Time after Time: Factors Influencing Children's Comprehension of 'Before' and 'After'
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| Title: | Time after Time: Factors Influencing Children's Comprehension of 'Before' and 'After' |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Laura Wagner (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Child Language. 2025 52(1):208-216. |
| Availability: | Cambridge University Press. 100 Brook Hill Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994. Tel: 800-872-7423; Tel: 845-353-7500; Fax: 845-353-4141; e-mail: subscriptions_newyork@cambridge.org; Web site: https://www.cambridge.org/core/what-we-publish/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 9 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF), SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SBE/SMA) |
| Contract Number: | 1757020 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Children, Time, Comprehension, Language Processing, Word Order, Schemata (Cognition), Age Differences, Time Factors (Learning), Language Usage, Serial Ordering |
| DOI: | 10.1017/S0305000923000612 |
| ISSN: | 0305-0009 1469-7602 |
| Abstract: | We investigated older children's (7-12 years) ability to comprehend "before" and "after" sentences. Results found that three factors that influence pre-school aged children's learning of these words continues to influence older children's comprehension. Specifically, children's accuracy is improved when the events can be naturally (vs. arbitrarily) ordered; when the clauses in the sentence iconically match (vs. mismatch) the order of the events in the world; and when sentences use "before" (vs. "after"). The first two factors are argued to directly facilitate the building of mental models while the last one does so indirectly because of patterns of input usage. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1485700 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | We investigated older children's (7-12 years) ability to comprehend "before" and "after" sentences. Results found that three factors that influence pre-school aged children's learning of these words continues to influence older children's comprehension. Specifically, children's accuracy is improved when the events can be naturally (vs. arbitrarily) ordered; when the clauses in the sentence iconically match (vs. mismatch) the order of the events in the world; and when sentences use "before" (vs. "after"). The first two factors are argued to directly facilitate the building of mental models while the last one does so indirectly because of patterns of input usage. |
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| ISSN: | 0305-0009 1469-7602 |
| DOI: | 10.1017/S0305000923000612 |
