Phonological awareness,verbal working memory and the acquisition of literacy

This paper describes a 2-year longitudinal study of 76 initially prereading children. The study examined the relationships between phonological awareness (measured by tests of onset and rime, phonemic segmentation and phoneme deletion), verbal working memory and the development of reading and spelling. Factor analyses showed that the verbal working memory tests which were administered loaded on two distinct but highly related factors, the first of which,simple repetition, involved the repetition of verbal items exactly as spoken by the experimenter, whereas the second,backwards repetition, involved repetition of items in reverse order. Factor analyses also showed that, whist the phonological awareness variables consistently loaded on the backwards repetition factor at the beginning and end of Grade 1, by Grade 2 the phonological awareness variables loaded on a separate factor which also included sentence repetition. Results of multiple regression analyses, with reading and spelling as a compound criterion variable, indicated that phonological awareness consistently predicted later reading and spelling even when both simple and backwards repetition were controlled. In contrast, verbal working memory did not consistently predict reading and spelling across testing times. Whilst there was some indication that verbal working memory, especially backwards repetition, measured during Grade 1 did predict reading and spelling in Grade 2, these effects were no longer evident when all three phonological variables were controlled. Nevertheless, with 4 individual reading and 2 individual spelling measures as the criterion variables, it was shown that phonological awareness was not quite such a consistent predictor of reading and spelling: it was most highly related to reading pseudowords and spelling real words; but it was not so highly related to spelling pseudowords, apparently because the processing demands of the task for the young children in the study were extremely high. Given the importance of verbal working memory for the completion of phonological awareness, reading and spelling tasks, in particular for spelling pseudowords, the findings are interpreted as providing some support for a theoretical position which posits that both phonological awareness and verbal working memory contribute to the early stages of literacy acquisition. Whilst the findings suggest some support for a general underlying phonological ability, there is also evidence that, as children learn to read and write, verbal working memory and phonological awareness become more differentiated.     

Relationships between childhood abuse and neglect experience and HIV risk behaviors among methadone treatment drop-outs

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between childhood abuse/neglect experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and child neglect) and adult life functioning among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP) drop-outs. METHOD: 432 subjects who dropped out of MMTP were recruited in New York City in 1997-1999. Adult life functioning was measured by HIV drug and sex risk behaviors, Addiction Severity Index (ASI) composite scores, and depression. The chi(2) tests, t tests, correlation, and multiple logistic regressions were performed to examine the relationships between abuse experiences and adult life functioning. RESULTS: The prevalence of child abuse/neglect history was high among MMTP drop-outs: sexual abuse-36%; physical abuse-60%; emotional abuse-57%; child physical neglect-66%; all four experiences-25%. As assessed via ASI composite scores, those who had been abused in childhood had significantly more medical, legal, relationship, and psychological problems than those who had not. Overall, several significant associations were found between the abuse experiences and HIV risk behaviors. Those who had experienced child neglect were more likely to be HIV positive. In multivariate analyses, childhood physical abuse was a significant predictor of having multiple sex partners while depression was significantly related to injection drug use in adulthood (p<.05). There were trends for the relationships between childhood sexual abuse and HIV sex risk behavior (p<.10) and between gender and injection drug use (p<.10). CONCLUSIONS: The findings support a need for drug treatment programs that include specialized therapies for those who suffered childhood abuse and neglect experiences.     

The effects of multisensory structured language instruction on native language and foreign language aptitude skills of at-risk high school foreign language learners

Research findings suggest that most students who have foreign language learning problems have language-based difficulties and, in particular, phonological processing problems. Authors of the present study examined pre- and posttest scores on native language and foreign language aptitude tests of three groups of at-risk high school students enrolled in special, self-contained sections of first-year Spanish. Two groups were instructed using a multisensory structured language (MSL) approach. One of the groups was taught in both English and Spanish (MSL/ES), the other only in Spanish (MSL/S). The third group (NO-MSL) was instructed using more traditional second language teaching methodologies. Significant gains were made by the MSL-ES group on measures of native language phonology, vocabulary, and verbal memory and on a test of foreign language aptitude; the MSL/S group made significant gains on the test of foreign language aptitude. No significant gains on the native language or foreign language aptitude measures were made by the NO-MSL group. Implications for foreign language classroom instruction of at-risk students are discussed.     

