How Two- and Four-Year-Old Children Interpret Adjectives and Count Nouns

We examined the role of object kind familiarity (i.e., knowledge of a count noun for an object) on preschoolers' sensitivity to the relation between a novel word's form class (adjective or count noun) and its reference (to a material kind-property or to an object kind). We used a forced-choice match-to-target task, in which children learned a word for one object (e.g., a metal cup), and then chose between 2 other objects. One was from the same object kind but a different material kind (with different related properties, such as color and texture; e.g., a white plastic cup); the other was from a different object kind but the same material kind (with the same related properties; e.g., a metal spoon). In Experiment 1, children learned either a count noun (e.g., "This is a zav") or an adjective (e.g., "This is a zav one"). Within each form class, we crossed the familiarity of the referent object kind (familiar and unfamiliar) with the age of the children (2- and 4-year-olds). The principal finding was that in interpreting an adjective, 4-year-olds were more likely to choose the object sharing material kind with the target if the target was familiar than if it was unfamiliar. No such familiarity effect was evident among 2-year-olds. In Experiment 2, we employed a more unambiguously adjectival frame (e.g., "This is a very zav-ish one"), and replicated the results of Experiment 1. We interpret the results in terms of 2 proposed word learning biases: one that learners initially expect any word applied to an unfamiliar object to refer to a (basic-level) kind of object, and a second that learners prefer words to contrast in meaning. We consider several interpretations of the observed age difference.     

Building collective leadership capacity using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools

The current research explores how using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools developed the collective leadership capacity among participants in an educational leadership course. A qualitative interpretive approach was used. The data show how learning within the digital collaborative spaces was multidirectional and enhanced the possibilities of each student’s learning and practice. Communicating, curating and sharing knowledge, led to the development of new insights and support of mutual practice. The authors argue that the group’s collaborative endeavours produced substantive collective knowledge that elevated practice, and in so doing created collective leadership capacity within educational institutions and organisations in Trinidad and Tobago.     

Counting Skills and Number Concepts of Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

A systematic study was carried out to investigate the basic counting and number skills, and the strategies used in counting and number tasks of students with moderate intellectual disabilities at different age levels. Using Fuson's (1988, 1992) number–word model, students' understanding and use of number words were examined in four situations (sequence, counting, cardinal, and symbol). Thirty students with moderate intellectual disabilities (IQ of 36–54) aged between 7 and 18 years were interviewed individually and their counting skills and concepts of number assessed by various number tasks. Results showed a significant difference between the three age groups on all the number skills assessed. Specifically, the learning pattern for the sequence of number–words and the kinds of correspondence errors made were similar to those of students with normal intelligence; one-to-one correspondence and stable-order principles were used and the cardinal principle was understood. Recommendations were made concerning the education of students with moderate intellectual disabilities in aspects of numeracy.     

What do daily behavior report cards (DBRCs) measure? An initial comparison of DBRCs with direct observation for off‐task behavior

This study investigated the similarity of information provided from a daily behavior report card (DBRC) as rated by the teacher to direct observation data obtained from external observers. In addition, the similarity of ratings was compared with variations of problem severity (mild, severe) and teacher training (none, some). Results suggested a moderate association between teacher perceptions of behavior as measured by DBRC ratings and direct observation conducted by an external observer. In addition, 23–45% of the variance in DBRC ratings was consistent with the direct observation data. Severity of the behavior problem or the inclusion of training was not found to significantly affect the similarity of ratings. In summary, results tentatively suggest that the DBRC may be a viable supplement to direct observation for estimating behavior in applied settings. Limitations, future research directions, and implications are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 669–676, 2005.     

Lexical and sublexical orthographic knowledge: relationships in an orthography of intermediate depth

It is widely accepted that orthographic knowledge comprises two components: word-specific orthographic knowledge, also termed lexical orthographic knowledge, and general orthographic knowledge, or sublexical orthographic knowledge. Until now, the study of the relationship between these components throughout literacy development has been somehow neglected. In this study, we examined how they are related at an early stage of literacy development in European Portuguese, an orthography of intermediate depth. Children followed from Grade 2–3 performed two of the most common tasks of orthographic knowledge—the Orthographic Choice Task and the Orthographic Awareness Task. Crossed-lagged structural equation modeling showed significant mutual contributions between the two components of orthographic knowledge, providing thus preliminary evidence of bidirectional relations over time. Results are discussed in the context of theories of reading development taking into account the influence of orthography consistency.