The development of speech perception during the 1st year reflects increasing attunement to native language features, but the mechanisms underlying this development are not completely understood. One previous study linked reductions in nonnative speech discrimination to performance on nonlinguistic tasks, whereas other studies have shown associations between speech perception and vocabulary grow...

Researchers have developed several tests of receptive vocabulary knowledge suitable for use with learners of English, but options are few for learners of French. This situation motivated the authors to create a new vocabulary size measure for French, the Test de la taille du vocabulaire (TTV). The measure is closely modelled on Nation’s (1983) Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and follows the guidel...

The present investigation examines the role of semantic network structure in the mental lexicon of toddlers during language acquisition. The growth principle preferential attachment can be applied to a lexical network; implying networks grow by adding new words based on the connectivity of words already in the network. Aguilar (unpublished) used preferential attachment to create simulations of ...

The cognitive profile observed in Down syndrome is typically uneven with stronger visual than verbal skills, receptive vocabulary stronger than expressive language and grammatical skills, and often strengths in reading abilities. However, there is considerable variation across the population of children with Down syndrome. We begin by outlining some of the methodological issues that surround re...

This study investigates the ability of a dynamic measure of phonemic awareness to predict progress in beginning reading. Thirty-eight kindergarteners who were nonreaders were assessed in the fall on receptive vocabulary, letter and word recognition, invented spelling, phoneme segmentation, phoneme deletion, and dynamic phoneme segmentation. They were retested near the end of the school year on ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of maternal and paternal spanking of children at 3 and 5 years of age and the associations between spanking and children’s externalizing behavior and receptive vocabulary through age 9. METHODS: The Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study of children in 20 medium to large US cities, was used. Parental reports of spankin...

Relations between multiple dimensions of family involvement in early childhood education and classroom outcomes were examined. Participants included 144 urban, Head Start children. Parental report of family involvement was gathered in late fall using a multidimensional assessment. Relations between family involvement dimensions and end of the year outcomes of approaches to learning, conduct pro...