This study is an extension of a previous methodologically exploratory study which established several multilevel value-added models to identify how different student and school factors influenced student English reading attainment in the nested school structure. The present study moved a step further to compare effectiveness of the models and determined the one most efficient at estimating school effects on adding value to their students' English reading ability from Secondary 1 to Secondary 6. Effectiveness of the most parsimonious model at presenting and interpreting the substantive findings was further tested using the same set of data. The data was collected from 3,993 students of 66 Hong Kong secondary schools in 2006. Students' English ability was tested at Form 1 intake and tested again at Form 6. The background information, such as student and school demographic and contextual factual data, was also collected. Partialing out influence from student and school level background factors, the relative progress made by students from different schools was compared. Specific findings on value-added effects of the schools are plotted thus providing distinctive graphic information. The findings will provide some insightful indications to the authorities and educational practitioners for student improvement and school effectiveness.

本研究旨在了解學生能否利用科學知識來學習中文成語，同時探討科學概念如何影響他們理建詞義，以助提升學生語文及科學學習的成效。研究以問卷形式進行，調查香港小六學生對中文成語之間的相互影響。是次調查共有三間小學約400名小六學生參與。研究結果顯示，學生已有的科學概念，對其學習中文成語是有幫助的；相反，在學習中文成語時，亦有助於加深學生的科學概念，亦了解成語的比喻；二、認識成語的中文解釋，但不了解當中字詞的科學意義，這或由於教師在教授中文成語時，並沒有為學生仔細解釋字詞的科學概念；三、明白成語其中字詞的科學解釋，但並未能了解成語的引申意義。這是因為在教成語的時候，一般老師麵只注重詞語的比喻義或引申義，較少在字詞的本藝下工夫，這造成學生對詞語的認識住住是模稜兩可。因此，在掌握有科學概念的詞語時，可以在教學上加強字詞的本戡，給學生概念上更準確的意戡。這不但提高學生的學習興趣，也增強他們的科學知識，並訓練他們在跨學科概念上的互相應用。同時，教師應利用文字或語言特色設計教學活動，把科學學習與語文教學融合起來。

Most of the educational reading material primary-aged students read at school tends to fall within the informational text genre. Informational text has schematic or organizational characteristics that readers need to be access. Ability to understand informational texts (Duke, 2009) has been shown to support students with fictional text comprehension (Soalt, 2005) leading to higher reading achievement (Kletzien & Dreher, 2004). Three quasi-experimental studies investigating reading comprehension test score gains of first and second language (L1 and L2 respectively) English international primary school students (Years 2 and 6) in Hong Kong were conducted. Students were randomly assigned to one of two teaching interventions; one focused on teaching informational text schema and the other on English vocabulary building. Reading comprehension gains were measured using the Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning (asTTle) program and researcher-designed cloze fiction and nonfiction tests. Meta-analysis of the multiple measures and treatments found greater comprehension and cloze performance due to the teaching of informational texts compared to vocabulary training; though this was more pronounced for students with English as L1.

Many research studies on English reading support that phonological awareness is crucial to reading success. This paper reports about a study which examined the effect of phonological awareness training in English reading among Hong Kong children who learn English as their second language. Participants were 5-year old children studying the last year of preschool education, the year before formal primary schooling. Children in the experimental group (184) received phonological awareness training for about 6 months while the children in the control group (166) were taught with their original English curriculum. Children in the experimental group performed significantly better in both reading–related tasks (picture naming and word reading) and reading-related skills (rhyme detection and phoneme identification). The findings indicate that phonological awareness training is beneficial to the development of English reading skills among Hong Kong children.

Traditionally, children in Hong Kong are taught to read English by reading/memorizing the whole English words followed by sentences and stores. Many research studies on English reading support that phonological awareness is crucial to reading success. A study is conducted in Hong Kong to examine the phonological awareness approach in developing English reading skills among preschool children who learn English as their second language. Participants were 5-year old children studying the last year of preschool education, the year before formal primary schooling. Children in the experimental group (182) received phonological awareness training for about 6 months while the children in the control group (166) were taught with their original English curriculum. Children in the experimental group performed significantly better in both reading-related tasks (picture naming and word reading) and reading-related skills (rhyme detection and phoneme identification). Results indicate that phonological awareness training is an effective approach to the development of English reading skills among Hong Kong children. The findings of the project will provide data to facilitate the school curriculum planning and suggest changing teaching practices in English reading so as to prevent difficulties in learning.