Phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatised naming (RAN) and working memory (WM) are considered to be the most important factors supporting reading development. However, their relative importance ...varies across orthographies and age. The goal of this study was to examine reading predictors in Croatian, a language with highly transparent orthography, after three years of formal reading instruction. The study included 80 participants (mean age: 10.07 years). Reading rate and accuracy were measured using lists of words and pseudowords, and PA was measured using phoneme deletion, phoneme addition and spoonerism tasks. RAN was measured using naming of colours, and WM was measured using the WM standardised measure of digit span (WISC-IV-HR) and pseudoword repetition. In order to find the best predictors of reading rate and accuracy for both words and pseudowords, three-stage hierarchical multiple regression was conducted. The results showed that in highly transparent language when reading is automatised, RAN is the most significant predictor of both reading rate and accuracy. Although this study did not show dissociation between the predictors supporting reading speed and reading accuracy, it confirmed the importance of PA as a suppressor variable for RAN in predicting pseudowords reading time.
Fonološka svjesnost, brzo automatizirano imenovanje i radno pamćenje smatraju se najvažnijim čimbenicima koji podupiru ovladavanje čitanjem, no njihova relativna važnost ovisi o dobi te o pravopisu kojim dijete ovladava. Cilj je ovoga rada ispitati prediktore čitanja u hrvatskome jeziku, koji ima proziran pravopis, nakon tri godine sustavne poduke u čitanju. U istraživanje je uključeno 80 sudionika (prosječne dobi 10.07 godina). Kriterijske varijable, brzina čitanja i točnost čitanja mjerene su čitanjem liste riječi i liste pseudoriječi. Fonološka je svjesnost ispitana zadatcima brisanja i dodavanja fonema te zadatkom premetanja, a brzo imenovanje zadatkom imenovanja boja. Radno je pamćenje ispitano ponavljanjem pseudoriječi i suptestom raspona pamćenja brojeva (WISC-IV-HR). Da bi se provjerila prediktivnost promatranih varijabli, provedena je hijerarhijska regresijska analiza. Rezultati su pokazali da je u jeziku s prozirnim pravopisom nakon tri godine sustavne poduke brzo automatizirano imenovanje najznačajniji prediktor i brzine čitanja i točnosti čitanja. Iako ovo istraživanje nije pokazalo disocijaciju prediktora koji podupiru brzinu čitanja i točnost čitanja, potvrdilo je važnost fonološke svjesnosti kao supresijske varijable za brzo imenovanje u predviđanju brzine čitanja pseudoriječi.
Ovaj se rad bavi usvajanjem početnih morfonotaktičkih i fonotaktičkih zatvorničkih skupina u hrvatskome. Morfonotaktičke se zatvorničke skupine protežu preko granice morfema, npr. /sl/ u s+ložiti, ...dok se fonotaktičke zatvorničke skupine nalaze unutar morfema, npr. sladoled. Analiziran je Hrvatski korpus dječjeg jezika (Kovačević 2002), longitudinalni korpus koji je prikupljen prema smjernicama međunarodnog projekta CHILDES te međujezičnog projekta Pre– i Protomorfologija u jezičnom usvajanju pod vodstvom drugog autora. Dosadašnja su istraživanja u području usvajanja morfonotaktike pokazala prednost u usvajanju morfonotaktičkih zatvorničkih skupina u morfološki bogatim jezicima, poljskom i litavskom. Ovaj rad proširuje dosadašnji pristup usmjeravajući se na proces ovladavanja proizvodnjom suglasničke skupine, a ne samo na vrijeme pojavljivanja u dječjem jeziku. Analiza Hrvatskog korpusa dječjeg jezika pokazala je da se u hrvatskome, usporedivo s podatcima dobivenim iz drugih morfološki bogatih jezika, morfonotaktičke zatvorničke skupine usvajaju ranije nego istozvučne fonotaktičke zatvorničke skupine. Istražena je i obilježenost dvočlanih i tročlanih početnih zatvorničkih skupina promatrajući ih u svjetlu koncepta Net Auditory Distance (NAD) koji do sada za hrvatski nije korišten. Dosadašnje su spoznaje u području usvajanja morfonotaktike proširene i istraživanjem razvoja složenosti zatvorničkih skupina te se pokazalo da morfonotaktika vodi k većoj složenosti, no složenije zatvorničke skupine nisu nužno i više obilježene. Dječji je jezik uspoređen s ulaznim jezikom te je na taj način postignuta veća ekološka valjanost. Dobiveni su rezultati uspoređeni s dosadašnjim istraživanjima usvajanja morfonotaktičkih i fonotaktičkih zatvorničkih skupina u poljskome te su pronađene određene razlike u tijeku usvajanju koje su rezultat strukturalnih razlika između ovih dvaju slavenskih jezika.
