Hunting for the links between word-level writing skills and text quality
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Naymé Salas
Abstract
A recurring claim in developmental models of written composition is that text quality depends to a large extent on efficient word-level writing skills (handwriting and spelling), at least in the early grades. In this chapter, we show that this assumption has a weak empirical basis because of (1) the unsystematic way in which the quality of written texts has been assessed, and (2) the inconclusiveness of findings about the word-text writing relationship in developmental studies of writing. We claim that the demands of transcription have been overestimated, while the explanatory power of high-level components has been majorly overlooked. We conclude that it is the command of high-level text features and skills what makes learning to write a complex, life-long process.
Abstract
A recurring claim in developmental models of written composition is that text quality depends to a large extent on efficient word-level writing skills (handwriting and spelling), at least in the early grades. In this chapter, we show that this assumption has a weak empirical basis because of (1) the unsystematic way in which the quality of written texts has been assessed, and (2) the inconclusiveness of findings about the word-text writing relationship in developmental studies of writing. We claim that the demands of transcription have been overestimated, while the explanatory power of high-level components has been majorly overlooked. We conclude that it is the command of high-level text features and skills what makes learning to write a complex, life-long process.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface ix
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Part I. Language and literacy development
- How neuroscience can inform education 3
- The neural basis for primary and acquired language skills 17
- Contributions from cognitive neuroscience to current understanding of reading acquisition and reading disability 29
- Lexical quality revisited 51
- The role of metalinguistic and socio-cognitive factors in reading skill 69
- Developing reading comprehension interventions 85
- Hunting for the links between word-level writing skills and text quality 103
- The development of Hebrew conjunct constructions in narration 119
- Motivation and engagement in language and literacy development 137
- Children’s hypertext comprehension 149
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Part II. Multilingual language and literacy development
- An updated review of cross-language transfer and its educational implications 167
- The influence of first language on learning English as an additional language 183
- Multilingual learners 199
- A comparison of phonological awareness and morphological awareness in reading Chinese across two linguistic contexts 219
- Development of qualifiers in children’s written stories 237
- Individual variation in syntactic processing in the second language 257
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Part III. Language and literacy development in special populations and its implications
- How to teach children reading and spelling 277
- Two technologies to help adults with reading difficulties improve their comprehension 295
- Can poor readers be good learners? 315
- The shift of the role of early intervention in the study of dyslexia 333
- Issues in diagnosing dyslexia 349
- Imagery in reading and reading disabilities 363
- Written narratives in children with autism 379
- Advancing interventions for children with motor restrictions 399
- Assessment of communicative competence in children with severe developmental disorders 413
- Index 441
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface ix
-
Part I. Language and literacy development
- How neuroscience can inform education 3
- The neural basis for primary and acquired language skills 17
- Contributions from cognitive neuroscience to current understanding of reading acquisition and reading disability 29
- Lexical quality revisited 51
- The role of metalinguistic and socio-cognitive factors in reading skill 69
- Developing reading comprehension interventions 85
- Hunting for the links between word-level writing skills and text quality 103
- The development of Hebrew conjunct constructions in narration 119
- Motivation and engagement in language and literacy development 137
- Children’s hypertext comprehension 149
-
Part II. Multilingual language and literacy development
- An updated review of cross-language transfer and its educational implications 167
- The influence of first language on learning English as an additional language 183
- Multilingual learners 199
- A comparison of phonological awareness and morphological awareness in reading Chinese across two linguistic contexts 219
- Development of qualifiers in children’s written stories 237
- Individual variation in syntactic processing in the second language 257
-
Part III. Language and literacy development in special populations and its implications
- How to teach children reading and spelling 277
- Two technologies to help adults with reading difficulties improve their comprehension 295
- Can poor readers be good learners? 315
- The shift of the role of early intervention in the study of dyslexia 333
- Issues in diagnosing dyslexia 349
- Imagery in reading and reading disabilities 363
- Written narratives in children with autism 379
- Advancing interventions for children with motor restrictions 399
- Assessment of communicative competence in children with severe developmental disorders 413
- Index 441
