Jari Westerholm | University of Jyväskylä (original) (raw)

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Research paper thumbnail of Author response for "A mobile game as a support tool for children with severe difficulties in reading and spelling

Research paper thumbnail of A mobile game as a support tool for children with severe difficulties in reading and spelling

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Using a phone-based learning tool as an instructional resource for initial literacy learning in rural African families

South African Journal of Childhood Education, 2020

Background: Despite increased enrolments at primary schools in Zambia, more than half of the chil... more Background: Despite increased enrolments at primary schools in Zambia, more than half of the children in Grades 1–4 are unable to meet the required minimum standards for literacy.Aim: The study set out to examine the effects of using a phone-based mobile literacy game (Graphogame) to improve literacy skills in children and adults in rural family settings.Setting: The study was conducted in the Katete District, a rural town in the eastern province of Zambia.Methods: Participants were 73 Grade 2 learners (52% boys, mean age 9 years and 48% girls, mean age 10 years) and 37 parents (mean age 36 years). Three literacy tests, measuring letter-sound identification, phonological awareness, spelling competence and word recognition, were administered to both the children and parents. Parents also reported on their level of education, familiarity with smart phone use, availability of home reading materials and home literacy activities.Results: The findings showed that children who were exposed...

Research paper thumbnail of Literacy programs efficacy for developing children’s early reading skills in familiar language in Zambia

Journal of Psychology in Africa, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Regulatory Efficacy and Sources of Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Research paper thumbnail of Self-regulatory efficacy and sources of efficacy in elementary school pupils: Self-regulatory experiences in a population sample and pupils with attention and executive function difficulties

Learning and Individual Differences, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Continuity From Prelinguistic Communication to Later Language Ability: A Follow-Up Study From Infancy to Early School Age

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 2016

Purpose This longitudinal study examined the development of prelinguistic skills and the continui... more Purpose This longitudinal study examined the development of prelinguistic skills and the continuity of communication and language from the prelinguistic stage to school age. Method Prelinguistic communication of 427 Finnish children was followed repeatedly from 6 to 18 months of age ( n = 203–322 at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months), and its associations with language ability at ages 2;0 ( n = 104), 3;0 ( n = 112), 4;7 ( n = 253), 5;3 ( n = 102), and 7;9 ( n = 236) were examined using latent growth curve modeling. Results Prelinguistic development across several skills emerged as a rather stable intraindividual characteristic during the first 2 years of life. Continuity from prelinguistic development to later language ability was indicated. The common level and growth of prelinguistic skills were significant predictors of language ability between ages 2;0 (years;months) and 7;9; the percentage explained varied between 10.5% and 53.3%. A slow pace of development across multiple skill...

Research paper thumbnail of The effect of using a mobile literacy game to improve literacy levels of grade one students in Zambian schools

Educational Technology Research and Development, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Yhteisintegroituvuudesta ja sen soveltamisesta empiirisen esimerkin avulla Suomen talouteen

Tässä tutkielmassa esitellään yhteisintegroituvuus-analyysin perusteet ja Johansenin suurimman us... more Tässä tutkielmassa esitellään yhteisintegroituvuus-analyysin perusteet ja Johansenin suurimman uskottavuuden-metodi yhteisintegroituvuus-vektoreiden selvittämiseksi. Tutkielman aineistona on Suomen Pankin aineisto (BoF4) vuosilta 1961-1992 ja ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Predictors of Literacy Skills among Monolingual and Bilingual Finnish–Swedish Children During First Grade

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research

Research paper thumbnail of Edistääkö tavuharjoittelu lukemisen sujuvuutta? : tietokonepohjainen harjoittelukokeilu tois- ja kolmasluokkalaisilla heikoilla lukijoilla

Research paper thumbnail of Motoriikan havainnointilomake (MOQ-T) suomalaisille opettajille - Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers -lomakkeen kulttuurinen kääntäminen

