title: Training reading fluency in dysfluent readers with high reading accuracy: word specific effects but low transfer to untrained words.
abstract: The outcome of a training study attempting to increase German speaking poor readers' reading fluency is reported. The aim of the training was to help children establish orthographic representations for a limited set of training words as well as for high-frequency onset clusters. A sample of 20 dysfluent readers (8-11 years) received a computerized training of repeated reading of a limited set of 32 training words over a period of up to 25 days. Each day training words were presented up to six times with a special emphasis on the onset segment. Post-tests were carried out one and five weeks after the last training day. A considerable decrease in reading times could be achieved for the trained words that remained stable for both post-tests, however, even for the limited set of training words a remarkable amount of repetitions did not lead to age adequate word recognition speed. Generalization to untrained words starting with a trained onset cluster (transfer words) was statistically reliable but small.
authors.affiliation: University of Salzburg, Department of Psychology, Salzburg, Austria. Verena.Thaler@sbg.ac.at
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thaler
authors.forename: Eva Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ebner
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wimmer
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Landerl
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D012016:Reference Values; D012073:Remedial Teaching; D012660:Semantics; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D014706:Verbal Learning