-
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2021Young children's use of digital devices is increasing as we progress through the 21st century and handheld and mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have... (Review)
Review
Young children's use of digital devices is increasing as we progress through the 21st century and handheld and mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become increasingly available. While older children using tablets to read has been more broadly investigated, less is known about the impacts of digital reading on children at the stage of literacy acquisition. An analytical review was conducted on the effects of interactive e-book interventions for young children's literacy development when compared to (a) listening to print books, (b) regular school programs, and (c) reading non-enhanced and non-interactive e-books. A significant additional beneficial effect of e-book interventions was found for phonological awareness and vocabulary learning based on data from 1138 children in 14 randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. When e-books are properly selected and used, children develop literacy skills equally well and sometimes better than with print books. Additionally, e-book interventions outperformed the regular school program in the development of literacy skills. Similarly, enhanced e-book conditions revealed benefits over the non-enhanced e-book interventions in literacy skill acquisition. The impact of these findings related to health issues, e-book design, disadvantaged populations, and adult-led e-book sharing is discussed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Books; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Literacy; Parent-Child Relations; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Reading; Vocabulary
PubMed: 34208785
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126510 -
Journal of Communication Disorders 2023There is an emerging view that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by problems with language difficulties, an idea reinforced by the fact that ADHD... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
There is an emerging view that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by problems with language difficulties, an idea reinforced by the fact that ADHD is highly comorbid with developmental language disorder (DLD). This scoping review provides an overview of literature on language abilities in children with DLD and ADHD while highlighting similarities and differences.
METHOD
A comprehensive search was performed to examine the literature on language abilities in the two disorders, yielding a total of 18 articles that met the inclusion criteria for the present review. Qualitative summaries are provided based on the language domain assessed.
RESULTS
The current literature suggests children and adolescents with ADHD have better morphosyntax/grammar, general/core language abilities, receptive, and expressive abilities than those with DLD. Further, that performance is comparable on assessments of semantic and figurative language but varies by sample on assessments of phonological processing, syntax, narrative language, and vocabulary.
CONCLUSION
Evidence presented points to children and adolescents with DLD as having greater language difficulties compared to those with ADHD, but with some important caveats. Despite limitations related to the paucity of studies and inconsistencies in how the two types of disorders are identified, our review provides a necessary and vital step in better understanding the language profiles of these two highly prevalent childhood disorders. These findings are useful in optimizing language outcomes and treatment efficacy for children and adolescents with ADHD and DLD.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Cognition; Linguistics; Vocabulary; Language Development Disorders
PubMed: 37797400
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2023.106381 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Apr 2020Purpose This study examined vocabulary profiles in young cochlear implant (CI) recipients and in children with normal hearing (NH) matched on receptive vocabulary size...
Purpose This study examined vocabulary profiles in young cochlear implant (CI) recipients and in children with normal hearing (NH) matched on receptive vocabulary size to improve our understanding of young CI recipients' acquisition of word categories (e.g., common nouns or closed-class words). Method We compared receptive and expressive vocabulary profiles between young CI recipients ( = 48; mean age at activation = 15.61 months, = 4.20) and children with NH ( = 48). The two groups were matched on receptive vocabulary size as measured by the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (Fenson et al., 2006): Words and Gestures form. The CI group had, on average, 8.98 months of hearing experience. The mean chronological age at completing the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories was 23.99 months ( = 5.14) for the CI group and 13.72 months ( = 1.50) for the NH group. Results The CI group had a larger expressive vocabulary size than the receptive vocabulary size-matched NH group. The larger expressive vocabulary size was associated with the group difference in social words but not with common nouns. The analyses for predicate words and closed-class words included only children who produced the target categories. The CI group had a larger proportion of predicate words than the NH group, but no difference was found in closed-class words in expressive vocabulary. Conclusions Differences found in expressive vocabulary profiles may be affected by spoken vocabulary size and their age. A further examination is warranted using language samples to understand the effect of language input on children's vocabulary profiles.
Topics: Child; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Implants; Deafness; Humans; Language Development; Language Tests; Vocabulary
PubMed: 32302250
DOI: 10.1044/2020_JSLHR-19-00315 -
Ear and HearingThe vocabulary of children with cochlear implants is often smaller than that of their peers with typical hearing, but there is uncertainty regarding the extent of the...
