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Research Title 研究項目 | Language | Non-engaged Youth
為支援有英文學習困難的學童，本中心現正計劃進行一項有關腦科學基礎電腦英文語文訓練的研究，詳情如下： 研究題目：腦科學基礎電腦英文語文訓練對提升學童英語能力的有效性 研究對象：有讀寫障礙及正常學習能力的中小學生 研究期間：二零一一年四月至十月 研究方法：在開始計劃前，學生先要接受一次測試，經初步評估後，會安排他們接受研究計劃中合適程度的測驗。然後，學生每星期會進行兩次電腦英文語文測驗，每次約一小時，計劃會測試學生的語音意識(phonological awareness)、英文語文閱讀能力等，半年後，學生會再接受一次測試，藉此觀察學生英語能力提升的程度。 研究結果：得出結果後，本中心會把學生的表現報告交給學生家長，讓家長了解子女在整個活動中的表現及成績，並會以不公開參加者姓名的形式，將研究計劃的結果於本年十一月的國際學術研討會中公佈。 計劃費用全免，現誠意邀請在校內已被評估為有特殊學習障礙的中、小學生參加此項研究計劃。
家長若對上述研究有興趣，可 如有任何疑問，或對上述安排有其它意見，歡迎於辦公時間內致電2766 6313。我們會盡快與家長確實研究程序上的各項安排。
“Reading Assistant＂ 電腦程式簡介 “Reading Assistant”電腦程式的設計專為訓練學童的英文口語能力而設，主要針對三方面的能力： • 朗讀的流暢性(reading fluency)； • 字彙(vocabulary)； • 閱讀理解(comprehension) 程式主要利用了「言語核對技術」(speech verification)，監察學生的朗讀水平，當學生遇到有困難的英文生字，“Reading Assistant” 會作出協助，提供該生字的正確讀音。學生又會重複練習朗讀文章，以達致自動性 (automaticity)。“Reading Assistant”還會記錄學生閱讀理解的水平，及每次朗讀的錄音，同時計算學生每分鐘所讀出正確生字的數目。 據American Scientific Learning網頁引述National Reading Panel的研究報告顯示：「就算是有學習障礙的學生，只要透過重複朗讀，並對他們予以適切協助，他們仍是可以大大提升閱讀能力的。」另外，網頁亦引述Carlisle Foundation和National Institute of Child Health & Human Development贊助的研究結果，研究計劃安排兩間主流學校部份學生接受“Reading Assistant”的評估，他們於十七個星期內，每星期使用一至兩次，每次使用三十分鐘，結果顯示，有使用此軟件的學生的朗讀流暢程度，比沒有使用過的大為優勝，平均高出正常標準43%。
“Fast ForWord＂教育軟件 “Fast ForWord” 是一系列電腦程式，據American Scientific Learning網頁，此電腦程式能夠幫助學生發展和強化閱讀及學習所需的認知能力。這套軟件結合腦神經科學，應用了持久學習的四個基本原則： • 次數及強度 ─ 次數頻密的活動能夠加速學習。 • 適切性 ─ 活動的難度需要因應學生的進度而改變，以保持活動的挑戰。 • 同步發展 ─ 認知能力及閱讀技巧必須同時發展。 • 適時的鼓勵 ─ 學習者須獲得適時鼓勵，以致主動地完成活動。 “Fast ForWord”重點訓練多種對學習及閱讀至為重要的認知能力： • 記憶力 ─ 包括工作記憶(working memory)、短期及長期記憶。 • 專注力 ─ 幫助提升專注力(attention)及集中力(focus)。 • 資料處理速度 ─ 提升學生處理資料和訊息的速度(processing rate)。 • 排序 ─ 有助辨別聲音、字母、及概念的先後次序(sequencing)。 “Fast ForWord”是一套曾在科學研究中被使用的軟件，研究結果顯示，它能夠有效地改變兒童腦部的運作模式，有效地改善兒童的閱讀問題和提升他們的閱讀能力。另外American Scientific Learning網頁亦引述一個案顯示，整體閱讀水平本來遠低於標準的美國St. Mary Parish School District的學生，在使用了“Fast ForWord”一段時間後，於2008年的閱讀能力成績超出各州份的平均水平。
Parental paired-reading intervention for Chinese dyslexic children: Using curriculum-based measurement to assess responsiveness-to-instruction
Alice Cheng-Lai
Abstract
:
In this study, a proposed model of
paired-reading was suggested to parents of Chinese dyslexic children in
Hong Kong. The model incorporated strategic instruction of fluent
reading and explicit instruction of orthography, morphology and
semantics of Chinese words. Instructional passages were given to parents
and children to practice paired-reading at home in each week.
