Word Learning by Preschool-Age Children: Differences in Encoding, Re-Encoding, and Consolidation Across Learners During Slow Mapping

Abstract

Purpose: Children with typical development vary in how much experience they need to learn words. This could be due to differences in the amount of information encoded during periods of input, consolidated between periods of input, or both. Our primary purpose is to identify whether encoding, consolidation, or both, drive individual differences in the slow-mapping process. Method: Four- to 6-year-old children ( N = 43) were trained on nine form-referent pairs across consecutive days. Children's ability to name referents was assessed at the beginning and end of each session. Word learning was assessed 1 month after training to determine long-term retention. Results: Children with varying language knowledge and skills differed in their ability to encode words. Specifically, children varied in the number of words learned and the phonological precision of word forms at the end of the initial training session. Children demonstrated similarities in re-encoding in that they refined representations at a similar rate during subsequent sessions. Children did not differ in their ability to consolidate words between sessions, or in their ability to retain words over the 1-month delay. Conclusions: The amount of experience children need to learn words is primarily driven by the amount of information encoded during the initial experience. When provided with high-quality instruction, children demonstrate a similar ability to consolidate and retain words. Critically, word learning instruction in educational settings must include repeated explicit instruction with the same words to support learning in children with typical development and varying language skills. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19606150

Développement professionnel pour l’enseignement direct et explicite du vocabulaire scolaire et polyvalent dans les écoles de langue française en contexte minoritaire

“…De ce fait, on les nomme parfois le « vocabulaire scolaire ». Puisque les mots du deuxième niveau occupent un plus grand espace dans le répertoire lexical d'un locuteur, une connaissance riche de ces mots pourrait avoir un impact important sur le fonctionnement verbal (Biemiller, 2012 ;Gordon et al, 2022 ;Levlin et al, 2022 ;Marzano, 2012 ;Pullen et al, 2010). Voilà pourquoi l'enseignement explicite des mots du deuxième niveau est recommandé.…”

“…(MEO, 2006, p. 97). Cependant, les études montrent que le vocabulaire scolaire ne s'acquiert pas nécessairement de façon indirecte, c'est pourquoi elles préconisent un enseignement explicite de celui-ci (Beck et al, 2013 ;Gordon et al, 2022 ;Lessard-Clouston, 2013). En fait, si les élèves n'acquièrent pas le vocabulaire des deux langues, ils rencontreront des difficultés en compréhension de lecture de l'élémentaire à la vie adulte (Beck et al, 1982 ;Cunningham et Stanovich, 1997).…”

“…En appliquant les caractéristiques et les éléments clés connus pour améliorer le DP pour les CP(Joyce et Showers, 2002 ;Kalinowski et al, 2019) et en nous appuyant sur le principe de la formation du formateur(Duchesne et Gagnon, 2014), nous prédisons que les enseignants appliqueront les stratégies gagnantes servant à promouvoir l'usage du français et à faire un enseignement direct et explicite du vocabulaire scolaire et polyvalent(Biemiller, 2012 ;Gordon et al, 2022 ;Levlin et al, 2022 ;Marzano, 2012 ;Pullen et al, 2010) présentées par les CP. Nous prédisons également que le DP favorisera une prise de conscience sur la réalité, les valeurs et les croyances des CP et des enseignants face à l'enseignement de et dans la langue minoritaire(Ferrer et Allard, 2002).…”

Children build their vocabularies in noisy environments: The necessity of a cross‐disciplinary approach to understand word learning

“…Through language research we have gained an understanding of internal and external factors that affect a child's ability to learn and refine word forms, meanings, and their links during the slow mapping process. Specifically, child‐level factors that are positively related to word learning in quiet environments include, but are not limited to, verbal working memory skills, current vocabulary knowledge, and executive function skills (e.g., Archibald, 2017; Gordon et al, 2022; Kapa & Erikson, 2020; Wagovich, 2020). We also have gained an understanding of external factors that support word learning such as visual cues (e.g., adult eye gaze, Cetincelik et al, 2021), contingent responsiveness of conversation partners (Roseberry et al, 2014), and the timing of form and object presentations (Clerkin & Smith, 2022; Yu & Smith, 2011).…”