We study first language acquisition of Croatian morphonotactic vs. phonotactic word–initial consonant clusters. Morphonotactic clusters cross a morpheme boundary, such as /sl/ in s+ložiti ‘ to ...arrange’, whereas phonotactic clusters occur within a morpheme, as in slad+o+led ‘ice–cream’. With a new method we show that, similarly to equally morphology–rich Polish and Lithuanian, the three investigated Croatian children acquire morphonotactic clusters earlier than homophonous phonotactic clusters. We also study preferences of double and triple word–initial consonant clusters via the concept of Net Auditory Distance (NAD), never before used for Croatian, with partially unexpected results. When dealing for the first time in studies of (mor)phonotactic development with the rise of cluster complexity, we will show that morphonotactics creates new complexity. Since children do not learn directly the target language, as represented in grammars, dictionaries and electronic corpora of written or oral adult language, we compare the development of child speech (CS) systematically with the children’s language input, i.e. child–directed speech (CDS) of their caretakers. In this way, we can achieve a higher degree of ecological validity than with formal transversal tests. The three longitudinal corpora of spontaneous interaction between a child and a caretaker (Croatian Corpus of Child Language, Kovačević 2002) have been recorded, transcribed and coded according to the methodologies of the international project CHILDES and the Crosslinguistic Project on Pre– and Protomorphology in Language Acquisition headed by the second author. The results are compared with those of the acquisition of morphonotactic vs. phonotactic clusters by Polish children. Diverging results are due to structural differences between these two Slavic languages.
Purpose: Although researchers have explored parental perspectives of childhood speech and language disorders, most studies have been conducted in English-speaking countries. Little is known about ...parental experiences across countries, where procedures of language screening and services for language disorders differ. The authors participated in the COST Action network IS1406, "Enhancing Children's Oral Language Skills Across Europe and Beyond," which provided an opportunity to conduct cross-country qualitative interviews with parents. The aim of this pilot study was to explore ways in which parents construed and described speech and language disorders across countries. Method: Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with parents from 10 families in 10 different countries. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: The overall theme was "acknowledging parental expertise." The parents described, in detail, ways in which their children's speech and language (dis)abilities had an impact on the children's everyday life. Three subthemes were identified: impairment, disability, and changes over time. Conclusions: The findings suggest that, across a range of countries, parents demonstrated contextualized understandings of their children's speech and language (dis)abilities, along with the everyday functional implications of the disorders. Hence, despite not holding professional knowledge about language disorders, the voices, views, understandings, and personal experiences of parents in relation to their child's disorder should be listened to when planning therapy services.
This study investigates the emergence of (mor)phonological consonant clusters in L1 acquisition. Following the Strong Morphonotactic Hypothesis (SMH), distribution and preferability of word-medial ...consonant clusters in the corpus of three children acquiring Croatian were explored. VCCV and VCCCV clusters were extracted from the Croatian Corpus of Child Language. Subsequently, all word-medial clusters were tagged as exclusively phonotactic, exclusively morphonotactic, and ones that occurred in both contexts. The results partially corroborated SMH, strengthening the premise that morphological richness of a language moderates the interaction between morphology and phonology in early language acquisition. The data showed a clear predominance of morphonotactic clusters in one out of three subcorpus. Developmentally, an increase in all three cluster types was observed and generally all clusters were predominantly less preferred. Early emerging phonotactic clusters appeared to be mostly preferred, while the first morphonotactic clusters comprised less preferred combinations, with a gradual increase in preferability. Individual differences in cluster distribution and preferability blurred the role of the importance of morphonotactic information in L1 acquisition, suggesting that children employ different paths to acquire a language, but also suggesting that further exploration of this hypothesis in different languages and using different approaches is needed.