Curriculum-based measurements (CBM) were administered in a continuous
7-week period. The constructs of the two CBM tasks (i.e. oral reading
and maze) were designed to directly assess the expected learning
outcomes of the individual children. The post-test results in the oral
reading task indicated that most children read more accurately and
fluently in a rewritten passage. Moreover, the children performed
satisfactorily in the items of direct vocabularies in the maze task. It
indicated that the children had built up the lexical representations of
the Chinese words that they were previously unfamiliar with. However,
the children were less capable of answering the items of
morphologically-related vocabularies. The effectiveness of the proposed
paired-reading model and the pedagogical implications were discussed in
regard of Chinese literacy instruction for Chinese dyslexic children. The ability to discriminate lexical tones of non-tonal language speakers
Abstract : A heavy reliance on lexical tones in tonal languages implies that tonal language speakers are sensitive to the changes of lexical tones. Furthermore, this particular linguistic experience might enhance the speakers’ ability to discriminate tones in the non-linguistic context. Nevertheless, this postulation seems to underestimate the perceptual ability in hearing as demonstrated by the past studies on auditory perception. Findings showed no significant difference in discriminating Cantonese lexical tones, in either linguistic or non-linguistic context, between Cantonese speakers and non-tonal language speakers (i.e., English speakers). This insignificance is explained by several possibilities which suggest that there was a difference between the processing stages of tonal perception. Moreover, the findings also provided evidence for the unconscious processing of auditory features as demonstrated by the tonal and non-tonal language speakers who could discriminate lexical tones at the condition where they were not aware of the presence of the tones.
Facilitative effect of orthographic prime in Chinese reading depends on the response type
Abstract : Orthographic processing route is usually regarded as a direct route of processing Chinese characters. Recent findings, however, suggested that phonological information can also be directly extracted from the Chinese characters. Together with the concern of the task dependence as suggested by Shen and Forster (1999), the present findings showed that only the orthographic processing route was facilitated by the orthographic prime in accessing the Chinese characters when participants were not required to respond verbally. The present results also suggested that a need to generate a verbal response might mask the facilitative effect of the orthographic priming. No significant phonological priming was obtained, no matter participants were required to produce verbal or non-verbal (i.e., keystroke) response, in the current study. These results were consistent with the dual-route processing model that although some phonological processing might be activated, orthographic processing is the most direct way to access Chinese characters. proposed title: Do phonological prime facilitate Chinese reading in children?
Abstract : Phonemic information is hardly found in Chinese characters. Orthographical information is therefore traditionally regarded as the prime source in accessing Chinese. A number of developmental findings, however, demonstrated the significance of the phonological awareness in Chinese reading. The current study adopted two different tasks in which children were either required to produce verbal response or non-verbal response in two similar priming tests. It was found that, unlike orthographical prime, phonological prime was not effective in speeding up the response in both tests in the groups of Cantonese speaking fourth, fifth and sixth graders. These findings support that orthographical information has been relied on in Chinese reading since children are at nine.
proposed title: Processing difference between good readers and poor readers in reading Chinese
Abstract : Phonological prime was generally found not be facilitative for children in Chinese reading. It is worthy to know whether this is also correct in both groups of good readers and poor readers. By recruiting forty each fourth, fifth and sixth graders, the present study showed that orthographical prime was more effective to the good readers, compared to the poor readers. On the other hand, poor readers was benefitted from the phonological prime whereas no such finding was obtained in the good readers. These results demonstrated clearly that Chinese characters were processed differently by children with different literal ability. Underlying mechanism between these two types of processing deserved further research.
待業待學青少年的學習障礙及心理問題
摘 要 : 教育統籌局青少年持續發展及就業相關培訓專責小組於二零零六年四月正式委託香港理工大學進行一項有關“待業待學青少年的學習障礙及心理問題”的專案研究。「宏利兒童學習潛能發展中心」負責人黎程正家博士亦擔任是項研究的首席研究員。 是次研究除了探討15至24歲雙待青少年學習障礙及心理問題的普遍及嚴重性外，日後更會發展一套適合前線工作者，包括社工及導師等使用的識別工具，用以評估受訪對象存有學習障礙及心理問題的可能性。而研究的數據及結果將會幫助政府更加了解雙待青少年所面對的問題，及為他們制定一系列長遠的政策。
Research on Learning and Psychological Difficulties of Non-engaged Youth in Hong Kong
Abstract : A Task Force on Continuing Development and Employment-related Training for Youth appointed by the Chief Executive has commissioned a research team led by Dr. Alice Lai, the Person-in-Charge of the Manulife Centre for Children with SLD, to conduct a research project on “Learning and Psychological Difficulties of Non-engaged youth in Hong Kong”. This study is set out to examine prevalence and severity of the potential learning and psychological difficulties among non-engaged youth aged from 15 to 24. One of the objectives of the study is to develop a screening instrument is to identify the learning and difficulties among NEY in Hong Kong. The findings would help formulate long-term policies and initiative to address the problem of non-engaged youth in Hong Kong.
Dr Alice Lai & Team - Most Valued Project Most Valued Project Award for " Research on Learning and Psychological Difficulties of Non-engaged Youth in Hong Kong" |
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Room HJ201, The Department of Applied Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: 2766 6313 Fax:2364 5514 e-mail: info@mccsld.org web-site: www.mccsld.org |
