National Institute for Literacy - Assessment Strategies & Reading Profiles - Additional Profile 11 Information from the Research

In addition to testing the reading skills of ABE learners, the ARCS researchers administered a lengthy questionnaire, so we can give you more information about the people in Profile 11.

One hundred (100) percent are Non-native Speakers of English (NNSE).
The average age is 36.
The average number of grades completed is 8.4.

Summary of Self-Reported Reading Problems

Trouble With Reading, K-12

Trouble Learning to Read, K-3

Received Academic Help, K-12

30%

19%

32% of Profile 11 Members:
	18% = Tutoring or Chapter 1
	7% = Special Classes
	7% = Tutoring or Chapter 1 AND Special Classes
	32% = TOTAL

Word Meaning (Vocabulary):

Expressive word meanings (as measured by the DAR word meaning subtest): The average GE on the DAR word meaning test, "Tell me what X means," is extremely low. In order to be better able to formulate and express a word's meaning, these non-native speakers need to know more words and have instruction and practice with the task so that they can see how well they know a word.

Phonology:

Are they able to manipulate sounds? No.
- Phonemic Awareness (PA) - (sound deletion, as measured by the Test of Auditory Analysis Skills [TAAS])
  Group average on the TAAS, 7 correct out of 13 tasks (7/13), indicates only first level competence with phoneme deletion tasks. None is successful with all 13 consonant deletion tasks. Many cannot consistently delete the first and last consonant of a word, e.g., responding with gay when asked to, "Say game. Now say it again, but don't say /m/." (A letter within bars, e.g., /m/, denotes the sound of the letter, "mmm," not the name "em.") Profile 11 scores on the TAAS range from 2 out of 13 to 11 out of 13.
Do they know the 21 consonant sounds? No.
- Only 7% know all consonant sounds. The average for the group is 15 out of the 21. Consonant sounds should be practiced to automaticity not just mastery.
Can they apply phonics rules when decoding? Perhaps.
- Decoding Pseudowords (as measured by the Word Attack subtest of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test (WRMT):
  Group average standard score on the WRMT word attack assessment (pseudowords) is "moderately low" (74) with scores ranging from "extremely low" to "low average." Even though the NNSE in Profile 11 are able to read significantly more letter combinations than the NSE in Profile 10 (WRMT of 58) who are also reading at GE 0-2, they are not able to recognize more real words on the DAR word recognition subtest; both groups have similar scores on the DAR word recognition subtest.

Why is the silent reading comprehension GE 0-2 group separated according to native language, English (Profile 10) and Not English (Profile 11)?

Because each group has distinctive strengths and needs that should drive their instruction. The following table shows the reading/learning disability pattern of low print skills (alphabetics) in Profile 10 (NSE) and the greater development of those abilities in Profile 11 (NNSE) . Profile 10 learners have a long history of reading failure of undocumented origin, but the problem evident at present is their inability to put sounds to symbols reliably enough to further their decoding skills. Vocabulary measures are low for both groups but the difference between print skills (alphabetics) and meaning skills are significantly greater for Profile 11.

Word attack and phonological abilities for Profile 11 learners are developed sufficiently so that, with further instruction and exposure to English words, they will raise their word recognition levels. Lack of sufficient vocabulary is holding them back from reading more advanced text and has also affected their word recognition progress.

**Differences in Some Test Scores, Profiles 10 and 11**
Language Group	DAR word recognition GE	¹WRMT word attack pseudowords standard scores	TAAS phonemic awareness: 13 tasks	¹PPVT-III listening vocabulary standard scores	DAR Word Meaning GE
Profile 10 (NSE)	2.53	58	5.78	65.90*	3.38*
Profile 11 (NNSE)	2.69	74*	7*	47.32	1.80

* significant difference between NSE and NNSE on word attack, phonemic awareness, listening vocabulary, and word meaning.

¹ Standard scores between 70 and 85 are in the moderately low range. Scores below 70 are in the "extremely low" range.

Learner Questionnaire:

Finding out about the language history and literacy practices of NNSE learners will help judge the extent of instruction and practice different learners may need. Questions such as the following will be of great help in thinking about your learners and planning the curriculum. (Click here if you would like more information about the Learner Questionnaire used in the ARCS.)

Can they read and write their native language? Is it an alphabetic language?
- Most (66%) of Profile 11 learners are literate in an alphabetic language. Seventeen percent are literate in a non-alphabetic language. Seventeen percent are not literate in either an alphabetic or non-alphabetic native language. This means that, more than the others, 34% of Profile 11 learners will need extensive practice in phonemic awareness and phonics. Those literate in a non-alphabetic language will have to re-orient their attention to decoding according to a sound-to-symbol system. Those not literate in any language, but who report having attended school as children, may be reading or learning disabled and will need approaches similar to those recommended for dyslexic native speakers.

Browse Profile: Menu



	Description of the ARCS Comparison Profile 11



	Suggestions for Instruction for Profile 11 Learners



	Additional Profile 11 Information from the Research



	Comparison of the Two Profiles in the Beginners Group



	Return to "Browse All Profiles" Page

Browse Profile 11: "NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH"Beginners Group - Silent Reading GE 0-2

Additional Profile 11 Information from the Research

Browse Profile 11: "NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH"
Beginners Group - Silent Reading GE 0-2