The role of visual discrimination in the learning-to-read process

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the extent to which visual discrimination (VisD) skills play a role in developing letter identification abilities, which are essential in learning to read. Results from a correlational analysis of 73 4-and 5-year-olds revealed a significant association between VisD and letter identification abilities, which was not moderated by estimated nonverbal or verbal abilities or lexical access. Stronger VisD abilities also were positively associated with better phonemic awareness skills, presumably because of the association between letter knowledge and phonemic skills, or letter-sound correspondence. A pilot study explored the benefit of visual discrimination training of letter-like forms to letter learning for a subset of 28 children with below average lowercase letter identification abilities. Only letter-name training significantly impacted lowercase letter identification; visual discrimination training did not further enhance performance. Implications for theory and applications to interventions aimed at children at risk for reading delays are discussed.

Letter and numeral identification: their relationship with early literacy and numeracy skills

“…However, Yamagata (2007) found that Japanese children as young as two years old could produce marks specific to Japanese notational systems (e.g., numerals and characters). Although differences in written language development may exist with respect to age and culture, it has been established that children in general visually process, label, and produce printed symbols from an early age (Chan, Zi Juan, and Lai Foon, 2008;Levin and Bus, 2003;Marzolf and DeLoache 1994;Woodrome and Johnson, 2009;Yamagata, 2007;Tolchinsky, 2003;Treiman, Levin, and Kessler, 2007).…”

Spatial discrimination and visual discrimination

“…The ability to visually discriminate between two-dimensional figures; that is to recognize similarities and differences, is essential for children in the process of learning to read and is a cognitive skill that emerges already in infancy (Woodrome and Johnson, 2009). The visual discrimination task is widely used for the study of learning and memory ability in both humans and various animal species including pigs (Baxter and Murray, 2001;Croney et al, 2003;Hall et al, 2003;Moustgaard et al, 2004).…”

Improvement of Working Memory in Preschoolers and Its Impact on Early Literacy Skills: A Study in Deprived Communities of Rural and Urban Areas

“…Specifically, as a child begins to read and write, he or she recognizes letters needed for subsequent decoding. This suggests that children use the visual discrimination of letters and symbol recognition and apply it in other situations (Woodrome & Johnson, 2009). In this sense, Bourke and Adams (2010) noted that visuospatial WM is related to the retention and coding of visual stimuli.…”