Effects of word and morpheme familiarity on reading of derived words

The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence students’ reading of derived words. Recent research suggests that the lexical quality of a derived word depends on the familiarity of the word, its morphemic constituents (i.e., base word and affixes), and the frequency with which the base word appears in other words (i.e., members of the same word family or family frequency). On the premise that better and more experienced readers have higher quality lexical representations, we explore the extent to which accuracy of reading derived words by 4th and 6th graders is related to measures of familiarity, including derived and base word frequencies, family size, average family frequency, and word length. The results of an exploratory factor analysis indicated that these measures formed two factors, one representing morphemic constitution and the second representing exposure to the word family; both factors accounted for significant variance in the students’ derived word reading. Comparisons of sets of derived words contrasted on familiarity properties showed that performance on derived words, overall, is better for 6th than 4th graders and for good than poor readers. On the measures of family frequency and family size, there were significant discrepancies between grade level and reading ability and frequency characteristics. These add support to the view that morphemic analysis and wide reading experience contribute to derived word reading.     

Developing an HIV/AIDS Education Curriculum for Takalani Sesame, South Africa's Sesame Street

The HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa has prompted a need for extensive efforts to educate citizens of all ages about the disease and ways of coping with its impact. This paper describes the process of developing an HIV/AIDS education curriculum for Takalani Sesame, an educational media project for young South African children. The process began with formative research with adults and children, and extensive discussions with HIV/AIDS health specialists. Guided by the research and advice from specialists, a team of educators developed a comprehensive curriculum that the Takalani Sesame production team will use to create HIV/AIDS education messages for television, radio and outreach materials for children ages 3-7 and the adults who care for them.     

Neighborhood Characteristics,and Child Care Type and Quality

Research Findings: Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this article relates neighborhood characteristics to the type of child care used in families with toddlers and preschoolers (N = 1,121; representative of children in Chicago in 1996–1998). Neighborhood structural disadvantage was assessed via U.S. Census data, and neighborhood processes (i.e., density of social networks, collective efficacy, and level of participation in neighborhood organizations) were accessed with a community survey. Child care decisions (i.e., whether they chose care in centers; child care homes by non-relative, by relatives, and exclusively by parents) and the quality of center child care (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised) were assessed in a longitudinal sample. After controlling for family characteristics, various neighborhood characteristics were related to child care characteristics. In communities with denser social networks, children were less likely to experience care in child care homes by unrelated adults. Children were more likely to be in child care homes and less likely to cared for by parents exclusively or by relatives when collective efficacy was higher. Center care quality was lower in disadvantaged neighborhoods and higher for publicly funded programs. Further, neighborhood structural disadvantage was more negatively related to quality when mothers had less education. Practice or Policy: These findings provide further evidence that public programs such as Head Start and public pre-kindergarten programs may be especially important to ensure that children living in poverty in disadvantaged neighborhoods have access to the types of child care that promote school readiness.     

Music Selection Behaviors in Everyday Listening

Data on everyday music listening obtained via the Experience Sampling Method indicated that selection method was related to liking for and emotional response to the music, attention paid to the music, and perceived consequences of hearing the music. Individual listener's characteristics (e.g., age and level of engagement with music) were associated with selection behaviors. Negative effects resulted when individuals perceived they did not have control over music selection. In contrast, possessing control led to positive consequences such as enjoyment and motivation. These results indicate that control is an important aspect of one's everyday music experiences.