Background
Studies have reported a strong association between children's early literacy skills at preschool and their reading and writing skills at primary school. However, it is unclear whether this association is affected by language and curriculum practices.
Objective
The study investigates (i) whether early literacy skills are influenced by orthographic consistency and by preschool curriculum, and (ii) how early skills are related to later literacy skills across countries.
Method
Three countries, Italy (n = 73), Romania (n = 65), and Belgium (n = 109) were involved in the study, for a total of 247 children. Language and early literacy in preschool were assessed using a novel assessment tool (the ‘Talk’). Early visual-phonological and manual aspects integration were investigated using rapid automatized naming and grapho-motor tasks. The children’s reading and writing skills nine months later were assessed using standardized tests.
Results
Results showed higher early literacy scores for the groups of children speaking languages with more transparent orthographic systems and for the group taking part in preschool activities designed to enhance literacy acquisition. Later reading and writing skills were predicted by early competences, albeit with differences across countries.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that literacy acquisition trajectories are not only associated with early skills but are also influenced by language characteristics and curriculum practices. The study also presents preliminary findings relative to the ‘Talk’, an assessment tool that may have important implications for early identification and intervention of language and literacy difficulties, as well as for improving cross-country curriculum practices.
Nasalance is an important concept in the field of resonance speech disorders as opposed to nasality. It ensures the objective measurements of the nasal production, aspect that reduces the value of nasality, for sure an older concept than nasalance. This article underlines especially the fact that both nasalance and nasality are two dimensions of the same reality, the assessment of resonances and that both of them are in the same time important and useful in order to establish a correct diagnosis and to prepare the suitable therapeutic program. The dispute nasalance and nasality is solved based on concrete application by using the nasometer and scales for measuring nasality. Conclusions support the idea that nasalance and nasality are two facets of the complex assessment in case of nasal resonance.
The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of using three functional measures: Auditory Developmental Scale (0-6 years), Caregiver Intake Interview, and Infant-Directed Speech Checklist in SLT. In the first part of this article, the authors discuss the purpose and advantages of using these instruments in SLT practice. In the last part of this article, the Caregiver Intake Interview and the Infant-Directed Speech Checklist are presented in two languages, English and Romanian.
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