natália Becker
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil
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Ober TM, Brooks PJ, Plass JL, Homer BD. Distinguishing Direct and Indirect Effects of Executive Functions on Reading Comprehension in Adolescents. READING PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/02702711.2019.1635239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa M. Ober
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, New York, USA
- CREATE Lab, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Patricia J. Brooks
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, New York, USA
- College of Staten Island, CUNY, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Jan L. Plass
- CREATE Lab, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York University New York, New York, USA
| | - Bruce D. Homer
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, New York, USA
- CREATE Lab, New York University, New York, New York, USA
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Church JA, Cirino PT, Miciak J, Juranek J, Vaughn S, Fletcher JM. Cognitive, Intervention, and Neuroimaging Perspectives on Executive Function in Children With Reading Disabilities. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2019; 2019:25-54. [PMID: 31046202 PMCID: PMC6522302 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The role of executive function (EF) in the reading process, and in those with reading difficulties, remains unclear. As members of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities, we review multiple perspectives regarding EF in reading and then summarize some of our recent studies of struggling and typical readers in grades 3-5. Study 1a found that a bi-factor structure best represented a comprehensive assessment of EF. Study 1b found that cognitive and behavioral measures of EF related independently to math and reading. Study 1c found that EF related to reading, above and beyond other variables, but Study 1d found no evidence that adding an EF training component improved intervention response. Study 1e found that pretest EF abilities did not relate to intervention response. Neuroimaging studies examined EF-related brain activity during both reading and nonlexical EF tasks. In Study 2a, the EF task evoked control activity, but generated no differences between struggling and typical readers. The reading task, however, had group differences in both EF and reading regions. In Study 2b, EF activity during reading at pretest was related to intervention response. Across studies, EF appears involved in the reading process. There is less evidence for general EF predicting or improving intervention outcomes.
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