Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026
15:00
Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age
Published on: May 1, 2020
Predicting word decoding and word spelling development in children with Specific Language Impairment.
Marjolijn van Weerdenburg1, Ludo Verhoeven, Anna Bosman
1Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. M.vanWeerdenburg@pwo.ru.nl
Journal of Communication Disorders
|January 22, 2011
Summary
Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in Dutch children shows that language skills predict reading and spelling. Verbal-sequential processing is key for decoding and spelling development.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Linguistics
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Specific Language Impairment (SLI) affects language development in children.
- Early literacy skills are crucial for academic success.
- Understanding predictors of literacy in SLI is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the predictive value of distinct language proficiencies on later reading and spelling skills in Dutch children with SLI.
- To identify the strongest language predictors for word decoding and spelling.
- To compare language abilities between children with SLI who achieve normal literacy and those with literacy difficulties.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal investigation of Dutch children diagnosed with SLI.
- Extensive language test battery administered at the start of formal reading instruction.
- Statistical analysis to identify four uncorrelated language factors: lexical-semantic, auditory perception, verbal-sequential processing, and speech production.
- Assessment of word reading and spelling skills at 7 and 19 months.
Main Results:
- All four identified language factors significantly predicted word reading and spelling development.
- Verbal-sequential processing emerged as the strongest predictor for both word decoding and spelling.
- Autoregression effects for word decoding and spelling were substantial, with verbal-sequential processing retaining predictive value for spelling over time.
- Children with SLI and normal literacy skills demonstrated superior performance on most language measures compared to peers with literacy problems.
Conclusions:
- Language proficiencies, particularly verbal-sequential processing, play a critical role in the development of reading and spelling skills in children with SLI.
- Early identification of specific language deficits can inform interventions aimed at improving literacy outcomes.
- The findings highlight the heterogeneity within the SLI population regarding literacy development.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:25Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
01:30Information Processing Approach
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...