bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An invited article: Phonological recoding and reading acquisition
Authors: Jorm Anthony F. , Share David L. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTPhonological recoding is commonly viewed as a back-up mechanism when word identification using the visual pathway fails. A second more important role for phonological recoding is as a self-teaching mechanism by which the child learns to identify words visually. Although phonological recoding may play a minor role in skilled adult reading, it plays a critical role in helping the child become a skilled reader. This article reviews the evidence relevant to these issues. The first section examines evidence on the role of phonological recoding in the development of word identification skills and reading comprehension. The next section reviews evidence showing that children with reading disabilities often have deficits in basic phonological processing skills. The third section deals with the nature of the reading problem in such children which, it is argued, is consistent with the proposed developmental analysis of the importance of phonological recoding in learning to read. The article concludes with a discussion of the teaching implications of these conclusions.
Language development, metalinguistic awareness, and emergent literacy skills of 3-year-old children in relation to social class
Authors: Chaney Carolyn 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThis is an investigation of the relationships among selected aspects of normal language development, emerging metalinguistic skills, concepts about print, and family literacy experiences in 3-year-old children who vary in their socioeconomic backgrounds. Forty-three normally developing children, whose family incomes ranged from under $10,000 to over $100,000, were given 4 tests of language development; 12 metalinguistic tasks measuring phonological awareness, word awareness, and structural awareness; and 2 measures of literacy knowledge. The children's family literacy experiences were described following a parent interview. The data analysis had two main purposes. The first was to examine the family literacy experiences of the children using a qualitative analysis. The second was to describe, in a quantitative way, the relationships among family literacy experiences, socioeconomic factors, language development, metalinguistic performance, and concepts about print. The interview data revealed that, while parents varied in the emphasis they placed on literacy activities, all of the children were at least somewhat involved in literacy activities at home; family report of literacy activities was associated with family income. Quantitative analyses revealed that amount of family literacy involvement and the children's race were related to oral language development, and language development was the most powerful predictor of metalinguistic awareness. When language development was controlled statistically, family literacy and socioeconomic factors had negligible effects on metalinguistic skills; however, knowledge of print concepts was related to metalinguistic performance, especially in the phonological domain, and was associated with the children's family literacy experiences, maternal education, and race.
Interhemispheric learning and speed of hemispheric transmission in dyslexic and normal readers: A replication of previous results and additional findings
Authors: Vellutino Frank R. , Scanlon Donna M. , Bentley William L. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTTwo studies evaluated the interhemispheric transmission deficit explanation of reading disability comparing second- and sixth-grade poor and normal readers on learning and discrimination tasks that involved hemifield presentations of visual stimuli. In the first of these studies, in the main poor readers performed below the level of normal readers on paired associates learning, regardless of the visual field in which the stimulus appeared, thereby replicating previous findings. In the second study, no differences between reader groups were found on time taken to indicate presence or absence of a simple dot stimulus. It was concluded from the combined results that deficiency in inter-hemispheric transmission is not a significant cause of reading disability.
Naming latencies as evidence for two modes of lexical retrieval
Authors: Goodglass Harold , Theurkauf Jean C. , Wingfield Arthur 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTData are reported for response latencies to naming pictures of objects which show a systematic relationship between naming latency and two measures of item difficulty. Of primary interest was a reanalysis of full latency distributions on a picture-by-picture basis to explore the possibility that overall mean latencies could in actuality be composed of multiple independent latency populations. Results are discussed in terms of “automatic” versus “voluntary search” modes of word retrieval.
Temporal or phonetic processing deficit in dyslexia? That is the question
Authors: Tallal Paula 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTKatz, Healy and Shankweiler investigated poor and good readers' performance on two order recall tasks which were differentiated by the extent to which phonetic memory strategies were employed. Contrary to their predictions, they found that poor readers were significantly impaired on both tasks. They attributed this unexpected finding to the rate at which stimuli were presented. However, results of studies that have experimentally manipulated rate of stimulus presentation in order recall tasks have demonstrated the opposite results to those predicted by these authors. The results of the present study support the hypothesis that poor readers are impaired in recalling the order of rapidly presented successive events.