•Language disorder is an invisible neuropsychological condition.•There is a lack of knowledge on how parents construe their child’s disorder.•Parents from nine countries engaged in qualitative ...interviews.•Parents reported children were excluded due to their language disorder.•Parents as pro-active advocates for their children’s inclusion.
Although researchers have explored parental perspectives on childhood speech and language disorders, this work has mostly been conducted in English-speaking countries. Little is known about parental experiences across countries. Participation in the COST Action IS1406 ‘Enhancing children’s oral language skills across Europe and beyond’ provided an opportunity to conduct cross-cultural qualitative interviews. The aims were to explore how parents construe inclusion and/or exclusion of their child and how parents involve themselves in order to facilitate inclusion.
Parents from nine countries and with a child who had received services for speech-language disorder participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data.
Two overarching themes were identified: ‘Language disabilities led to social exclusion’ and ‘Promoting pathways to social inclusion’. Two subthemes were identified Interpersonal relationships are important and Deliberate proactiveness as stepping stones for social inclusion.
Across countries, parents report that their children’s hidden disability causes misunderstandings that can lead to social exclusion and that they are important advocates for their children. It is important that the voices and experiences of parents of children with developmental disabilities are understood and acknowledged. Parents’ recommendations about how to support social inclusion need to be addressed at all levels of society.
Abstract Aim Collaboration between speech and language therapists and parents to help children with language disorders has always been important. The majority of published work is from the ...perspective of the therapist and what they think and feel parents need to help their children. However, less is known about (1) the processes parents try to access and receive services; (2) how they perceive the journey; and (3) what they think about the service provided to their child. This paper describes an exploration of how parents experience identification and access of services for their children living with language disorders. Subjects and methods Parents from ten countries, with a child who had received services for speech language disorder participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results Two main themes were constructed: (1) Parental recognition of the need for services; and (2) difficulties accessing services. Parents detailed how they recognised that their children needed services and how they went about securing them. Parents recounted the process they undertook; from their initial concerns about their child’s development, the feelings this engendered, and how they tried to get support and treatment. Parents talked about the factors that made them decide they had to fight to gain access to services for their children. Conclusions Across countries, parents encounter similar experiences. The major obstacles identified by parents lead to the perception of delay in obtaining access to services. Identifying the services that children required was the first hurdle, even before getting a referral to them.
Odgovor na intervenciju (engl. Response to Intervention) načelo je pružanja i praćenja intervencije. Ne radi se o metodi, terapiji niti modelu podučavanja, već procesu kojemu je svrha pomaknuti ...resurse prema intervencijskom pristupu s najboljim učinkom. Jedna od osnovnih karakteristika Odgovora na intervenciju sustavna je i stalna evaluacija - kako učenika i napretka, tako i odabranog pristupa intervencije. Jedan je od dijagnostičkih kriterija postavljanja dijagnoze specifičnog poremećaja učenja, predložen u Dijagnostičkom i statističkom priručniku za mentalne poremećaje, peto izdanje (DSM-V), otpornost na terapiju, odnosno teškoće u učenju i primjeni akademskih vještina koje traju najmanje 6 mjeseci, unatoč intervencijama usmjerenim na ove teškoće. U skladu s time, nameće se potreba za osiguravanjem intervencije i prije postavljanja dijagnoze. Rana intervencija u području čitanja i pisanja posljedično dovodi do smanjene potrebe za davanjem dijagnoze. Cilj Odgovora na intervenciju je stvaranje obrazovne okoline, učinkovite, primjenjive i trajne za svu djecu, obitelji i one koji sudjeluju u obrazovnom procesu, i to uz kontinuiranu podršku. Odgovor na intervenciju podrazumijeva nekoliko razina podrške, a pomicanjem kroz razine pružena intervencija postaje eksplicitnija, učestalija, dulja, grupe homogenije i manje, a oni koji pružaju pomoć sve stručniji. U radu je prikazan model pružanja intervencije teškoća čitanja i pisanja krojene prema Odgovoru na intervenciju, koji proizlazi iz preokreta u razumijevanju i definiranju poremećaja. Prikazan je pregled modela, osnovne postavke i odlike, te izazovi i potencijalne dobrobiti u odnosu na pružanje usluga djeci s teškoćama/poremećajem čitanja i pisanja u Hrvatskoj.