Asunta, P., Viholainen, H., Westerholm, J. & Rintala, P. 2015. Cultural Adaptation of Motor Obser... more Asunta, P., Viholainen, H., Westerholm, J. & Rintala, P. 2015. Cultural Adaptation of Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers – development of Finnish version (MOQ-T-FI). Liikunta & Tiede 52 (1), 78–86. Children with motor learning difficulties is a heterogeneous group which terminology is also very diverse. In Finland we use terms `developmental coordination disorder, DCD ́ and `motor developmental disorder ́ to describe these children. Many children present with co-occuring conditions in addition to their motor difficulties. DCD affects 5 to 6 % of school aged children, meaning that each classroom has an average of one student who needs help with motor learning. Despite the fact that disorder is so common, teachers lack tools to identify the children who have motor learning problems. Moreover, little information of this phenomenon is available within educational literature. The purpose of this study was to make a cultural translation from the Motor Observation Questionnaire f...

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of Family on Pathways to Acquiring Early Reading Skills in Lusaka?s Low-Income Communities

Human Technology an Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in Ict Environments, May 1, 2014

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’... more ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’s acquisition of early reading skills. We recr uited 72 first - grade learners and their parents from low - income Zambian families for the study. In response to a home literacy questionnaire, parents reported on their reading attitudes and family literacy environment. Children’s early reading skills were assessed using two early reading tests (orthographic awareness and decoding competence), both conducted at two different points during the year. Regression analyses of pretest and gain scores revealed that parental reading attitude and family literacy envi ronment significantly predicted early reading skills. These findings suggest that the family is an important element in the children’s process of learning to read. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of Family on Pathways to Acquiring Early Reading Skills In Lusaka’s Low-Income Communities

Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments, 2014

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’... more ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’s acquisition of early reading skills. We recr uited 72 first - grade learners and their parents from low - income Zambian families for the study. In response to a home literacy questionnaire, parents reported on their reading attitudes and family literacy environment. Children’s early reading skills were assessed using two early reading tests (orthographic awareness and decoding competence), both conducted at two different points during the year. Regression analyses of pretest and gain scores revealed that parental reading attitude and family literacy envi ronment significantly predicted early reading skills. These findings suggest that the family is an important element in the children’s process of learning to read. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Does Training in Syllable Recognition Improve Reading Speed? A Computer-Based Trial With Poor Readers From Second and Third Grade

Scientific Studies of Reading, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of The Nature of and Factors Related to Reading Difficulties Among Adolescents in a Transparent Orthography

Scientific Studies of Reading, 2013

We examined the nature of and factors related to adolescents’ reading difficulties in a highly tr... more We examined the nature of and factors related to adolescents’ reading difficulties in a highly transparent orthography. We compared word, pseudoword, and text reading speed and accuracy, rapid naming (RAN) and phonological processing between poor readers (n = 80) and normally developing readers (n = 189). Reading problems were manifested in reading speed and in timed pseudoword reading accuracy. RAN predicted speed, and phonological processing predicted accuracy of reading in both groups. Among poor readers, RAN also explained reading accuracy. For the normally developing sample, phonological processing also predicted reading speed.

Research paper thumbnail of Audiovisual Speech Perception in Children With Developmental Language Disorder in Degraded Listening Conditions

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Do fatty acids help in overcoming reading difficulties? A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and carnosine supplementation on children with dyslexia

Child: Care, Health and Development, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of THE EFFECT OF USING A MOBILE LITERACY GAME TO IMPROVE LITERACY LEVELS OF GRADE ONE STUDENTS IN ZAMBIAN SCHOOLS

This intervention study was conducted to document conditions under which a computer based literac... more This intervention study was conducted to document conditions under which a computer based literacy game (GraphoGameTM) could enhance literacy skills of first grade students in an African city. The participants were first grade students from Government schools (N=573). These students were randomly sampled into control (N= 314) and various intervention groups (N=259). GraphoGameTM was administered on cellphones to students at their schools under supervision. Each student in the study was assessed using a battery of locally developed cognitive tests that measured emergent literacy skills (Orthography test), decoding competence (Spelling test), vocabulary (Picture Vocabulary Test –PVT) and arithmetic (Zambia Achievement Test – ZAT). There was a positive effect of the game for the Spelling test – which targeted most closely the skill GraphoGameTM is designed to promote. The most effective intervention combined exposure of both the teachers and the students to the game. Initial letter knowledge was a good predictor of final letter knowledge on GraphoGameTM.

