The focus of the present study was on the mediation and moderation effects of reading processes as evidenced from eye movements on the relation between cognitive and linguistic student characteristics (word decoding, vocabulary, comprehension skill, short-term memory, working memory, and nonverbal intelligence) and text comprehension. Forty 4th graders read 4 explanatory texts and afterward answered text comprehension questions. During their reading, eye-movements of gaze, look back, and second pass duration were examined for the heading, first sentence, and final sentence. The result show differential effects of reader and text characteristics on skipping probability, driven by decoding and nonverbal intelligence. Regression probability and regression path duration are also influenced by decoding. Concluding, this study shows reading behaviour to be related to both students' skills and text comprehension measures.

Although much is known about beginning readers using behavioural measures, realtime processes are still less clear. The present study examined eye movements (skipping rate, gaze, look back and second-pass duration) as a function of text-related (difficulty and word class) and student-related characteristics (word decoding, reading comprehension, short term and working memory). Twenty-four third and 20 fifth graders read a relatively easy (below grade level) and more difficult text (at grade level). The results showed that skipping rate mainly relied on text characteristics and a three-way interaction of grade, text difficulty and word class. Gaze durations depended mostly on student characteristics. Results on look backs showed more and longer look backs in difficult texts. Finally, second-pass duration mostly relied on grade level. To conclude, this study shows that both student and text characteristics should be taken into account when studying online text reading development.

Incidental word learning is influenced by context, task, and reader characteristics. The present study aimed to determine the contribution and interactions of these factors for fifth-grade students. The focus was on contextual differences: words' meanings are inferred from local or global contexts. This effect was tested as a function of task: gap filling, inference questions, and summary writing in comparison with the single reading of the text. Regarding the reader, the contribution of general vocabulary knowledge and working memory was determined. The results showed that words are better learned in local than global contexts, and that the higher-level tasks (inference questions and summary writing) enhanced word learning beyond the single reading of the text, whereas gap filling did not. General vocabulary knowledge was related to overall incidental word learning from text, whereas working memory contributed to vocabulary gain from answering inference questions. One can conclude that incidental word learning from text is optimal in local contexts, when doing higher-level tasks and when general vocabulary is high.

Children in primary school read hypertext for comprehension. However, children typically are taught reading strategies for linear text, while these strategies are not automatically transferrable one-to-one to hypertext. In the present study, a training group of 55 sixth-graders were taught four hypertext reading strategies (planning, monitoring, evaluation and elaboration) via mind mapping and the usage of a prompting paper-card. A control group of 29 children received no strategy training. We examined to what extent strategy training influenced children’s strategy use and learning outcomes: (1) number of pages read and reading time per text, (2) literal / inferential reading comprehension scores and (3) knowledge representations (relatedness judgment task and mind maps). At posttest, the training group showed higher scores on a self-reported strategy usage questionnaire, and higher comprehension scores as compared to the control group. Hypertext strategy training in combination with mind-mapping supports children’s hypertext comprehension.

The induction and maintenance of anaesthesia with ether using a combined intravenous infusion and a constant low inspired concentration are discribed. Predictions from a mathematical model were checked against animal experiments. Anaesthesia occurred within 5 min. The mehtod obviates the need for explosive mixtures.