The Role of Generic Language in the Early Development of Social Categorization

Classifying people into categories not only helps humans simplify a complex social world but also contributes to stereotyping and discrimination. This research examines how social categorization develops by testing how language imbues with meaning otherwise arbitrary differences between people. Experimental studies (N = 129) with 2‐year‐olds showed that generic language—language that refers to abstract kinds—guides the development of social categorization. Toddlers learned a new category after hearing generic language about individuals who shared an arbitrary perceptual feature but not after hearing matched specific language, simple labels, or plural (but nongeneric) language about the same set of individuals. These findings show how subtle linguistic cues shape the development of social categorization.     

Mapping psychology students’ perspective on group peer-tutoring in statistics

Students in psychology generally have difficulties to successfully accomplish mandatory courses in statistics. Group peer-tutoring is a pedagogical strategy to support them with a peer that has already successfully mastered the content of such a course. In order to specifically tailor group peer-tutoring to the needs of students and to sustain tutees’ participation, it is important to understand how they conceptualize tutoring. The aim of this study was to provide an empirical investigation of psychology students’ conceptualization regarding cross-year group peer-tutoring in statistics. A multivariate concept mapping analysis generated a relevant three-cluster structure (Tutoring setup, Tutor knowledge, interpersonal skills, and relational dynamics and Student role and commitment to the course) that underlies students’ cognitive structure regarding group peer-tutoring. The implications of the results for selecting and training peer-tutors are discussed.     

The development of a criterion‐referenced profile: the Hertfordshire English Project

Many developments in profiling are taking place at present and a considerable number use a criterion‐referenced assessment model. This study reports the experiences of a local curriculum development project which has developed an English course and summative profile for lower‐attaining pupils. The way in which criterion‐referenced assessment was incorporated into the development of the profile is described, together with the results of a small‐scale survey of teachers’ views of the use of such a profile. Key issues for those developing such profiles in English and other subjects are identified.     

Measuring Selected Motor Skills in Fourth,Fifth, and Sixth Grades

Abstract

This article presents seven tests which were devised for measuring selected motor skills in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade boys and girls. An analysis of the data indicated that the tests were reliable for the population measured, and that age, height, and weight factors were not statistically significant in determining performance as measured by these tests. Performance standards were computed for each sex within each grade level.     

The Mechanics of Batting: Analysis of Ground Reaction Forces and Selected Lower Extremity Kinematics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine variations in ground reaction forces and selected lower extremity kinematics during the stride and swing phases of batting. High speed photography (100 fps) employing direct linear transformation methodology and a force plate were used to record three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data for 7 female fast pitch softball batters. Mean vertical forces (F_z) of the right or rear foot increased to approximately 1 BW during the stride. Once the left or forward foot made contact with the ground after completion of the stride, right F_z forces decreased to .43 BW while left F_z forces rapidly increased to 1.6 BW at contact. The mean decrease in right F_z forces from peak force until contact was 55%, and the ratio of left to right F_z forces; at impact was 3.67:1. Right mediolateral forces (F_x) were exerted laterally, away from the batter, and were responsible for initiating movement of the body toward the pitched ball. As the left foot made contact with the ground at completion of the stride, left F_x forces were exerted laterally toward the pitched ball. The reaction to these forces retarded the batter's forward momentum, increased stability, and caused the left hip and knee to extend as contact approached. Right and left anteroposterior forces (F_y) acted in opposite directions (right foot pushing backward, left foot pushing forward), and were responsible for rotating the hips and upper body in a counterclockwise direction toward the pitched ball. Horizontal angular deceleration of both thighs just prior to contact was due, in part, to a decrease in these forces. These data may prove helpful when attempting to identify atypical batting patterns, and when considering improvements in shoe design. In the latter instance, force production and stability may be enhanced by aligning the cleats along the lines of action of the applied resultant shear forces.