Response to Intervention is a principle of intervention delivery for children with reading difficulties. It does not stand for any particular method, therapy or teaching model, rather it should be understood as a process aimed to direct available resources towards the most efficient intervention. One of the key features of response to intervention is a systematic and constant evaluation of student difficulties and progress, but also of the chosen approach of intervention. Diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders (DSM-V) suggests resistance to remediation to be one of the diagnostic criteria for specific learning disorder – consistent difficulties in use of academic skills for at least 6 months, despite focused interventions. Therefore, there is also a need to provide intervention before the disorder is diagnosed. Consequently, early intervention can also diminish the need for diagnosis in the first place. The goal of the response to intervention is to create a learning environment that is efficient, permanent, and appropriate for all children and families. Response to intervention entails several levels of support. Moving through levels ensures more explicit, more frequent, and longer support. Groups are more homogeneous and getting smaller, while the level of expertise of those who are delivering support is growing. This paper presents a model of providing intervention for reading and writing difficulties, tailored according to the Response to Intervention, instigated by the shift in understanding and defining the disorder itself. Models, frameworks, advantages, and challenges are presented in relation to the service delivery for children with reading difficulties/disorder in Croatia.
Phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatised naming (RAN) and working memory (WM) are considered to be the most important factors supporting reading development. However, their relative importance ...varies across orthographies and age. The goal of this study was to examine reading predictors in Croatian, a language with highly transparent orthography, after three years of formal reading instruction. The study included 80 participants (mean age: 10.07 years). Reading rate and accuracy were measured using lists of words and pseudowords, and PA was measured using phoneme deletion, phoneme addition and spoonerism tasks. RAN was measured using naming of colours, and WM was measured using the WM standardised measure of digit span (WISC-IV-HR) and pseudoword repetition. In order to find the best predictors of reading rate and accuracy for both words and pseudowords, three-stage hierarchical multiple regression was conducted. The results showed that in highly transparent language when reading is automatised, RAN is the most significant predictor of both reading rate and accuracy. Although this study did not show dissociation between the predictors supporting reading speed and reading accuracy, it confirmed the importance of PA as a suppressor variable for RAN in predicting pseudowords reading time.
Fonološka svjesnost podupire ovladavanje čitanjem, a nedostaci u fonološkoj svjesnosti smatraju se jednim od osnovnih pokazatelja poremećaja čitanja. Povezanost fonološke svjesnosti i vještine ...čitanja razlikuje se u različitim ortografijama. Cilj je ovog istraživanja bio usporediti čitatelje s poremećajem čitanja i njihove vršnjake urednog razvoja u različitim zadacima fonološke svjesnosti te provjeriti koliko uspješno ovi zadaci razlikuju skupine; mjereći točnost, brzinu rješavanja zadatka te analizirajući uporabljene čestice. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da površinska ortografija hrvatskog podupire razvoj fonološke svjesnosti te su u većini zadataka obje skupine sudionika postigle visoku razinu točnosti. No, unatoč dosljednosti hrvatske ortografije, zadaci fonološke svjesnosti načelno uspješno razlikuju čitatelje s poremećajem čitanja i uredne čitatelje. Analiza čestica provedena u ovom istraživanju pokazuje da je neophodno uzeti u obzir posebnosti ortografije, fonološku duljinu i složenost čestica te čestotnost kako bi se povećala njihova osjetljivost u prepoznavanju čitatelja s poremećajem čitanja.
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