Select Journal Alert - JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE

> Title:
> Functional reorganization in the developing lexicon: separable and changing influences of lexical and phonological variables on children's fast-mapping
>
> Authors:
> McKean, C; Letts, C; Howard, D
>
> Source:
> *JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE*, 40 (2):307-335; MAR 2013
>
> Abstract:
> Neighbourhood Density (ND) and Phonotactic Probability (PP) influence
> word learning in children. This influence appears to change over
> development but the separate developmental trajectories of influence of
> PP and ND on word learning have not previously been mapped. This study
> examined the cross-sectional developmental trajectories of influence of
> PP and ND on fast-mapping in thirty-eight English-speaking children aged
> 3;01-5;02, in a task varying PP and ND orthogonally. PP and ND exerted
> separable influences on fast-mapping. Overall, low ND supported better
> fast-mapping. The influence of PP changed across the developmental
> trajectory, 'switching' from a high to a low PP advantage. A potential
> explanation for this 'switch' is advanced, suggesting that it represents
> functional reorganization in the developing lexicon, which emerges from
> changes in the developing lexicon, as phonological knowledge is
> abstracted from lexical knowledge, over development.
>
> Title:
> Interaction between phonemic abilities and syllable congruency effect in young readers
>
> Authors:
> Chetail, F; Mathey, S
>
> Source:
> *JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE*, 40 (2):492-508; MAR 2013
>
> Abstract:
> This study investigated whether and to what extent phonemic abilities of
> young readers (Grade 5) influence syllabic effects in reading. More
> precisely, the syllable congruency effect was tested in the lexical
> decision task combined with masked priming in eleven-year-old children.
> Target words were preceded by a pseudo-word prime sharing the first
> three letters that either corresponded to the syllable (congruent
> condition) or not (incongruent condition). The data showed that the
> syllable priming effect interacted with the score of phonemic abilities.
> In children with good phonemic skills, word recognition was delayed in
> the congruent condition compared to the incongruent condition, while it
> was speeded up in children with weaker phonemic skills. These findings
> are discussed in a lexical access model including syllable units.
>
>