			Home About us Contact

Literacy Measures (literacy + measure)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Psychology	50%

Selected Abstracts

Measurement mischief: A critique of Reynolds, Nicolson and Hambly (2003)

DYSLEXIA, Issue 3 2003
Chris Singleton
Abstract Reynolds, Nicolson and Hambly (2003) report an intervention study of the effects of exercise-based training on literacy development, using literacy measures from the Dyslexia Screening Test (DST), the NFER-Nelson Group Reading Test, and the Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs). Investigation of the nature and psychometric characteristics of these measures casts serious doubt on their appropriateness in a study of this nature. Consideration of the findings obtained using these measures does not support the authors' conclusion that reading was improved by the intervention. The study by Reynolds et al. does not demonstrate that exercise-based treatment improves literacy skills and the use of its purported findings as evidence that exercise-based treatment would be beneficial for children with literacy difficulties is scientifically untenable. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Familial loading in specific language impairment: patterns of differences across proband characteristics, gender and relative type

GENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2007
G. Conti-Ramsden
There is now little doubt that both environmental factors and genes are likely to make important contributions to the aetiology of specific language impairment (SLI). The most commonly proposed model for understanding these influences is the multifactorial model. In the present study we examine two expectations based on this model: that there will be a systematic relationship between the severity of proband language scores and the rate and severity of SLI in relatives and that relatives will be more strongly affected if they are relatives of a proband of the more rarely affected gender (female) because the latter require a higher genetic liability to become equally impaired. Ninety-three probands and their 300 first-degree relatives participated in this study. Results showed a relationship between proband severity at age 14 and an increased rate of SLI in relatives. This relationship was strong for child siblings and was significant with respect to both rate of SLI and severity over a range of language and literacy measures. In contrast, higher levels of SLI among relatives of female rather than male probands was entirely disproved. [source]

Predicting curriculum and test performance at age 11 years from pupil background, baseline skills and phonological awareness at age 5 years

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 7 2007
Robert Savage
Background:, Phonological awareness tests are amongst the best predictors of literacy and predict outcomes of Key Stage 1 assessment of the National Curriculum in England at age 7. However, it is unknown whether their ability to predict National Curricular outcomes extends to Key Stage 2 assessments given at age 11, or also whether the predictive power of such tests is independent of letter-knowledge. We explored the unique predictive validity of phonological awareness and early literacy measures, and other pupil background measures taken at age 5 in the prediction of English, Maths, and Science performance at age 11. Method:, Three hundred and eighty-two children from 21 primary schools in one Local Educational Authority were assessed at age 5 and followed to age 11 (Key Stage 2 assessment). Teaching assistants (TAs) administered phonological awareness tasks and early literacy measures. Baseline and Key Stage 2 performance measures were collected by teachers. Results:, Phonological awareness was a significant unique predictor of all nine outcome measures after baseline assessment and pupil background measures were first controlled in regression analyses, and continued to be a significant predictor of reading, maths, and science performance, and teacher assessments after early literacy skill and letter-knowledge was controlled. Gender predicted performance in writing, the English test, and English teacher assessment, with girls outperforming boys. Conclusions:, Phonological awareness is a unique predictor of general curricular attainment independent of pupil background, early reading ability and letter-knowledge. Practically, screening of phonological awareness and basic reading skills by school staff in year 1 significantly enhances the capacity of schools to predict curricular outcomes in year 6. [source]

Evaluating oral health promotion: need for quality outcome measures

COMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
Richard G. Watt
Abstract , Oral health promotion effectiveness reviews have identified the need to improve the quality of the evaluation of interventions. A project was undertaken to identify and assess the quality of available outcome measures. This paper describes the methodology adopted and highlights the need for further development of oral health promotion outcome measures. Initially a thorough and comprehensive search of both the published and unpublished literature was undertaken to identify potential outcome measures. A set of quality criteria was then developed and used to assess the identified measures. The search identified a total of 1202 outcome measures of which 39% (n = 466) were developed for use with schoolchildren. A high proportion of the identified measures were classified as health literacy and healthy lifestyle outcomes, appropriate for the evaluation of oral health education activities. Only 1% (n = 12) of measures identified were classified in the healthy public policy category. When reviewed against the quality criteria, 49% (n = 594) of the measures were considered satisfactory. The poorest performing measures were those classified as healthy lifestyle and health literacy measures in which only 33% (n = 72) and 41% (n = 240), respectively, were deemed to be of satisfactory quality. In conclusion, a significant number of oral health promotion evaluation outcome measures have been identified although their quality is highly variable. Very few high-quality outcome measures exist for use in the evaluation of oral health policy and environmental interventions. The lack of appropriate and high-quality outcome measures is hampering the development of oral health promotion. [source]