Orthography has Mnemonic Value for Learning Vocabulary Words

ISBN-13: 9783639167757 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 168 str.

Julie Rosenthal

Opis

This study was an examination of the mnemonic value of spellings for securing vocabulary words and their meanings in memory. Second and fifth graders were each taught two sets of unfamiliar words and their definitions as oral responses in paired-association learning tasks. During study periods, students were shown spellings of one set of words, and they received extra practice reciting the other set of words but never saw their spellings. Learning to pronounce the words when their pictures were shown, and learning to state meanings of the words when the words were heard were the responses taught. Learning of words and meanings favored the spelling condition. Children with the largest printed word lexicons benefited most from seeing spellings, indicating a "Matthew effect" for word learning. Results are interpreted as providing evidence for the mnemonic value of spellings in vocabulary learning because they provide readers with orthographic images useful for storing pronunciations along with their meanings in memory.

O autorze

Julie Rosenthal is an Assistant Professor of Elementary
Education at William Paterson University in New Jersey. She
teaches courses in Literacy Acquisition and Educational
Research. Before earning her Ph.D., she taught third graders
who were predominantly English Language Learners. She lives in
New York City with her husband and children.