OBJECTIVES
The vocabulary of children with cochlear implants is often smaller than that of their peers with typical hearing, but there is uncertainty regarding the extent of the differences and potential risks and protective factors. Some studies indicate that their receptive vocabulary develops well at first, but that they fail to keep up with their typical hearing peers, causing many CI users to enter school with a receptive vocabulary that is not age-appropriate. To better understand the receptive vocabulary abilities of children with cochlear implants this study explored age-related differences to matched children with typical hearing and associations between vocabulary skills and child-level characteristics.
DESIGN
A retrospective cross-sectional study with matched controls was conducted at the Norwegian national cochlear implant center at Oslo University Hospital. Eighty-eight children (mean age 8.7 years; range 3.2 to 15.9; 43 girls, 45 boys) who had received bilateral cochlear implants before 3 years of age were compared with two groups of children with typical hearing. One group was matched for maternal education, sex, and chronological age, the other group was matched for maternal education, sex, and hearing age. Receptive vocabulary performance was measured with the British Picture Vocabulary Scale.
RESULTS
Cochlear implant users' receptive vocabulary was poorer than that of age-matched children with typical hearing ( M = 84.6 standard points, SD = 21.1; children with typical hearing: M = 102.1 standard points, SD = 15.8; mean difference -17.5 standard points, 95% CI [-23.0 to -12.0], p < 0.001; Hedges's g = -0.94, 95% CI [-1.24 to -0.62]), and children with cochlear implants were significantly more likely to perform below the normative range (risk ratio = 2.2, 95% CI [1.42 to 3.83]). However, there was a significant nonlinear U-shaped effect of age on the scores of cochlear implant users, with the difference to the matched typical hearing children being largest (23.9 standard points, on average) around 8.7 years of age and smaller toward the beginning and end of the age range. There was no significant difference compared with children with typical hearing when differences in auditory experience were accounted for. Variability was not significantly different between the groups. Further analysis with a random forest revealed that, in addition to chronological age and hearing age, simultaneous versus sequential implantation, communication mode at school, and social integration were predictors of cochlear implant users' receptive vocabulary.
CONCLUSIONS
On average, the receptive vocabulary of children with cochlear implants was smaller than that of their typical hearing peers. The magnitude of the difference was changing with age and was the largest for children in early primary school. The nonlinear effect of age might explain some of the ambiguity in previous research findings and could indicate that better intervention is required around school entry. The results emphasize that continuous monitoring and support are crucial to avoid far-reaching negative effects on the children's development and well-being.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Child; Cochlear Implants; Vocabulary; Cross-Sectional Studies; Retrospective Studies; Language Development; Cochlear Implantation; Deafness
PubMed: 35426854
DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001220 -
Cognition Mar 2021Short-term verbal memory is improved when words can be chunked into larger units. Miller (1956) suggested that the capacity of verbal short-term memory is determined by... (Review)
Review
Short-term verbal memory is improved when words can be chunked into larger units. Miller (1956) suggested that the capacity of verbal short-term memory is determined by the number of chunks that can be stored in memory, rather than by the number of items or the amount of information. But how does the improvement due to chunking come about, and is memory really determined by the number of chunks? One possibility is that chunking is a form of data compression. It allows more information to be stored in the available capacity. An alternative is that chunking operates primarily by redintegration. Chunks exist only in long-term memory, and enable the corresponding items in short-term memory to be reconstructed more reliably from a degraded trace. We review the data favoring each of these views and discuss the implications of treating chunking as data compression. Contrary to Miller, we suggest that memory capacity is primarily determined both by the amount of information that can be stored but also by the underlying representational vocabulary of the memory system. Given the limitations on the representations that can be stored in verbal short-term memory, chunking can sometimes allow the information capacity of short-term memory to be exploited more efficiently. (202 words).
Topics: Data Compression; Humans; Memory, Long-Term; Memory, Short-Term; Mental Recall; Vocabulary
PubMed: 33360054
DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104534 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2023Reading is a highly refined skill that encompasses two main components: decoding graphic symbols and understanding the written message. These aspects generally develop...