Research paper thumbnail of Author response for "A mobile game as a support tool for children with severe difficulties in reading and spelling

Research paper thumbnail of A mobile game as a support tool for children with severe difficulties in reading and spelling

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Using a phone-based learning tool as an instructional resource for initial literacy learning in rural African families

South African Journal of Childhood Education, 2020

Background: Despite increased enrolments at primary schools in Zambia, more than half of the chil... more Background: Despite increased enrolments at primary schools in Zambia, more than half of the children in Grades 1–4 are unable to meet the required minimum standards for literacy.Aim: The study set out to examine the effects of using a phone-based mobile literacy game (Graphogame) to improve literacy skills in children and adults in rural family settings.Setting: The study was conducted in the Katete District, a rural town in the eastern province of Zambia.Methods: Participants were 73 Grade 2 learners (52% boys, mean age 9 years and 48% girls, mean age 10 years) and 37 parents (mean age 36 years). Three literacy tests, measuring letter-sound identification, phonological awareness, spelling competence and word recognition, were administered to both the children and parents. Parents also reported on their level of education, familiarity with smart phone use, availability of home reading materials and home literacy activities.Results: The findings showed that children who were exposed...

Research paper thumbnail of Literacy programs efficacy for developing children’s early reading skills in familiar language in Zambia

Journal of Psychology in Africa, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Regulatory Efficacy and Sources of Self-Efficacy Questionnaire

Research paper thumbnail of Self-regulatory efficacy and sources of efficacy in elementary school pupils: Self-regulatory experiences in a population sample and pupils with attention and executive function difficulties

Learning and Individual Differences, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Continuity From Prelinguistic Communication to Later Language Ability: A Follow-Up Study From Infancy to Early School Age

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 2016

Purpose This longitudinal study examined the development of prelinguistic skills and the continui... more Purpose This longitudinal study examined the development of prelinguistic skills and the continuity of communication and language from the prelinguistic stage to school age. Method Prelinguistic communication of 427 Finnish children was followed repeatedly from 6 to 18 months of age ( n = 203–322 at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months), and its associations with language ability at ages 2;0 ( n = 104), 3;0 ( n = 112), 4;7 ( n = 253), 5;3 ( n = 102), and 7;9 ( n = 236) were examined using latent growth curve modeling. Results Prelinguistic development across several skills emerged as a rather stable intraindividual characteristic during the first 2 years of life. Continuity from prelinguistic development to later language ability was indicated. The common level and growth of prelinguistic skills were significant predictors of language ability between ages 2;0 (years;months) and 7;9; the percentage explained varied between 10.5% and 53.3%. A slow pace of development across multiple skill...

Research paper thumbnail of The effect of using a mobile literacy game to improve literacy levels of grade one students in Zambian schools

Educational Technology Research and Development, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Yhteisintegroituvuudesta ja sen soveltamisesta empiirisen esimerkin avulla Suomen talouteen

Tässä tutkielmassa esitellään yhteisintegroituvuus-analyysin perusteet ja Johansenin suurimman us... more Tässä tutkielmassa esitellään yhteisintegroituvuus-analyysin perusteet ja Johansenin suurimman uskottavuuden-metodi yhteisintegroituvuus-vektoreiden selvittämiseksi. Tutkielman aineistona on Suomen Pankin aineisto (BoF4) vuosilta 1961-1992 ja ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Predictors of Literacy Skills among Monolingual and Bilingual Finnish–Swedish Children During First Grade

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research

Research paper thumbnail of Edistääkö tavuharjoittelu lukemisen sujuvuutta? : tietokonepohjainen harjoittelukokeilu tois- ja kolmasluokkalaisilla heikoilla lukijoilla

Research paper thumbnail of Motoriikan havainnointilomake (MOQ-T) suomalaisille opettajille - Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers -lomakkeen kulttuurinen kääntäminen

Asunta, P., Viholainen, H., Westerholm, J. & Rintala, P. 2015. Cultural Adaptation of Motor Obser... more Asunta, P., Viholainen, H., Westerholm, J. & Rintala, P. 2015. Cultural Adaptation of Motor Observation Questionnaire for Teachers – development of Finnish version (MOQ-T-FI). Liikunta & Tiede 52 (1), 78–86. Children with motor learning difficulties is a heterogeneous group which terminology is also very diverse. In Finland we use terms `developmental coordination disorder, DCD ́ and `motor developmental disorder ́ to describe these children. Many children present with co-occuring conditions in addition to their motor difficulties. DCD affects 5 to 6 % of school aged children, meaning that each classroom has an average of one student who needs help with motor learning. Despite the fact that disorder is so common, teachers lack tools to identify the children who have motor learning problems. Moreover, little information of this phenomenon is available within educational literature. The purpose of this study was to make a cultural translation from the Motor Observation Questionnaire f...

