...Your E-Book is Reading You Alexandra Alter's "Your E-Book is Reading You" appeared in The Wall Street Journal in 2012. In the essay Alter aims to explain to readers that publishers are compiling vast data repositories containing information on a wide array of statistics on how and what we read. He explains the possibility of using these analytics to provide a more directed approach towards the reader’s desires. "Now, e-books are providing a glimpse into the story behind the sales figures, revealing not only how many people buy particular books, but how intensely they read them." Enumeration, anecdotes, and a hint of propaganda are techniques the author employs to sway the reader and develop a convincing essay. Alter opens the essay with a couple of numbers and statistics about reading speed and passages highlighted passages in a particular book. This enumeration technique immediately establishes the tone of the essay and has a “scientific” feel about it. It is an effective way to project the author’s legitimacy and gain the reader's trust that the writer has done their research and knows what they are talking about. Also, this paragraph uses an extremely popular novel named “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, which is the first in a trilogy, to illustrate how the data is used. “The first thing that most readers do upon finishing the first ‘Hunger Games’ book is to download the next one.” Almost immediately after peaking the reader's curiosity with the statistics of their...
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...Marketing through E-Books In her newspaper article “Your E-Book is Reading You”, Alexandra Alter uses an informal tone to grab the reader’s attention. Alter informs the reader of the new methods used to improve book sales and customer reading experiences. She demonstrates that major book publishers are capable of tracking reading habits including how much of the book is read, and how long they read for. The data also indicates that readers use methods of reading depending on the genre of the book. Once Alter provides the information regarding what publishers are capable of, she points out the negative aspects of the data collection including the loss of creativity and privacy. While Alter does address the negative aspects of data collection, the primary focus of the article is the positive aspects of having reader data. The research she includes comprises mainly of statistics and quotes from book publishers. Through her use of style, tone and research, Alter successfully convinces the reader that the act of habit analysis by publishers is in the reader’s best interests. Initially, Alter sets up her article in a style that appeals to the reader. Throughout the essay, she jumps back and forth between expository and persuasive tones. The main purpose of this article is to inform the reader; however, she also includes the use of pathos to get the reader emotionally involved. In her opening paragraph she appeals to the reader’s emotions by stating “Nearly 18,000 Kindle readers...
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...72-76 Poor Study Habit as an Educational Problem Among University Undergraduates In The Contemporary Times And Effective Management Strategies DR.O.O.PITAN . 1, School Of Education . National Open University Of Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria ABSTRACT :Educational problems are multifaceted and are hindering factors that inhibit the maximal realization of learners’ endowment. These problems could be leaner–resident, school–resident, home-resident or societal–resident. One of the consequences of these problems is academic underachievement and academic failure caused by poor or improper study habit. On the part of the affected students, ethological suggestions to motivate them for achievement and psycho-stimulants to develop their reading skills can be of use in reducing the effect of this educational problem, poor study habit. Studies have established the prevalence of poor study habit among the University undergraduates, which has led to poor performance in home assignments as well as in examinations. Hence, this study focuses on the factors that are capable of precipitating poor study habit which aggravate into educational problems and how they can be effectively managed to increase the level of academic achievement in the average undergraduate .The reduction effect will go a long way to build a nation where mediocrity will soon become a thing of the past. Integrity, as a value, will be further established as examination malpractice will be highly curbed in our...
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...(Post graduate) Language Testing Testing Reading Comprehension Prepared by : Ahlam Alghrarri Supervised by : Dr. S. Balhoug Spring 2012 1.1 Introduction Reading is one of the major skills involved in language learning, usually conceived of a solitary activity in which the reader interacts with the text in isolation, and is a most important activity in any language class, not only as source of information and pleasurable activity, but also as a means of consolidating and extending one`s knowledge of the language; such reading presented to the student is designed primarily to strengthen one`s control of the oral /aural skills. Readings are generally based on the grammatical structures and lexical items, and content of the material is regarded as acquiring culture by comprehending the content of the text. Reading comprehension is the process of deriving meaning from a connected text. It involves word knowledge (vocabulary) as well as thinking and reasoning. Therefore, comprehension is not a passive process, but an active one. The reader actively engages with the text to construct meaning. This active engagement includes making use of prior knowledge. It involves drawing inferences from the words and expressions that a writer uses to communicate information, ideas and viewpoints, which can be done by testing the reader his comprehension that is what this paper will discuss. 1.2 What is reading? It is one of main skills of language system...
