Nonword Reading Test Manual

Reading with comprehension demands accurate word recognition, which depends crucially upon good phonological awareness and phonic skills. The Nonword Reading Test is an easy-to-use diagnostic test based on nonwords which conform to common and acceptable letter-sound correspondences. Nonwords are used because - in contrast to real words - they are equally unfamiliar to all pupils. They thus make a comparable demand upon all pupils. The use of regular word structures means that in order to produce the combined sound of letter strings, the pupil must use phonological decoding. The test therefore yields a measure that is independent of sight vocabulary, and provides a better and fairer assessment of the vital skills which underpin word recognition and functional literacy. Two equivalent Forms A and B allow you to assess progress over time. The Nonword Reading Test is an individual test for pupils aged from 6 to 16+, and takes just five to ten minutes to administer. At the earlier stages of learning to read, the test will help to identify pupils who are slow to establish phonological decoding skills. With dyslexic and older pupils who are reading below the level for their age, the test will help to define the extent of phonological problems and the special provision that such pupils are likely to require.

The Indigenous languages of Australia have been undergoing a renaissance over recent decades. Many languages that had long ceased to be heard in public and consequently deemed 'dead' or 'extinct', have begun to emerge. Geographically and linguistically isolated, revitalisers of Indigenous Australian languages have often struggled to find guidance for their circumstances, unaware of the others walking a similar path. In this context Re-awakening Languages seeks to provide the first comprehensive snapshot of the actions and aspirations of Indigenous people and their supporters for the revitalisation of Australian languages in the 21st century. The contributions to this volume describe the satisfactions and tensions of this ongoing struggle. They also draw attention to the need for effective planning and strong advocacy at the highest political and administrative levels, if language revitalisation in Australia is to be successful and people's efforts are to have longevity.

Approaching Difficulties in Literacy Development: Assessments, Pedagogy and Programmes considers the complexity of literacy difficulties, showing how research into literacy difficulties has to be multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary and involve a range of research approaches and methods. The chapters show that this is necessary to accommodate the wide range of issues that can, potentially, explain literacy difficulties and suggest strategies and interventions to ease those difficulties. This Reader is relevant to all postgraduate students of Literacy, as well as educators, professionals and policy makers.

Language development, and the challenges it can present for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, have long been a focus of research, theory, and practice in D/deaf studies and deaf education. Over the past 150 years, but most especially near the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, advances in the acquisition and development of language competencies and skills have been increasing rapidly. This volume addresses many of those accomplishments as well as remaining challenges and new questions that have arisen from multiple perspectives: theoretical, linguistic, social-emotional, neuro-biological, and socio-cultural. Contributors comprise an international group of prominent scholars and practitioners from a variety of academic and clinical backgrounds. The result is a volume that addresses, in detail, current knowledge, emerging questions, and innovative educational practice in a variety of contexts. The volume takes on topics such as discussion of the transformation of efforts to identify a "best" language approach (the "sign" versus "speech" debate) to a stronger focus on individual strengths, potentials, and choices for selecting and even combining approaches; the effects of language on other areas of development as well as effects from other domains on language itself; and how neurological, socio-cognitive, and linguistic bases of learning are leading to more specialized approaches to instruction that address the challenges that remain for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This volume both complements and extends The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Volumes 1 and 2, going further into the unique challenges and demands for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals than any other text and providing not only compilations of what is known but setting the course for investigating what is still to be learned.

A groundbreaking integrated approach to reading assessment that addresses each child's unique Learning Profile Fifteen to twenty percent of our nation's children have reading difficulties. Educational evalua-tors must be able to use progress monitoring and diagnostic tools effectively to identify students who may be at risk, evaluate the effectiveness of school-wide reading programs, and suggest interventions that will improve reading skills. Written from a strengths-based perspective, Reading Assessment: Linking Language, Literacy, and Cognition is the first book of its kind to present a research-based, integrated review of reading, cognition, and oral language testing and assessment. Author Melissa Lee Farrall explores the theoretical underpinnings of reading, language, and literacy, explains the background of debates surrounding these topics, and provides detailed information and administration tips on the wide range of reading inventories and standardized tests that may be used in a reading psychoeducational assessment. With a focus on how to craft professional evaluation reports that illuminate a student's strengths—not just weaknesses—Reading Assessment enables school psychologists and diagnosticians, reading specialists, and special education professionals to conduct evaluations and develop effective interdisciplinary remedial recommendations and interventions. Clear, engaging, and inviting, Reading Assessment features: Case examples and practice exercises Chapter-opening reviews of each theory Strengths, weaknesses, and potential problems of tests and their interpretations Chapter-ending review questions that foster skill development and critical thinking Comprehensive information on more than 50 different assessment tests Reading Assessment is an invaluable resource that helps professionals gain the knowledge and skills to confidently interpret test results and prepare detailed and effective evaluation reports designed to meet each child's unique needs as a learner.