How Do Roots and Suffixes Influence Reading of Pseudowords: A Study of Young Italian Readers with and without Dyslexia

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Bibliographic Details
Title: How Do Roots and Suffixes Influence Reading of Pseudowords: A Study of Young Italian Readers with and without Dyslexia
Language: English
Authors: Traficante, Daniela, Marcolini, Stefania, Luci, Alessandra, Zoccolotti, Pierluigi, Burani, Cristina
Source: Language and Cognitive Processes. 2011 26(4-6):777-793.
Availability: Psychology Press. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2011
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Grade 6
Junior High Schools
Descriptors: Age, Dyslexia, Reading Strategies, Word Recognition, Suffixes, Foreign Countries, Morphemes, Pronunciation, Regression (Statistics), Morphology (Languages), Language Processing, Intervention, Junior High School Students, Grade 6, Oral Reading
Geographic Terms: Italy
DOI: 10.1080/01690965.2010.496553
ISSN: 0169-0965
Abstract: The study explored the different influences of roots and suffixes in reading aloud morphemic pseudowords (e.g., vetr-ezza, "glass-ness"). Previous work on adults showed a facilitating effect of both roots and suffixes on naming times. In the present study, pseudoword stimuli including roots and suffixes in different combinations were administered to sixth-grade children with dyslexia (N=22) and skilled readers (N=44), matched for chronological age. Indeed, the sequential reading strategy of less proficient readers (particularly for pseudowords) should favour the emergence of differences between left and right constituents (root and suffix, respectively) in reading performance. Results showed that for both children with dyslexia and skilled young readers the onset of pronunciation depended exclusively on roots, while there was no significant effect of suffixes. However, both roots "and" suffixes led to higher levels of accuracy than matched orthographic strings of letters. Posthoc regression analyses confirmed the morphological nature of the root and suffix effects, over and above the effects of the frequency of their orthographic patterns. Results indicate that the position of the reading units within the letter string, as well as their differential effects on latencies and accuracy, should be taken into account by models of morphological processing in word recognition and reading and by applied intervention research. (Contains 7 tables.)
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 44
Entry Date: 2011
Accession Number: EJ925141
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The study explored the different influences of roots and suffixes in reading aloud morphemic pseudowords (e.g., vetr-ezza, "glass-ness"). Previous work on adults showed a facilitating effect of both roots and suffixes on naming times. In the present study, pseudoword stimuli including roots and suffixes in different combinations were administered to sixth-grade children with dyslexia (N=22) and skilled readers (N=44), matched for chronological age. Indeed, the sequential reading strategy of less proficient readers (particularly for pseudowords) should favour the emergence of differences between left and right constituents (root and suffix, respectively) in reading performance. Results showed that for both children with dyslexia and skilled young readers the onset of pronunciation depended exclusively on roots, while there was no significant effect of suffixes. However, both roots "and" suffixes led to higher levels of accuracy than matched orthographic strings of letters. Posthoc regression analyses confirmed the morphological nature of the root and suffix effects, over and above the effects of the frequency of their orthographic patterns. Results indicate that the position of the reading units within the letter string, as well as their differential effects on latencies and accuracy, should be taken into account by models of morphological processing in word recognition and reading and by applied intervention research. (Contains 7 tables.)
ISSN:0169-0965
DOI:10.1080/01690965.2010.496553