The effects of language proficiency on memory for input language
Authors: Berkovits Rochele , Abarbanel Joan , Sitman David 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThe tendency to translate from a weaker to a stronger language was investigated as a function of proficiency in the nondominant language. Three groups of native Hebrew speakers with varying degrees of proficiency in English read passages of alternating English and Hebrew sentences. Subjects identified a following recognition sentence as either “identical” to a sentence read in the passage, a “translation” of a sentence read in the passage, or “new,” and then rated their confidence. The results showed no evidence for translation processes; with respect to “identical” and “translation” pairs, none of the groups was more accurate in recognizing sentences originally presented in their dominant language. These findings, which parallel those of an earlier study in which nonfluent bilinguals were tested auditorally, reflect similar psycholinguistic mechanisms underlying nondominant language processing in speakers of different levels of proficiency. The results were related to the distinction between automatic and controlled processes involved in dominant versus nondominant language processing.
The comprehension of idioms: The effects of familiarity, literalness, and usage
Authors: Cronk Brian C. , Schweigert Wendy A. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThe relationships among the familiarity of an idiom's figurative meaning, the likelihood of its literal meaning (literalness), and its usage were explored. Previous research has been inconsistent in supporting any one model of idiom comprehension, although certain factors have been found to affect reading times of sentences containing idioms. Consistent with this research, familiarity was found to have a significant effect on reading times for sentences containing idioms. A significant new finding is that literalness affects reading times. Additionally, it was found that familiarity and literalness exert interactive effects, suggesting a common underlying mechanism. The results are interpreted as supporting a model of idiom comprehension in which a single phrase processor simultaneously computes figurative and literal meanings of idioms.
The relationship of form and meaning: A cross-sectional study of tense and aspect in the interlanguage of learners of English as a second language
Authors: Bardovi-Harlig Kathleen 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThe task of all language learners is to match form and meaning. This study investigates the associations of form and meaning in the developing tense and aspect systems of adult learners of English as a second language. A cross-sectional study of 135 learners at six levels of proficiency was conducted using a cloze passage and compositions on the same topic. The interlanguage tense and aspect systems can be characterized as showing high formal accuracy, but relatively lower appropriate use across all levels. During the period when appropriate use lags behind formal accuracy, learners seem to associate form and meaning through alternative interim hypotheses related to lexical aspect and discourse function.
School performance and adjustment of Greek remigrant students in the schools of their home country
Authors: Hatzichristou Chryse , Hopf Diether 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThis study explores the adjustment of Greek remigrant students in Greek public schools after their families' return to Greece from the Federal Republic of Germany. Teacher and self-rating instruments were used, and achievement and language competence data were obtained. The sample consisted of 13- to 15-year-old junior high school students in northern Greece. The remigrant students were divided into two groups (“early return” and “late return”), based on the year of return to Greece. The control group consisted of all the local classmates of these students. Remigrant students (mainly late return) were found to experience difficulties mainly in the language/learning domain and less in the interpersonal and intrapersonal behavior domains.
Differential pragmatic language loss after closed head injury: Ability to comprehend conversational implicature
Authors: McDonald Skye 
Published: December 2008

AbstractTwo experiments in which 2 closed-head-injured (CHI) subjects and 12 non-brain-damaged control subjects took part investigated the capacity to comprehend indirect speech acts. In the first experiment, the subjects were required to interpret conventional indirect speech acts. One CHI subject, but not the other, had trouble rejecting the literal meaning. In the second experiment, the subjects were required to interpret the meaning behind two literally conflicting sentences. While the control subjects interpreted these as representing a sarcastic exchange, the CHI subjects were unable to provide an adequate explanation. The results were interpreted in terms of common cognitive deficits after closed head injury.
What is learnable in manually coded English sign systems?
Authors: Schick Brenda , Moeller Mary Pat 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIt has been suggested that manual sign systems designed to represent English are unlearnable because they are not natural languages. In order to examine this premise, the present study examines reading achievement and expressive English skills of 13 profoundly deaf students, aged 7;1 to 14;8, who were educated using only a manually coded English (MCE) sign system. Linguistic structures selected for analysis were designed to reflect unique characteristics of English, as well as those common to English and American Sign Language, and to obtain a broad picture of English skills. Results showed that the deaf students had expressive English skills comparable to a hearing control group for some features of English that reflected syntactic and lexical skills. They showed substantial deficits in inflectional morphological skills that were not predictive of the complexity of their language. The results reveal which aspects of MCE appear to be learnable and which appear problematic for deaf students.
