Studies have shown that dialogic instruction can promote reading comprehension, but its contribution to lower-level skills like reading fluency is not as well understood. The paper reports on a dialogically oriented small group intervention for struggling second-grade Hebrew readers, targeting both comprehension and fluency. Rather than top-down…

The contribution of reading self-concept (RSC) to reading comprehension in Hebrew elementary school students was examined with respect to grade level (second, fifth, and sixth graders) and students' level of reading comprehension (poor, average, and good). RSC questionnaire and reading measures were delivered to 49 second graders and 48 fifth and…

Motivational questionnaires (MRP-R and MWP) were used to investigate reading and writing motivation (self-concept and value) among 252 Hebrew-speaking students in third to sixth grade. CFA for reading and writing motivation revealed a close to reasonable fit, for the total sample and by gender. It yielded a low fit across the four grade levels.…

This study examined changes in reading motivation and reading achievement among Hebrew-speaking first graders following an intervention program designed to increase intrinsic reading motivation. The program was delivered by the class teacher and focused on choosing relevant reading materials, providing choices for reading and encouraging social…

The simple view of reading (SVR) model posits that reading comprehension is a product of decoding and listening comprehension and that reading comprehension difficulties can be categorized according to the weakness and strength of these 2 components. In the present study, I tested the applicability of the SVR to reading comprehension subgroups in…

This article presents a critical review of the literature surrounding the potential impact of undiagnosed and untreated vision impairment on reading development in the early years of primary school. Despite pre-school screening programmes, it is still possible for children to enter school with undiagnosed, uncorrected vision impairments. This can…

Social psychologists have suggested that language-based ideologies related to "stereotype threat" (i.e. variations in performance-based on ability perceptions of language groups) may affect students' academic achievement regardless of school language support. However, it is unclear whether efforts to support students' first language…

This paper presents an effectiveness study of a computer-based English reading program, the Waterford Early Reading Program (WERP), among first and second grade students in Israel. Students who used the program were compared to a control group only receiving English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction as part of the school curriculum. First…

A significant difference in phonological awareness (PA) skills was found between 35 students measured in grades 1 and 3 who had received PA training in kindergarten and 35 who had not. The PA tasks of initial phonological isolation and sound deletion were highly predictive of success in first-grade reading. (SLD)

The first year (1986-87) of a measurement-driven and feedback-driven instruction project being conducted in Israel was evaluated. Criterion-referenced tests developed for the evaluation were administered to students in grades 3, 4, and 5 in 26 schools. Positive effects were found on achievement in reading comprehension and arithmetic. (SLD)

In this study, the author elucidated whether reading experience continues to contribute to word recognition skills in readers with well-internalized reading skills. The participants performed consecutive same or different judgments regarding the identicalness of letters, words, and pseudohomophones. For a more detailed examination of how increased…

This study examined the impact of a 5-year school family partnership project in Israel with the goals of improving children's reading and writing achievement and forming a parents task force to create community-wide involvement and change. Participating in this study were 510 parents of the first graders enrolled in 21 classrooms in 7 Jewish…

This study examined whether factors affecting first language reading acquisition also affect English Foreign Language (EFL) reading acquisition. Hebrew (L1) and EFL reading related measures were administrated to 145 fourth graders from the north of Israel who were beginning their first year of English instruction. Results from a Linear Structural…