comprehension difficulties in struggling readers.pdf
Unraveling Reading Comprehension
Behavioral, Neurobiological, and Genetic Components
edited by
Brett Miller, Ph.D.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
Laurie E. Cutting, Ph.D.
Peabody College of Education and Human Development
Vanderbilt University
Contents
I Introduction
1 Unraveling the Behavioral, Neurobiological, and Genetic Components of Reading Comprehension: An Introduction
Laurie E. Cutting and Brett Miller ... 2
2 Reflections on Transitions in the Field of Dyslexia: Learning from the Past to Benefit the Future
Robin D. Morris ... 8
II What Goes Wrong When Reading Comprehension Fails?
3 Reading Comprehension and Reading Comprehension Problems: A Word-to-Text Integration Perspective
Charles Perfetti, Joseph Z. Stafura, and Suzanne M. Adlof ... 22
4 How Might Comprehension Deficits Be Explained by the Constraints of Text and Multilevel Discourse Processes?
Art Graesser and Haiying Li ... 33
5 Sources of Comprehension Problems During Reading
Anne Helder, Paul van den Broek, Linda Van Leijenhorst, and Katinka Beker ... 43
6 Reading Comprehension Difficulties in Struggling Readers
Kate Cain ... 54
7 Oral Language Disorders and Reading Comprehension Problems
Hugh W. Catts ... 66
III How Can Assessment and Statistical and Computational Modeling Help Us Understand Reading Comprehension?
9 Rationale for a New Generation of Reading Comprehension Assessments
John P. Sabatini and Tenaha O’Reilly ... 100
10 The Development of Eye-Movement Control and Reading Skill
Erik D. Reichle ... 112
11 Taking Models and Neuroimaging to Task: What Do We Know About How People Actually Read?
Jason D. Zevin and Jianfeng Yang ... 123
12 What Can Be Learned About the Reading Comprehension of Poor Readers Through the Use of Advanced Statistical Modeling Techniques?
Donald L. Compton, Amanda C. Miller, Jennifer K. Gilbert, and Laura M. Steacy ... 135
IV The Neurobiology and Genetics of Reading and Reading Comprehension
13 From Words to Text: Neurobiology and Behavioral Bases of Reading Comprehension
Laurie E. Cutting, Sabrina L. Benedict, Allison Broadwater ...
14 Neuroimaging Studies of Reading Disabilities: Toward Brain-Based Learning Models
Kenneth R. Pugh, Stephen J. Frost, Nicole Landi, Jonathan L. Preston, W. Einar Mencl, and Jay G. Rueckl ... 164
15 The Proactive Comprehender: What Event-Related Potentials Tell Us About the Dynamics of Reading Comprehension
Gina R. Kuperberg ... 176
16 Relating Reading Comprehension to Language and Broader Reading Skills: A Behavioral Genetics Approach
Stephen A. Petrill ... 193
17 What We Know (or Do Not Know) About the Genetics of Reading Comprehension and Other Reading-Related Processes
Elena L. Grigorenko ... 203
V Intervention: Addressing the Needs of Learners
18 Intervening to Support Reading Comprehension Development with Diverse Learners
Carol McDonald Connor ... 222
19 Why Intensive Interventions Are Necessary for Adolescents with Dyslexia: Findings from 3-Year Intervention and Future Research
Sharon Vaughn and Michael Solis ... 233
CHAPTER 6
Reading Comprehension Difficulties in Struggling Readers
Kate Cain
Reading is a widespread and varied activity. We read different types of text for different purposes. This chapter focuses on comprehension and why some children struggle to understand what they read.
What Is Involved in Reading Comprehension?
Before we can examine and determine the reasons for reading comprehension failure, we must first identify what is involved in the act of comprehending.
Skilled comprehenders recognize the individual words on the page and access their meanings. In the example, cohesive cues signal links: "she" and "her" refer back to Ruby, the main protagonist. Good memory aids the integration process. In fiction, readers want to understand motivations and actions. Comprehension is a dynamic process informed by context and general knowledge.
Who Has Reading Comprehension Difficulties?
Reading is a complex cognitive activity requiring coordination of various knowledge bases and skills. Skilled reading has been likened to a symphony orchestra. Proficiency in each component is seen on a continuum. The simple view of reading describes comprehension as a product of knowledge and skills related to word reading and comprehension.
Cognitive Resources: Cognitive resources that support language processing, such as the working memory system, are important for reading. Children with poor word reading often have weak short-term memory, affecting their retention and processing of verbal stimuli.
Developmental Context: Understanding reading comprehension within a developmental context reveals both the drivers of development and the underlying weaknesses that cause comprehension failures.
This structured breakdown focuses on the significant headings and core content emphasizing reading comprehension and its challenges.