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There are a number of clinical options available for speech-language pathologists to choose from to analyze a child's phonological system, select treatment targets, and design intervention. Frequently, each of these areas of clinical options is viewed independently of one another or approached within an eclectic framework. In this article, an integrated and systemic approach is presented which assumes that a dynamic interaction exists among assessment, target selection, and intervention. Systemic Phonological Assessment of Child Speech, the distance metric approach to target selection, and the multiple oppositions treatment approach are described, with examples provided for each component. Finally, a case study is presented that examines the systemic approach of multiple oppositions relative to the approach of minimal pairs.

This study investigated the cognitive, linguistic, and reading skills of 79 Russian-speaking first and second graders to determine the strongest concurrent predictors of reading achievement. The children were administered a battery of 15 tests from which nine objective, interval-scale measures were derived: phonological awareness, verbal short-term memory, decoding accuracy, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, nonverbal ability (IQ), vocabulary, decoding rate, and rapid naming. In a series of multiple regression analyses, phonological awareness accounted for a small amount of unique variance in both decoding accuracy and decoding rate whereas rapid naming was a unique predictor of decoding rate only. Neither verbal short-term memory nor IQ accounted for any variance in decoding. For reading comprehension, IQ and linguistic comprehension contributed a substantial amount of variance to the prediction of achievement whereas decoding rate did not. However, in a series of direct discriminant function analyses, reliable differences emerged between good and poor decoders on reading comprehension, indicating that decoding <italic> is / CITE/Language Arts

The current thesis has two aims to further the understanding of the cognitive underpinnings that are involved in word-learning and language processing. One aim is to understand how individuals are able to make temporary phonological and serial order representations of new words in language and non-language domains. The second aim is to investigate whether the mechanisms involved in maintaining temporary nonverbal and serial order representations are related to verbal short-term abilities. We created four behavioural tasks to determine the processing of phonological short-term memory information, nonverbal short-term memory information, serial order short-term memory information and rhythmic short-term memory. We used 30 adult Spanish-English bilinguals as the target population to also investigate whether individual language abilities in two spoken languages affect the learning of words in a foreign language with distinct prosody and phonology. The first correlational analysis revealed that performance on a serially ordered verbal short-term memory task that involved a language of unfamiliar prosody and phonology was strongly predicted by performance on two serially ordered verbal short-term memory tasks that involved languages of familiar prosody and phonology. A second correlational analysis showed that tasks that tapped into individuals’ memory for serial order in the verbal, nonverbal and rhythmic domains were weakly associated with one another. In a third correlational analysis, it was shown that individuals’ lexical knowledge of Spanish was not a predictor of their performance on a measure of their serially ordered verbal short-term memory abilities. Multiple linear regression analyses found that none of the tasks that were used to measure individuals’ abilities for processing serial order information in the verbal, nonverbal and rhythmic domain were strong predictors for foreign-word learning. Overall, the results show promising findings for the tasks that tapped into serial order short-term memory for verbal information. However, they also suggest that the nonverbal and rhythm tasks may not be reliable measures of the constructs we were hoping to study. Future work should adjust the tasks to ensure we are properly tapping into individuals’ serial order abilities in the nonverbal and rhythm domains. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Ontluikende geletterdheid is waarskynlik die belangrik:ste tema wat in hierdie proefskrif behandel word. Die doelbewuste skepping van ouderdomsrelevante geleenthede vir die kleuter om op 'n informele wyse blootstelling en deelname aan luister- praat-, lees- en skryfvaardighede te ervaar, dien as vertrekpunt. Vroee ontwikkeling van geletterdheidsvaardigbede, as komponent van kognitiewe ontwikkeling by die kleuter, bet geblyk noodsaaklik te wees- nie net ten aansien van skoolgereedheid nie, maar ook ten opsigte van sy uiteindelike selfverwesenliking. Die oogmerk strek dus verder as die afiigting van die kleuter tot 'n toereikende vaardigbeidsvlak ten einde skoolgereed te kan wees. In teenstelling met die lank bestaande beleid in Suid-Afiika, wat bepaal bet dat voorskoolse onderwys byna uitsluitlik die onderrig van perseptuele vaardigbede moes bebels, word 'n alternatiewe benadering m hierdie proefskrif aangedui. Hulpverlening met geletterdheidsontwikkeling as doelwit behels waarskynlik 'n meer omvattende scenario ten einde die beboeftes van die affektief-, kognitief-, sosiaalwordende kind aan te spreek. Ontsluiting van 'n nuwe wereld van kennis waardeur nonne, boudings en vaardighede aangeleer word, bet 'n direkte invloed op die kwaliteit van sy totale lewe. By uitnemendbeid skep uitkomsgerigte onderwys die geleentbeid om reeds op voorskoolse vlak, geletterdbeidsvaardigbede op 'n informele wyse aan te leer. Die mite dat primere skole aileen die voorreg beskore is om leerders te leer lees en skryf, word krities in hierdie studie bevraagteken. Die klemverskuiwing is reeds sigbaar in die nuut-aangekondigde onderwysbeleid naamlik dat die leerprogram Geletterdheid minstens sowat 40% van die daaglikse onderrigprogram in die grondslagfase moet geniet. Die wyse waarop geletterdheidsvaardighede aangeleer kan word, word indiepte bespreek. Eweneens word belangrike prosesse waardeur die ontwikkeling van 'n fonologiese-, semantiese- en sintaktiese bewussyn, aan die orde gestel. Die aanleer van geletterdheidsvaardighede blyk nie alleen noodsaaklik te wees vir die ontwikkeling van lewensvaardighede nie dit bewerkstellig toegang tot en die begryping en belewing van die werklikheid wat die mens omring. / Emergent literacy is probably the most important theme addressed in this thesis. The purpose is to create age related opportunities for the pre-school child to experience exposure and participation in listening-, vocal-, reading- and writing abilities on an informal basis which serves as a point of departure. Early awareness of literacy abilities as a component of cognitive development of the pre-school child has proved to be essential - not only in respect of school readiness, but also with regard to ultimate selfactualisation. The aim therefore goes beyond the mere training of the pre-school child to an adequate level of competence to be well prepared for formal schooling. Contrary to the well established policy in South Africa which determined that pre-school education should be limited to the exclusive teaching of perceptual abilities, an alternative approach has been considered in this thesis. Assistance with a view to literacy development probably encompasses a more inclusive scenario in order to address the requirements of the emotional, cognitive and social developing pre-school child. Exposure to a new world of knowledge through which norms, attitudes and abilities are acquired, has a direct influence on the quality of his total life. Outcomes based education provides an excellent opportunity to acquire already at pre-school level, literacy skills on an informal basis. The myth that only primary schools have been allotted the privilege to teach learners to read and write, is being critically questioned in this study. The change in emphasis is already evident in the recently announced education policy, namely that the daily learning programme Literacy must include at least 400/o of the foundation programme phase. The manner in which literacy skills can be acquired are discussed in depth. Simultaneously Literacy must include at least 400/o of the foundation programme phase. The manner in which literacy skills can be acquired are discussed in depth. Simultaneously important processes affecting the development of a phonological, semantic and syntactic cognition are discussed. The acquisition of literacy skills appears not only to be important to the development of life skills - it accomplishes access to and the comprehension of as well as the perception of the reality surrounding man. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