Sentence interpretation in bilingual speakers of English and Chinese
Authors: Liu Hua , Bates Elizabeth , Li Ping 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThis study examines patterns of transfer in the sentence processing strategies displayed by Chinese-English and English–Chinese bilinguals. Our results indicate that late bilinguals display strong evidence for forward transfer: late Chinese–English bilinguals transfer animacybased strategies to English sentences; late English–Chinese bilinguals transfer English-like word order strategies to Chinese. Early bilinguals display a variety of transfer patterns, including differentiation (use of animacy strategies in Chinese and word order strategies in English) and backward transfer (use of L2 processing strategies in L1, a possible symptom of language loss). These unusual transfer patterns reflect a complex interaction of variables, including age of exposure to L2 and patterns of daily language use. Implications of these findings for the critical period hypothesis are discussed, together with some new hypotheses concerning the interaction between acquisition of L2 and maintenance of L1.
Consequences of transfer out of early French immersion programs
Authors: Bruck Margaret 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTFormer French immersion students who had transferred to an English program because of academic difficulty and poor adjustment were assessed after their first year of total English education. Their cognitive, academic, linguistic, and social psychological status was compared to that of children who had remained in the immersion program despite academic difficulty. Academically, both groups showed similar improvement. Behaviorally, the transfer children continued to be deviant and to show poor attitudes and motivations. After one year out of French immersion, the transfer children maintained previously acquired second language skills. The data suggest that the child's basic cognitive and affective characteristics rather than factors associated with language of education influence academic achievement as well as school- and language-related attitudes and motivations.
Word recognition processes of poor and disabled readers: Do they necessarily differ?
Authors: Seidenberg Mark S. , Bruck Margaret , Fornarolo Gail , Backman Joan 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTChildren assessed as reading disabled are often thought to use decoding processes that differ from those of nondisabled children. This assumption was examined in a study that compared the word recognition skills of a group of clinic-diagnosed reading disabled children with those of good and poor readers. Subjects read words and nonwords containing either regular or homographic spelling patterns. Regular patterns have a single pronunciation (e.g., -UST) while homographic patterns have multiple pronunciations (e.g., -ONE). Analyses of the errors, latencies, and types of pronunciations indicated that while the performance of the poor and disabled readers differed from that of the good readers, the two below-average reader groups were very similar. The reading disabled children exhibited decoding processes similar to those exhibited by younger nondisabled readers. The results suggest that many children who meet the diagnostic criteria for reading disability may be indistinguishable from nondisabled children in terms of actual reading performance.
Review of agraphia and a proposal for an anatomically-based neuropsychological model of writing
Authors: Roeltgen David P. , Heilman Kenneth M. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPrevious models of agraphia have been descriptive and have emphasized the association of agraphia with other disorders such as aphasia and alexia. Such models have frequently led to inconsistent descriptions of specific agraphia types. These inconsistencies have made clinical-anatomical correlations difficult. Recent studies of agraphic patients with focal cerebral lesions have made it possible to develop a new model of writing based on specific neuropsychological mechanisms. In addition, results from computerized tomography have helped delineate probable anatomic substrates for many of these mechanisms. It is hoped this model provides a means for a better understanding of the mechanisms and anatomy underlying the agraphias as well as a better understanding of the relationships of the agraphias with aphasia and alexia.
“Alligator eats cookie”: Acquisition of writing and reading skills by deaf children using the microcomputer
Authors: Prinz Philip M. , Nelson Keith E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis research investigated the effects of microcomputer technology on the acquisition of writing and reading skills in 32 deaf children between the ages of 3.2 and 8.5 years. The children used a special interface keyboard which builds in perceptual salience and animation of color pictures and graphic representations of signs from American Sign Language (ASL). The learning mechanism underlying this novel instructional system is responsive, interactional, and exploratory, reflective of the way in which most children acquire a first language. Results have demonstrated improvement in writing, reading, and general communication skills. These advances are attributed to exploratory learning -not solely programmed instruction – which allows the child to investigate at will the representation of various printed forms which relate to the child's own primary mode of communication.
Lending a helping hand: Linguistic input and sign language acquisition in deaf children
Authors: Prinz Philip M. , Masin Louise 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThis study examined the effects of adult “recasting” in sign language on the acquisition of specific syntactic-semantic structures by six deaf children between 9 and 76 months who were primarily at the one-sign utterance stage of development. In “recast” replies in conversation, the child's utterance is redisplayed in an altered sentence structure that still refers to the central meanings of the first sentence. Syntactic-semantic structures targeted for input intervention by teachers and parents using recasts included subject–verb relations, attribution, negation, subject–verb–object relations, conjunction, and conditionality. Recasting triggered the acquisition of new syntactic-semantic structures in American Sign Language and English which were evident in the spontaneous production of previously non-used sign utterances.