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...reading and studying focusing on print and online materials ISBN 1-256-09222-3 Keys to Effective Learning: Study Skills and Habits for Success, Sixth Edition, by Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, and Sarah Lyman Kravits. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. c h a p t e r 7 hanh never had trouble keeping up with her high school reading assignments, but after four weeks of college she is already snowed under. With midterms coming in two weeks, she stays awake at night thinking about how much she has to learn. It seems as if all the reading she has done this term—particularly what she has read on the computer—has gone in one side of her brain and out the other, so she feels she has to start at the beginning. She has the sense that the way she is reading may be a problem, but it worked for her in the past, so why change now? In this chapter . . . you explore answers to the following questions: HOW can SQ3R help you own what you read? p. 190 WHAT improves reading comprehension? p. 200 HOW do you customize a text with highlighting and notes? p. 205 HOW can you read online materials effectively? p. 208 ISBN 1-256-09222-3 © Shutterstock Keys to Effective Learning: Study Skills and Habits for Success, Sixth Edition, by Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, and Sarah Lyman Kravits. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. Habit for Success ask questions Questions are the backbone of learning. They help...
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...well prepared lessons that allow students to focus on developing their literacy skills. Literacy lessons that include specific strategies designed to support literacy instruction through a variety of approaches leads to successful readers. The goal of each lesson is to increase student’s literacy success while supporting their literacy needs. To help support third grade literacy skills a teacher can use several, if not all, of the instructional procedures shared in Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach by Gail E. Tompkins, 2014. Annotated and Abbreviated List of Tompkins’ Literacy Instructional Procedures [All entries have been adapted from Tompkins (2014) Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson with the intent of applying the procedures in a third grade classroom] Guided Reading Uses: Explicit Instruction Purpose: To support students with decoding and reading comprehension learn reading strategies and become independent readers. Overview:...
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...Intellectual Disability KAR 91-40-1 (oo) "Intellectual Disability" means significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Exclusionary Criteria: A child must NOT be determined to be a child with an exceptionality if the determinant factor is: Exclusionary Factor How to Evaluate Evidence shows that the student’s previous reading instruction Lack of appropriate instruction in reading, and curriculum addressed phonemic awareness, phonics, including the essential components of reading vocabulary development, reading fluency (including oral reading instruction (defined in section 1208(3) of the skills), and reading comprehension strategies. This evidence may ESEA(NCLB); come from; (a) an evaluation of the school’s basal curriculum and supplemental materials, and (b) that the student actually received instruction provided by highly qualified teachers using appropriate basal curriculum and supplemental materials. For a child three to five years old, who is not yet enrolled in kindergarten, teams should consider “appropriate instruction” as the child’s participation in appropriate activities. This evidence may come from interviews with family and other caregivers and through observation in the child’s natural environment that indicates whether or not the child has been exposed to activities appropriate for...
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...Understanding Phonemic Awareness and Phonics for K-3 Instruction Grand Canyon University: RDG 512 August 27, 2014 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of how phonemic awareness and phonics impacts reading and writing for beginning readers. A definition of both phonemic awareness and phonics will be given as well as strategies to teach both. Developmental stages, appropriate ages for teaching these skills and strategies, and the purpose of both will be explained. Different assessment options will also be discussed. Introduction Children begin learning sounds and words from the time they are born. They are even exposed to hearing their mother’s voice while still in the womb. It is important that children are exposed to letters and words at an early age as well as have books read to them. These are factors in learning how to read. Two of the most important elements that emerging readers need to know in order to successfully read are phonemic awareness and phonics. These two concepts are different, but must work as a team for one to read. In the beginning grades, teachers must concentrate greatly on both of these concepts to make sure that the students have the foundation that is needed in order to begin reading. In this paper, definitions of both phonemic awareness and phonics will be shared along with strategies that can be explicitly taught to assist in learning how to read. The sequence of developmental stages, the appropriate ages...
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...experience for the child with dyslexia in special and mainstream settings in Ireland. Support for Learning, 24(2), 63-72. (d) Summary of the study Objectives: Examined and evaluated special provision for pupils with dyslexia in three settings (reading schools, reading units and mainstream support) in Ireland. Methods: There are three groups of participants, including students with dyslexia in three settings in Ireland, 72 teachers supporting those students and 63 parents of those students. The study incorporated a survey approach (including questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews and classroom observations) and a case-study approach (two cases for each model of those children from six schools were selected). Results and conclusion: Similar practices teachers are used for dyslexic children in different settings. Placement in a reading school or unit does not guarantee a child will catch up with peers. Effective literacy intervention approaches and underlying rationale should be established and understood for dyslexic children in order to match the child’s stage of development and individual strengths, and provide careful and intensive support to offer an opportunity to experience an appropriate adaptation of learning. (e) Application of the findings Adam’s case obviously showed how an inappropriate educational environment influences one’s growth and development with dyslexia. Adam’s visual problem has long-term effect on his learning ability which hasn’t been discovered...