De nombreuses études longitudinales ont montré un lien causal entre habiletés phonologiques précoces et plus tard le développement de la lecture et de l’écriture chez l’enfant entendant (Bryant, MacLean, Bradley & Crossland, 1990). Pour apporter une contribution aux connaissances concernant ce lien chez les enfants sourds, nous avons réalisé une étude longitudinale qui s’échelonne de la troisième maternelle à la seconde primaire. Les performances d’enfants sourds sévères et profonds prélinguaux exposés (précocement vs tardivement) ou non au Langage Parlé Complété (« LPC », code manuel destiné à lever l’ambiguïté de la lecture labiale seule) sont comparées à celles d’enfants entendants de même âge chronologique. Diverses épreuves phonologiques, de lecture et d’écriture ont été proposées. Les résultats ont montré que les habiletés phonologiques précoces prédisaient le niveau de reconnaissance de mots écrits en première primaire chez les enfants sourds comme chez les enfants entendants. Cependant, un effet plus important de l’apprentissage de la lecture est observé sur le niveau d’habiletés phonologiques, de lecture et d’écriture lors des deux premières primaires chez les enfants sourds. De plus, les performances des enfants sourds exposés précocement au LPC ne diffèrent pas de celles des enfants entendants et sont plus élevées que celles des autres enfants sourds, en particulier en première et seconde primaire. L’exposition précoce au LPC permettrait donc le développement de représentations phonologiques précises et par conséquent l’utilisation d’un décodage phonologique efficace en lecture et en écriture au début de l’apprentissage de la lecture. / Longitudinal studies have shown a causal connection between early phonological skills and later literacy development in hearing children (Bryant, MacLean, Bradley & Crossland, 1990). The aim of our study is to investigate whether early phonological skills predict later literacy performance in deaf children either exposed (early versus late) or not exposed to Cued Speech (“CS”, a manual system delivering phonetically augmented speechreading through the visual modality). Different phonological and literacy tasks were administered from kindergarten to seconde grade. The results show that the early phonological skills in kindergarten predict written word recognition in first grade in the deaf as well as in the hearing groups. However, an effect of learning to read seems to be more important on the level of phonological and literacy skills during the first and seconde grade in deaf children. In addition, the performances of early CS users do not differ from those of hearing children and are higher than those of the other deaf children, especially in first and second grade. Early exposure to Cued Speech may permit the development of accurate phonological representations and, consequently, the use of accurate phonological decoding to recognize written words and to spell at an early stage in learning to read.

