Intra-Individual Variations in Reading at Different Levels of Interest : Analysis of Eye Movements of Children Who Are Hearing-Impaired

Abstract

The present study examined intra-individual variations in the reading process when children who are hearing-impaired read 2 stories with different interest levels. The analysis was carried out based on the children's eye movements while reading silently. Participants in the study were 10 elementary school children who are congenitally hearing-impaired. The 2 kinds of reading materials were matched for difficulty. Reading time, fixations, regressions, & reading span were evaluated in order to analyze the relationship between rate of recall & interest. The children had fewer fixations & regressions when reading the more interesting text, & the length of reading span increased. Furthermore, the children demonstrated higher comprehension scores on the more interesting material. Therefore, degree of interest in the text influences the reading process of children who are hearing-impaired. 2 Tables, 24 References. Adapted from the source document