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of Family on Pathways to Acquiring Early Reading Skills in Lusaka?s Low-Income Communities

Human Technology an Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in Ict Environments, May 1, 2014

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’... more ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’s acquisition of early reading skills. We recr uited 72 first - grade learners and their parents from low - income Zambian families for the study. In response to a home literacy questionnaire, parents reported on their reading attitudes and family literacy environment. Children’s early reading skills were assessed using two early reading tests (orthographic awareness and decoding competence), both conducted at two different points during the year. Regression analyses of pretest and gain scores revealed that parental reading attitude and family literacy envi ronment significantly predicted early reading skills. These findings suggest that the family is an important element in the children’s process of learning to read. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of Family on Pathways to Acquiring Early Reading Skills In Lusaka’s Low-Income Communities

Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments, 2014

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’... more ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from the study that examined the role of family in children’s acquisition of early reading skills. We recr uited 72 first - grade learners and their parents from low - income Zambian families for the study. In response to a home literacy questionnaire, parents reported on their reading attitudes and family literacy environment. Children’s early reading skills were assessed using two early reading tests (orthographic awareness and decoding competence), both conducted at two different points during the year. Regression analyses of pretest and gain scores revealed that parental reading attitude and family literacy envi ronment significantly predicted early reading skills. These findings suggest that the family is an important element in the children’s process of learning to read. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Does Training in Syllable Recognition Improve Reading Speed? A Computer-Based Trial With Poor Readers From Second and Third Grade

Scientific Studies of Reading, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of The Nature of and Factors Related to Reading Difficulties Among Adolescents in a Transparent Orthography

Scientific Studies of Reading, 2013

We examined the nature of and factors related to adolescents’ reading difficulties in a highly tr... more We examined the nature of and factors related to adolescents’ reading difficulties in a highly transparent orthography. We compared word, pseudoword, and text reading speed and accuracy, rapid naming (RAN) and phonological processing between poor readers (n = 80) and normally developing readers (n = 189). Reading problems were manifested in reading speed and in timed pseudoword reading accuracy. RAN predicted speed, and phonological processing predicted accuracy of reading in both groups. Among poor readers, RAN also explained reading accuracy. For the normally developing sample, phonological processing also predicted reading speed.

Research paper thumbnail of Audiovisual Speech Perception in Children With Developmental Language Disorder in Degraded Listening Conditions

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Do fatty acids help in overcoming reading difficulties? A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and carnosine supplementation on children with dyslexia

Child: Care, Health and Development, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of THE EFFECT OF USING A MOBILE LITERACY GAME TO IMPROVE LITERACY LEVELS OF GRADE ONE STUDENTS IN ZAMBIAN SCHOOLS

This intervention study was conducted to document conditions under which a computer based literac... more This intervention study was conducted to document conditions under which a computer based literacy game (GraphoGameTM) could enhance literacy skills of first grade students in an African city. The participants were first grade students from Government schools (N=573). These students were randomly sampled into control (N= 314) and various intervention groups (N=259). GraphoGameTM was administered on cellphones to students at their schools under supervision. Each student in the study was assessed using a battery of locally developed cognitive tests that measured emergent literacy skills (Orthography test), decoding competence (Spelling test), vocabulary (Picture Vocabulary Test –PVT) and arithmetic (Zambia Achievement Test – ZAT). There was a positive effect of the game for the Spelling test – which targeted most closely the skill GraphoGameTM is designed to promote. The most effective intervention combined exposure of both the teachers and the students to the game. Initial letter knowledge was a good predictor of final letter knowledge on GraphoGameTM.