Intervención temprana de la lectura y la escritura en estudiantes españoles / Effects of early reading and writing intervention on Spanish school children

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el rendimiento en lectura y escritura en estudiantes españoles, tras su intervención desde edades tem-pranas. La finalidad de la intervención es priorizar y sistematizar la instruc-ción en principio alfabético, conciencia fonológica, fluidez lectoescritora, vocabulario y comprensión textual. La muestra está formada por 126 suje-tos, distribuidos en grupo instruido (n=62) y grupo no instruido (n=64), pertenecientes a zonas socioculturales medias, con inteligencia normal y sin déficits físicos, psíquicos y/o sensoriales. Los sujetos son evaluados desde 2º curso de Educación Infantil(cuatro años) hasta 1º curso de Educación Primaria (seis años). El diseño es longitudinal con medidas repetidas (cua-tro evaluaciones), tres fases de intervención y dos variables de estudio (Rendimiento en Lectura y Rendimiento en Escritura) y dos grupos de su-jetos. Se realizan análisis estadísticos descriptivos y análisis de varianza de medidas repetidas. Los resultados obtenidos indican mejores puntuaciones en lectura y escritura a lo largo de todas las evaluaciones y un avance signi-ficativamente mayor enel grupo instruido. Estos resultados demuestran la eficacia de una intervención temprana del lenguaje escrito a través de la ins-trucción sistemática en conciencia fonológica, principio alfabético, fluidez lectoescritora, vocabulario y comprensión textual.(AU)

The aim of this paper is to analyse the reading and writing achievement of Spanish school children following an intervention con-ducted at an early age. The purpose of the intervention is to prioritise and systematise instruction in the alphabetic principles, phonological aware-ness, reading fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. The sample consists of 126 subjects, distributed between an instructed group(n=62) and an uninstructed group (n=64). All the subjects were from average so-cio-cultural areas, with normal intelligence and with no physical, mental, and/or sensory deficits. Subjects were evaluated from the second year of Early Years Education (4 years of age) up to the first year of Primary Edu-cation (six years of age). The design was longitudinal with repeated meas-urements (four assessments), three intervention phases, two study variables (reading achievement and writing achievement), and two groups of sub-jects. Descriptive statistical analysis and repeated measures analyses of var-iance were performed. The results obtained indicate higher scores in read-ing and writing throughout all the assessments and significantly greater progress in the instructed group. These results demonstrate the effective-ness of early intervention in written language through systematic instruc-tion in phonological awareness, the alphabetic principles, reading fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.(AU)

Emotional Adjustment among Adolescent Students with and without Specific Learning Disabilities.

Adolescence is a psychologically vulnerable stage in which problems of emotional adjustment and psychological well-being can appear. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship and comparison of emotional deficits and resources among adolescents with or without specific learning disabilities. We evaluated 80 students distributed into two groups: 40 adolescents with specific learning disabilities and 40 normative adolescents matched with the previous group in terms of age, sex, and school year. The study variables are internalising problems (anxiety and depression), externalising problems (aggression, anger control, defiant behaviour, and antisocial behaviour), and personal resources (self-esteem, social competence and integration, and awareness of problems), evaluated by means of the SENA test. The results indicate a positive relationship between externalising and internalising problems and a negative relationship between the latter and some personal resources in both groups. We also found that adolescents with specific learning disabilities displayed more internalising and externalising symptoms than their peers, greater awareness of their emotional difficulties, and lower self-esteem and social integration and competence. The findings highlight the need for preventive interventions that promote the psychological well-being and mental health of adolescents within the school setting at an early age.

Predictors of Word and Pseudoword Reading in Languages with Different Orthographic Consistency.

This study analyzes the impact of certain cognitive processes on word and pseudoword reading in languages with different orthographic consistency (Spanish and Arabic) in the first year of Primary Education. The study was conducted with a group of 113 pupils from Algeria and another group of 128 pupils from Ecuador, from a middle-class background and without any special education needs. The participants were assessed in terms of their reading ability of words and pseudowords, knowledge of letters, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and phonological memory. Using a correlational design, descriptive-exploratory, bivariate, and hierarchical multivariate regressions were applied to the different measures of reading in each language. The findings show that knowledge of letters, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and phonological memory contribute differently to the explanation of reading ability in each group at the start of compulsory schooling. These results have important implications for the teaching of reading skills and the prevention of specific learning disabilities, as well as the theory of reading acquisition.