INTRODUCTION
Reading is a highly refined skill that encompasses two main components: decoding graphic symbols and understanding the written message. These aspects generally develop together, but reading comprehension is a much more complex process, sustained not only by the identification of written words and vocabulary but also by language systems, such as syntax and general knowledge. Although there is a well-established technique for performing the phoniatric assessment, there is no common use of tests that assess reading comprehension or the association of this information with other assessment data.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is, in the context of the phoniatric consultation, to evaluate the reading and retelling in children with relevant reading difficulties and to correlate the decoding and comprehension problems with the alterations observed in auditory and visual perceptual tests, pointing out the evidence that best contributed to the differential diagnosis of these subjects.
METHODS
Starting from a population of 301 children enrolled in the 4th and 5th grades of elementary school, 13 children with evident reading and writing difficulties were evaluated regarding the reading and retelling tasks and separated into groups according to the problem of decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Reading performance was correlated with the performance in visual and auditory perceptual tests and based on the similarity analysis, the tests considered to be the most relevant in the diagnosis process of these children were identified.
RESULT
The results suggest that the tasks: naming of figures, repetition of numbers in reverse order, figure copying, syllabic synthesis, phonemic synthesis, rhyme, and phonemic manipulation altogether contribute to diagnosis and multidisciplinary intervention aspects.
CONCLUSION
Some tasks are more relevant to the diagnostic process of children with complaints of learning difficulties in reading.
Topics: Child; Humans; Reading; Comprehension; Students; Vocabulary; Dyslexia
PubMed: 34462203
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2021.05.014 -
The Journal of Nutrition Nov 2022Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids associated with better cognition in older adults. Recent evidence suggests that their dietary intake may also have cognitive...
Early Childhood Lutein and Zeaxanthin Intake Is Positively Associated with Early Childhood Receptive Vocabulary and Mid-Childhood Executive Function But No Other Cognitive or Behavioral Outcomes in Project Viva.
BACKGROUND
Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids associated with better cognition in older adults. Recent evidence suggests that their dietary intake may also have cognitive implications in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to examine associations of early childhood lutein and zeaxanthin (L/Z) intake with cognition in early and mid-childhood.
METHODS
Among 1378 children in Project Viva, a prospective cohort, mothers reported their child's dietary intake in early childhood (median: 3.2 y) using a food-frequency questionnaire. Child cognition and behavior were assessed at the same time point using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III) and the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA) and at mid-childhood (median: 7.7 y) using the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, the WRAVMA drawing subtest, the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
RESULTS
Children consumed a daily mean (SD) of 1.0 (0.4) mg L/Z in early childhood. Children in the third-quartile category of L/Z intake had a mean PPVT-III score 2.40 (95% CI: 0.27, 4.53) points higher than children in the lowest quartile category in early childhood, suggesting better receptive vocabulary. Children in the highest quartile category of L/Z intake had a parent-reported mean BRIEF Global Executive Composite score 1.65 (95% CI: -3.27, -0.03) points lower than children in the lowest quartile category in mid-childhood, indicating better executive function. We did not observe associations between L/Z intake and any of the other cognitive or behavioral outcomes assessed.
CONCLUSIONS
The overall findings do not provide strong evidence of an association between child L/Z intake and cognition and behavior. However, the positive associations found between early childhood L/Z intake and early childhood receptive vocabulary and mid-childhood executive function, in addition to previous evidence of neurodevelopmental benefit of L/Z intake, suggest that this relation deserves further investigation.
Topics: Female; Humans; Child, Preschool; Aged; Child; Executive Function; Lutein; Zeaxanthins; Prospective Studies; Vocabulary; Cognition
PubMed: 36774121
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac188 -
American Journal of Speech-language... Jul 2023We sought to compare raw scores, standard scores, and age equivalences on two commonly used vocabulary tests, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
PURPOSE
We sought to compare raw scores, standard scores, and age equivalences on two commonly used vocabulary tests, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT).
METHOD
Sixty-two children, 31 with hearing loss (HL) and 31 with normal hearing (NH), were given both the PPVT and ROWPVT as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of emergent literacy development in preschoolers with and without HL. All children were between 3 and 4 years old at administration, and the two tests were administered within 3 weeks of each other. Both tests were given again 6 months later. Standard scores and age equivalencies were calculated for both tests using published guidelines.