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...University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate School Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 6-1-2010 Effects of reading comprehension and fluency abilities on the N400 event-related potential Annie Hirt Nelson University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Nelson, Annie Hirt, "Effects of reading comprehension and fluency abilities on the N400 event-related potential" (2010). Graduate School Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1721 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate School Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact scholarcommons@usf.edu. Effects of Reading Comprehension and Fluency Abilities on the N400 Event-Related Potential by Annie Hirt Nelson A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Childhood Education and Literacy Studies College of Education University of South Florida Major Professor: Mary Lou Morton, Ph.D. Jacqueline Hinckley, Ph.D. Jim King, Ed.D. Richard Marshall, Ph.D. Date of Approval: July 1, 2010 Keywords: syntax, semantics, ERP, N400, sentence structure, children, indexical hypothesis Copyright © 2010, Annie Hirt Nelson ...
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...ARTICLES Motivating and engaging students in reading Jenna Cambria John T. Guthrie LJjdvcrsLiv û", J ou can certainly ignore motivation if you choose. But if you do, you maybe neglecting the most important part of reading. There are two sides to reading. On one side are the skills which include phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, vocabulary, and simple comprehension. On the other side is the will to read. A good reader has both skill and will. In the "will" part, we are talking about motivation to read. This describes children's enjoyments, their wants, and their behaviors surrounding reading. A student with skill may be capable, but without will, she cannot become a reader. It is her will power that determines whether she reads widely and frequently and grows into a student who enjoys and benefits from literacy. So we think you should care about motivation because it is the other half of reading. Sadly, it is the neglected half. Y What is motivation? Many teachers think of a motivated reader as a student who is having fun while reading. This may be true, but there are many forms of motivation that might not be related to fun and excitement. What we mean by motivation are the values, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding reading for an individual. Some productive values and beliefs may lead to excitement, yet other values may lead to determined hard work. We talk about three powerful motivations that drive students' reading. They operate in school and out of school, and...
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...Why? Work with a partner and write all the warnings you can find in the reading ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ E: Grammar Reminder: Types of Warnings and the Imperative A warning is something that makes us aware of possible danger. There are a number of ways of warning someone. Warnings can be mild or strong. It all depends on the intention or the situation when it happens. Mild warnings Mild warnings are similar to advice. • We use conditionals: “I wouldn’t get near the lions if I were you.” • Express our opinions: “I don’t think you should get off the Land Rover.” • Expressions such as a word of warning or be careful: “A word of warning, there are snakes on the trails.” • Sometimes we say I warn you or I must warn you: “It’s a wonderful pastime but, I warn you, it is...
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...[pic] JPPSS ELA COURSE GUIDE 2011-2012 ENGLISH I The JPPSS Instructional Sequence Guides are aligned with the LA Comprehensive Curriculum. JPPSS Implementation of Activities in the Classroom Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. The Comprehensive Curriculum indicates one way to align instruction with Louisiana standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations. The curriculum is aligned with state content standards, as defined by grade-level expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The units in the curriculum have been arranged so that the content to be assessed will be taught before the state testing dates. While teachers may substitute equivalent activities and assessments based on the instructional needs, learning styles, and interests of their students, the Comprehensive Curriculum should be a primary resource when planning instruction. Grade level expectations—not the textbook—should determine the content to be taught. Textbooks and other instructional materials should be used as resource in teaching the grade level expectations...
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...Many define reading as the mere examination of text. If I were to define “reading” as the sustained perusing of text that is usually, but not always, associated with the printed word, “the hours spent prowling the Internet are [indeed] the enemy of reading”. (RICH 2008) Opponents contend that spending time on the Internet improves literacy in terms of the ability to read and write. The material available online is diverse, presenting different points of views on a topic quite unlike most books. The Internet also encourages writing with websites urging users to share their opinions and comments. Thus, opponents assert that the time devoted to Internet surfing enhances literacy for we are able gather considerably more information and practice our skill of reading and writing. However, opponents seem to neglect the fact that “many youths spend most of their time on … activities that involve minimal reading at best.”(RICH 2008) Furthermore, they do not take into account the final and perhaps most important facet of “literacy”: the ability to think critically about the text. Most adopt “skim-reading”, a rapid scanning of text to pick out the main ideas, which weakens our capacity for the kind of deep reading required for critical thinking. The Internet may serve up more knowledge than a book can but as Sven Birkerts contends, “we know countless more “bits” of information… [but] we know them without a stable sense of context” (Birkerts 1994). With little time taken to chew on and...
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...National Reading Strategy February 2008 All rights reserved. You may copy material from this publication for use in non-profit education programmes if you acknowledge the source. For use in publications, please get the written permission of the Department of Education. Department of Education Sol Plaatje House 123 Schoeman Street PRETORIA Private Bag X895 PRETORIA 0001 ISBN 177018-062-1 1 Acknowledgements The Department of Education (DoE) wishes to acknowledge the following individuals and organization who contributed in the development of National Reading Strategy: 2 Contents Page numbers 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2. Why improve reading? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3. The situation in South Africa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4. Specific challenges in implementing the National Reading Strategy . . . . . 8 i) Teacher competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 ii) Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 iii) Teaching conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 iv) Print environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 v) Language issues ...
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