Comprehension of indefinite pronouns and quantifiers by hearing-impaired students
Authors: Wilbur Ronnie B. , Goodhart Wendy C. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractDeaf students' recognition of indefinite pronouns and quantifiers was tested using written materials in the form of comic strips that provided pragmatically appropriate context. One hundred and eighty-seven profoundly hearing-impaired students, aged 7–23 years, served as subjects. There were significant developmental trends for both the indefinite pronouns and the quantifiers, with the quantifiers significantly more difficult than the indefinite pronouns. A comparison of the results with predictions drawn from theoretical linguistics and with predictions drawn from Developmental Sentence Scoring (Lee, 1974) data for hearing children indicates that theoretical predictions are more accurate for hearing-impaired students. This may be due to differences in methodology (DSS reports spontaneous spoken language; the present study reports comprehension of written English) and to educational practices with hearing-impaired students.
Deficient syntactic control in poor readers: Is a weak phonetic memory code responsible?
Authors: Byrne Brian 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTGroups of good and poor readers at second-grade level were tested for comprehension of adjectival constructions of the John is eager/easy to please types and of center-embedded relative clause constructions. The poor readers were inferior to good readers in understanding O-type adjectives (easy) but not S-type (eager). As well, they were poorer at comprehending embedded sentences, but only when the sentences described improbable events, ones which reversed the normal subject/object roles. When either noun could, on pragmatic grounds, assume either role, both groups fared equally well. The results are interpreted as casting doubt on recent assertions that deficient use of a phonetic memory code underlies the syntactic inferiority often seen in poor readers. A more pervasive linguistic immaturity is suggested as being involved.
Requesting strategies of learning disabled children
Authors: Donahue Mavis L. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTLearning disabled children's pragmatic competence was examined on a task which allowed for the separate assessment of linguistic and social knowledge, that is, the ability to appropriately vary politeness and persuasive strategies as a function of listener status. Learning disabled and nondisabled children made requests of four imaginary listeners varying on the dimensions of intimacy and power. Learning disabled girls produced more polite requests than nondisabled girls to all listeners. Learning disabled boys produced a smaller variety of persuasive appeals and fewer appeals which represented sophisticated levels of listener perspective taking. Learning disabled boys' politeness and the elaboration of their persuasive appeals exhibited variations as a function of listener features, but attended to dimensions different from those reflected in nondisabled boys' requests. It appears that learning disabled boys produced less appropriate requesting strategies than nondisabled boys, even though their repertoire of linguistic forms for conveying politeness was not deficient. These results are discussed in terms of the interdependence of the social and linguistic knowledge underlying pragmatic development.
Memory for stories in language-impaired children
Authors: Graybeal Carolyn M. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTMemory for content, or gist recall, was studied in groups of normal and language-impaired children, matched on age and sex, using a story recall task. The children were pretested for their ability to comprehend individual sentences in the stories. Following a practice session, two test stories were read to each child and oral recall was requested immediately after each story. The content of the recall protocols was analyzed into propositions and scored for accuracy, organization, and temporal ordering. The results showed that the groups differed primarily in the amount of accurate recall, with the language-impaired group recalling considerably less than the normal group. It was concluded that language-impaired children do exhibit deficits in gist recall for material which is within their linguistic grasp.
Early action word acquisition in normal and language-impaired children
Authors: Schwartz Richard G. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe acquisition of words referring to three types of actions was examined in normally developing and language-impaired children using a nonsense word paradigm. Fourteen language-normal and 10 language-impaired children whose speech was limited to single-word utterances served as subjects. The children were presented with 12 experimental words in 5 sessions over a period of approximately 3 weeks. The experimental words referred to actions that were classified as intransitive, transitive and specific to a particular object, or transitive but performed on 4 different objects. The children in both groups produced few of the action words. However, the groups differed in their comprehension of the three action word types. Specifically, the language-impaired children did not exhibit differences in comprehension across the different types of actions. The language-normal children, however, comprehended fewer words for intransitive actions than for the other types. The implications of these findings for characterizations of early lexical acquisition and for the nature of specific language impairment are addressed.