Context-sensitive rules and word naming in Italian children

TY - JOUR

T1 - Context-sensitive rules and word naming in Italian children

AU - Barca, Laura

AU - Ellis, Andrew W.

AU - Burani, Cristina

PY - 2007/7

Y1 - 2007/7

N2 - The present study examines the role of orthographic complexity on Italian children's word reading. Two experiments are reported in which elementary school children (3rd and 5th graders) read aloud words containing simple or contextual letter-sound conversion rules. In Experiment 1, both groups of participants read words containing contextual rules more slowly and less accurately than words containing simple, non-contextual rules. Experiment 2 showed that the effect of rule complexity held for low but not high frequency words, on both reading speed and accuracy. No interactions with grade were found. This pattern is in line with previous findings on the effects of rule contextuality on adult performance [Burani, C. Barca, L. & Ellis, A. W. (2006). Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 346-352]. Despite the regularity of the Italian orthography, the presence of complex rules influences both reading speed and accuracy of young readers. Moreover, the reading system of readers of a shallow orthography seems efficient from the first years of reading instruction.

AB - The present study examines the role of orthographic complexity on Italian children's word reading. Two experiments are reported in which elementary school children (3rd and 5th graders) read aloud words containing simple or contextual letter-sound conversion rules. In Experiment 1, both groups of participants read words containing contextual rules more slowly and less accurately than words containing simple, non-contextual rules. Experiment 2 showed that the effect of rule complexity held for low but not high frequency words, on both reading speed and accuracy. No interactions with grade were found. This pattern is in line with previous findings on the effects of rule contextuality on adult performance [Burani, C. Barca, L. & Ellis, A. W. (2006). Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 346-352]. Despite the regularity of the Italian orthography, the presence of complex rules influences both reading speed and accuracy of young readers. Moreover, the reading system of readers of a shallow orthography seems efficient from the first years of reading instruction.

KW - Italian language

KW - young readers

KW - orthographic complexity

KW - word reading aloud

KW - ORTHOGRAPHIC CONSISTENCY

KW - READING ALOUD

KW - DUAL-ROUTE

KW - RECOGNITION

KW - ACQUISITION

KW - ADULTS

KW - TRANSPARENT

KW - INFORMATION

KW - REGULARITY

KW - COMPLEXITY

U2 - 10.1007/s11145-006-9040-z

DO - 10.1007/s11145-006-9040-z

M3 - Article

SN - 0922-4777

VL - 20

SP - 495

EP - 509

JO - READING AND WRITING

JF - READING AND WRITING

IS - 5

ER -