A comparison of embodied methods to improve Chinese children's reading comprehension

Observed and participant performed manipulations

Bibliographic Data

ID21444804
AuthorsZhengye Xu (0000-0001-6738-8060, Department of Special Education and Counselling The Education University of Hong Kong Tai Po Hong Kong), Phil Duo Liu (0000-0002-2352-2616, Department of Special Education and Counselling The Education University of Hong Kong Tai Po Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume43
Issue4
Pages556-576
Publication date2020-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Research in Reading (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-0423 • E-ISSN: 1467-9817
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9817.12329
OpenAlexW3086029729
LanguageEN
References cited31

Background Physically manipulating objects according to texts can improve reading performance. This study examined whether these benefits can also be achieved via observing these manipulations or whether, because of an additional involvement of an action system, the physical manipulation might induce larger effects. Methods In total, 134 second graders and 140 fourth graders completed tasks measuring reading comprehension, nonverbal intelligence, rapid automatised naming, working memory, morphological awareness and phonological awareness. Each child was assigned to one of three groups: rereading, observed manipulation and participant‐performed manipulation. Those in the observed manipulation group were asked to reread the story while simultaneously watching a video of corresponding manipulations. Those in the participant‐performed manipulation group were instructed to manipulate objects to represent the story's content. The next period was concerned with the practice effects of the manipulations. The children in the observed manipulation group were instructed to read a new story using the participant‐performed manipulation approach. Those in the other two groups were asked to read the new story using the same strategies they had used in the former period. Results The results for the acute improvement showed that, for the fourth graders, the participant‐performed manipulation led to a greater improvement than the observed one, and both of the manipulations provided greater improvements than the rereading. Our examination of the practice effect indicated that the participant‐performed manipulation group only had an advantage over the rereading group, not the observed manipulation group, in text comprehension as a result of experience with object manipulation. Conclusions The current results suggest that the observed and physical manipulations make unique contributions to reading comprehension. In addition, these two manipulations lead to similar facilitating effects of subsequent object manipulation on text comprehension

Action (physics) · Cognitive psychology · Comprehension · Developmental psychology · Embodied cognition · Linguistics · Object (grammar) · Participant observation · Reading (process) · Reading comprehension · Artificial Intelligence · Child and Animal Learning Development · Computer Science · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development

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