Ototake, Harumi2024-08-152024-08-1520032003https://hdl.handle.net/1828/19196Despite a growing concern about students' learning disabilities (LO) in Japan, reading disabilities (RD) as a major type of LO is underestimated by educators and researchers due to the uniqueness of the Japanese writing system. Consequently, formal diagnostic means of RD are missing in Japan, and students with RD are likely left behind without receiving educational support. My study tested and compared Japanese children with and without reading difficulties in three areas: oral reading, writing, and cognitive tasks. The demonstrated typical features of reading difficulties are expected to contribute to the future development of RD definition and diagnostic tools in Japan. This endeavor was accomplished through a qualitative descriptive method with supplementary use of quantitative data. The sample included two groups of elementary school students, each with 7 children, from a city in the southwest of Japan. A set of three tests was administered individually to all participants: the Oral Reading test, the Story Construction test, and the modified Bangor Dyslexia Test. The uniqueness of the Japanese writing system, which is said to hinder the manifestation of RD was removed in the tests as much as possible. I hypothesized that students with reading difficulties (Group A) clearly showed lower levels of performance in three tests than students without reading difficulties (Group B). On the Oral Reading test, Group A students showed more negative attitudes toward reading. Typically, their reading was slow, stumbling, and incorrect in phonological coding and meaningful segmentation. Group B students read more smoothly with the use of prediction skills. In the Story Construction test, Group A writers showed impulsiveness and little planning. Their stories were sloppy, short, and incoherent. Group B writers planned and developed stories with appropriate mechanical skills. In the modified Bangor Dyslexia Test, Group A students made more mistakes and took more time in responding. Typically, they struggled to recall sequential symbols. Also, they displayed features such as weaknesses in phonological skills, sequential processing deficits, and memory deficiencies. These weaknesses are consistent with those reported in current studies on RD in both Japan and North America. The findings of this study, therefore, strongly indicate RD signs among Japanese children. The results have implications for education and research. Educators should be aware of RD signs in Japanese children and intervene properly. Researchers are expected to establish an RD definition and develop valid assessment tools.111 pagesAvailable to the World Wide WebThesis