The qualitative analysis of the relationship of executive functions and text comprehension presented in this theoretical study provides a platform for its authors' original approach to designing their domainspecific model for cognitive stimulation in teaching/learning L1. The model for the stimulation of executive functioning in 9-to 10-year-old children utilises text comprehension as a curricular area of Slovak Language (L1) in primary education. The reason for choosing the domain of pupils' receptive competences with a focus on reading and comprehension of a factual text is in its complex, abstract and relational nature; a condition which activates executive functions. Executive functions (working memory, attentional control and cognitive planning) direct and control mental processes and metacognition organises working with acquired knowledge. Deficient executive functioning is a limiting factor for the higher level of text comprehension and knowledge integration. Enhancing pupils' cognitive performance through the stimulation of their executive functioning increases the prospect of their literacy development. This article presents: a) review of basic theoretical approaches to researching the relationship of executive functions and the processes of text comprehension, b) design of the educational model for stimulating executive functions through the processes of text comprehension, c) description of the model's application and the examples of stimulating tasks.

The aim of the paper is to analyse the role of word­formation motivation in child’s language development. The character of the research problem requires a transdisciplinary approach. For this reason, the author looks back on derivational theories as well as on researches of applied linguistics in Slovakia and abroad. Analysis of the relation between word­formation motivation and language development is based on author’s empirical findings on the children’s nonce words, the role of word­formation motivation in the development of the child’s cognitive and linguistic abilities and in the comprehension of an instructional text. The paper consists of: 1) the analysis of theoretical background from the point of view of derivatology as well as of applied linguistics; 2) the analysis of relevant research findings and the clarification of relationship between particular aspects of this topic; 3) the discussion about the functions of word­formation motivation in child’s language development confronting the author’s findings with the findings of other researches in this field.

The paper focuses on defining the relationship between developmental linguistics and L1 education. We consider both theories and empirical research in developmental linguistics an important theoretical basis for L1 education, especially in pre-school and junior school aged children. The examples of research on child language in Slovak speaking children are used to clarify the possibilities of transforming the findings in developmental linguistics into the curriculum of language learning/teaching. The dynamic interactions of implicit and explicit linguistic knowledge in L1 education is the way how developmental linguistics' knowledge base can positively influence the results of language learning. The paper is based both on the analysis of theoretical sources and the empirical findings of qualitative linguistic research.

Phonetic transcription is concerned with how the sounds used in spoken language are represented in written form. In specialized sources, phonetic transcription is a conventionalized notation system; in nonspecialist sources, the methods of sound form signalization (SFS) are less conventionalized, but they have important educational functions. The purpose of this study is to present the results of a comparative analysis of several L1 Polish, Czech, and Slovak textbooks to answer the following questions: how sound form is signalized and what practices are best for the development of pupils' phonetic awareness and more generally for the improvement of their spoken and written communication skills. Textbooks from the second stage of primary schools (Grades 4-6, age 10-13) were analyzed. This qualitative analysis focuses on searching for instances where orthographic representation changes to fulfil the needs of SFS and where the sound form of language represents the point of didactic interest; it illustrates the function of SFS and its means, as well as compares results obtained in three countries.

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