The present thesis investigated cognitive ability in children with severe to profound hearing impairment who have received cochlear implants (CIs). The auditory stimulation from a cochlear implant early in life influences most cognitive functions as a consequence of the plasticity of the brain in the young child. It is important to understand the cognitive consequences of auditory stimulation from CIs in order to provide adequate support to these children. This thesis examined three specific aspects of cognitive ability (working memory, phonological skill and lexical access), and reading ability in children with CIs, as compared to children with normal hearing in the same age. The relations between cognitive abilities and reading skills were also investigated, as well as the associations between demographic variables (e.g., age at implantation and communication mode), cognitive abilities and reading skills. The children with CI generally had lower performance levels than the normal hearing children in tasks of phonological and general working memory, phonological skills and lexical access. They had specific problems in tasks with high demands on phonological working memory, whereas their performance levels in tasks of visuospatial working memory were on par with the hearing children. A majority of the children with CI demonstrated reading skills within the normal range for hearing children, both for decoding and reading comprehension. The relations between demographic factors and cognitive skills varied somewhat between the studies. The patterns of result are discussed with reference to contemporary theories of working memory, phonological skills, and lexical access. / Avhandlingens övergripande syfte var att studera kognitiva förmågor hos barn med grav hörselskada eller dövhet som fått cochleaimplantat (CI). Auditiv stimulering från CI i tidig ålder påverkar de flesta kognitiva funktioner som en följd av hjärnans plasticitet hos små barn. Det är viktigt att förstå de kognitiva konsekvenserna av auditiv stimulering från CI för att kunna ge dessa barn bästa möjliga stöd. Avhandlingen undersökte tre specifika aspekter av kognitiv förmåga (arbetsminne, fonologiska förmågor och lexikal aktivering), samt läsförmåga hos barn med CI, i jämförelse med barn med normal hörsel i samma åldrar. Relationerna mellan kognitiva förmågor och läsförmåga studerades också, liksom sambanden mellan demografiska faktorer (t ex implantationsålder och kommunikationssätt) och kognitiva förmågor samt läsfärdigheter. Barnen med CI hade generellt lägre prestationsnivå än barnen med normal hörsel i uppgifter som mäter fonologiskt och generellt arbetsminne, fonologiska förmågor och lexikal aktivering. De hade specifika problem i uppgifter som i hög grad belastar fonologiskt arbetsminne, medan deras visuospatiala arbetsminneskapacitet var jämförbar med den hos barnen med normal hörsel. Majoriteten av barnen med CI hade läsfärdigheter i nivå med normalhörande barn, för både avkodning och läsförståelse. Sambanden mellan demografiska faktorer och kognitiva förmågor och läsförmåga varierade mellan studierna. Resultatmönstren diskuteras utifrån teorier om arbetsminne, fonologiska färdigheter och lexikal aktivering.

Dans le cadre des travaux sur le rôle des connaissances phonologiques dans le processus de reconnaissance de mot écrit, l’objectif de notre thèse est de contribuer à mieux décrire la nature du code impliqué et de comprendre les mécanismes par lesquels les connaissances phonologiques interviennent en lecture. Nous voudrions avant tout défendre l’idée selon laquelle les premières étapes du processus de reconnaissance de mot écrit impliquent un code phonologique suffisamment fin pour être décrit en termes de traits phonologiques, en montrant que les lecteurs sont sensibles à des aspects infra-phonémiques et qu’il existerait une organisation hiérarchique de ces traits. D’autre part, cette thèse vise à apporter des arguments en faveur de l’existence de troubles phonologiques chez les enfants dyslexiques, à préciser certaines anomalies de leurs représentations au niveau infra-phonémique, tout en tenant compte de disparités possibles dans ces anomalies selon le type de dyslexie.Nous présenterons en premier lieu le cadre théorique et les travaux expérimentaux en psychologie cognitive et psycholinguistique nous conduisant à formuler des questions précises à ce propos. La présentation de travaux réalisés en linguistique et en neuropsychologie étayera les hypothèses que nous proposerons ensuite. Dans la partie théorique, nous présenterons notamment une proposition de modèle de lecture articulant deux mécanismes basés sur les traits phonologiques et l’orientation de nos hypothèses sera guidée par les contraintes de ce modèle.Une démarche expérimentale sera développée en plusieurs étapes pour apporter des données comportementales permettant de discuter nos hypothèses à propos d’adultes bons lecteurs, d’enfants présentant un développement ordinaire et d’enfants dyslexiques. / Some studies in literature show the involvement of phonological knowledge in printed words processing. The goal of this work is to contribute to describe the nature of the code involved in printed word recognition, and to understand the mechanisms of phonological knowledge involvement in reading. We firstly want to show that the early steps of printed words recognition involve a phonological code described in terms of phonological features, by showing that skilled readers are sensitive to infra-phonemic elements and that a hierarchical organisation of these features could exist. Otherwise, this work aims to provide clues in favour of the existence of phonological impairments in dyslexic children, to define some deficits of their infra-phonemic organisation, and to show that these deficits could be different according to the type of developmental dyslexia. On the one hand, we present the theory and the experimental studies in cognitive psychology and in psycholinguistics that lead us to some questions. On the other hand, the presentation of studies in linguistics and in neuropsychology provide clues in favour of our hypothesis. In the theorical part, we present a reading model that involve two reading mechanisms based on phonological features, and our hypothesis allow us to test this model. Our experimental word is developped in several steps to provide behavior data that lead us to discuss our hypothesis about adult skilled readers, normal reading children, and dyslexic chilmdren.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.