RESULTS
There was no significant effect of test for any of our analyses. However, there was a main effect of time, with both standard scores and age equivalencies being significantly higher at the second test. Children with NH had significantly higher standard scores and age equivalencies than children with NH, but there was no interaction between hearing status and time, suggesting that the two groups were growing at the same rate.
CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians can be comfortable administering both the PPVT and ROWPVT to estimate children's vocabulary levels, but there may be practice effects when administering the tests twice within a calendar year. These data also indicate that children with HL continue to lag behind their peers with NH on vocabulary development.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23232848.
Topics: Humans; Child, Preschool; Deafness; Hearing Loss; Language Tests; Vocabulary; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Female
PubMed: 37276459
DOI: 10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00352 -
The Journal of Pediatrics Jan 2020To assess the extent to which associations between shared reading at age 1 years and child vocabulary at age 3 years differ based on the presence of sensitizing alleles...
OBJECTIVE
To assess the extent to which associations between shared reading at age 1 years and child vocabulary at age 3 years differ based on the presence of sensitizing alleles in the dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems.
STUDY DESIGN
We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a national urban birth cohort using mother reports in conjunction with child assessments and salivary genetic data. Child vocabulary was assessed using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The primary exposure was mother-reported shared reading. We used data on gene variants that may affect the function of the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. We examined associations between shared reading and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test score using multiple linear regression. We then included interaction terms between shared reading and the presence of sensitizing alleles for each polymorphism to assess potential moderator effects adjusting for multiple comparisons.
RESULTS
Of the 1772 children included (56% black, 52% male), 31% of their mothers reported reading with their child daily. Daily shared reading was strongly associated with child Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores in unadjusted (B = 7.9; 95% CI, 4.3-11.4) and adjusted models (B = 5.3; 95% CI, 2.0-8.6). The association differed based on the presence of sensitizing alleles in the dopamine receptor 2 and serotonin transporter genes.
CONCLUSIONS
Among urban children, shared reading at age 1 years was associated with greater vocabulary at age 3 years. Although children with sensitizing alleles on the dopamine receptor 2 and serotonin transporter genes were at greater risk when not read to, they fared as well as children without these alleles when shared reading occurred.
Topics: Child Rearing; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Female; Gene-Environment Interaction; Humans; Infant; Language Development; Language Tests; Male; Reading; Vocabulary
PubMed: 31402141
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.07.008 -
The British Journal of Educational... Mar 2021Decoding and vocabulary are two essential abilities to reading comprehension. Investigating the roles of decoding and vocabulary in Chinese reading development can not...
BACKGROUNDS
Decoding and vocabulary are two essential abilities to reading comprehension. Investigating the roles of decoding and vocabulary in Chinese reading development can not only provide empirical evidence to enrich the current reading theories but also have implications for educational practice.
AIMS
To examine the developing importance of decoding and vocabulary to reading comprehension and the reciprocal relationship between decoding and vocabulary across the reading development.
SAMPLE
A total of 186 Chinese children were followed from grade 1 to grade 3 (aged 6.5 to 8.5 years).
METHODS
Participants' decoding, vocabulary, and reading comprehension abilities were measured once a year for three years. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to obtain the unique contributions of decoding and vocabulary to reading comprehension in the different grades. A cross-lagged structural equation model was used to explore the reciprocal relationship between decoding and vocabulary over the three years.
RESULTS
Decoding and vocabulary explained nearly 40% of the variance to reading comprehension across grades, and the unique contribution of decoding decreased over the grades (from 29% to 8%) while that of vocabulary increased (from 3% to 9%). Moreover, vocabulary always predicted decoding from grade 1, but decoding predicted later vocabulary only started in grade 2.
CONCLUSIONS
Decoding skills are important to reading comprehension in the early learn-to-read grades. However, vocabulary becomes more critical for reading comprehension in later grades. Larger oral vocabularies promote the development of decoding skills, and vice versa.
Topics: Child; China; Comprehension; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Reading; Vocabulary
PubMed: 32656775
DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12365