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 diflerent 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 congenitaily hearing-impaired. The 2 kinds of reading rnaterials were rnatched for difliculty. Reading time, fixations, regressions, and reading span were evaluated in order to analyze the relationship between rate of recall and interest. The children had fewer fixations and regressions when reading the more interesting text, and the length of reading span increased. Furthermore, the children demonstrated higher comprehension scores on the more interesting material. Therefore, degree of interest in the tcxt influences the reading process of children who are hearing-impaired.