Análisis de la comprensión lectora y sus dificultades en adolescentes / Analysis of reading comprehension and disabilities among teenagers

Estudios evolutivos que analicen el desarrollo de la comprensión lectora y sus dificultades en la adolescencia son relevantes, dada la importancia que ello tiene a estas edades en relación al rendimiento académico. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el rendimiento y las dificultades en comprensión lectora y sus componentes en la adolescencia. La muestra está compuesta por 203 alumnos entre 12 y 14 años, pertenecientes a 1º, 2º, y 3º de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de un centro seleccionado al azar de una zona sociocultural media de Málaga. Los alumnos son evaluados en comprensión lectora a través de la selección y organización de ideas textuales, conocimiento semántico y morfosintáctico, tras la lectura de un texto descriptivo, y en metacognición, con un cuestionario de consciencia lectora. El diseño es observacional trasversal, con una medida en cinco variables y tres grupos de estudiantes. Se realiza comparación entre medias y análisis de porcentajes de las dificultades. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre los grupos en las variables de estudio, siendo las puntuaciones más altas en tercer curso. También se encuentra entre un 15-30% de dificultades de comprensión lectora en estas edades. Los porcentajes son mayores en selección y organización de ideas en todos los cursos, y en todas las variables los porcentajes son mayores en 3º curso. Estos resultados implican la necesidad de incidir en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la comprensión lectora desde edades tempranas, con el fin de evitar las dificultades en la ESO.(AU)

Evolutionary studies that analyse the development of reading comprehension and related difficulties among teenagers are relevant, given importance of this skill for academic performance at this age. The aim of this study is to analyse performance and difficulties in reading comprehen-sion and its components during adolescence. The sample is composed of 203 students aged 12 to 14, in the first, second, and third year of compul-sory Secondary Education from a randomly selected school in an average socio-cultural area of Malaga. Students are evaluated for reading compre-hension through the selection and organisation of textual ideas, as well as semantic and morpho-syntactic knowledge, after reading a descriptive text. Metacognition is assessed by means of a reading awareness questionnaire. The design is cross-sectional and observational, measuring five variables across three groups of students. A comparison of means and analysis of percentages of difficulties is carried out. The results show significant dif-ferencesbetween the groups in the study variables, with the highest scores in the third year. Furthermore, between 15-30% of reading comprehension difficulties are found at these ages. The percentages are higher in the selec-tion and organisation of ideas across all three school years examined, and the percentages are higher in the third year for all the variables. These re-sults imply the need to control the teaching-learning processes of reading comprehension from an early age, in order to avoid difficulties in the first few years of secondary education.(AU)

Effect of Cognitive Variables on the Reading Ability of Spanish Children at Age Seven.

The objective of this study is to determine the contribution made by knowledge of letters, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric rapid automatized naming at the ages of six and seven to the ability of Spanish children to read words at 7 years of age. A total of 116 Spanish-speaking school children took part in the study, from schools located in an average socio-cultural setting, without special educational needs. The reading ability of these pupils was evaluated at the age of seven, and cognitive variables were assessed at 6 and 7 years of age. Descriptive-exploratory analyses, bivariate analyses, and multivariate regressions were performed. The results show that cognitive variables measured at these ages contribute differently to the ability to read words at 7 years of age. Rapid naming does not seem to influence word reading; knowledge of letters no longer influences word reading as children grow older; and phonological awareness and phonological memory maintain their contribution to the explanation of word reading. These results indicate that reading in Spanish depends on different cognitive variables and that this relationship varies according to age. The findings have key educational implications in terms of teaching reading skills and the prevention of specific learning difficulties in Spanish Primary Education.

Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of dyslexia at early ages in different countries and regions. This increase has serious consequences within school and family settings, due to the poor academic performance that characterizes people with dyslexia and the socio-emotional problems they sometimes display. One of the most frequent problems in the identification of the dyslexia is the lack of a common diagnostic protocol that encompasses specific criteria for the assessment of any child. The Learning Disabilities and Development Disorders research group at the University of Malaga has developed a protocol for the early detection of dyslexia. The protocol is based on the diagnostic and response to intervention models. Consequently, it takes into account diagnostic criteria agreed upon by some associations and committees of experts, as well as certain specific cognitive and language determinants that characterize people who present with dyslexia following adequate instruction, according to recent research. The action protocol is developed over several stages, and we propose the use of structured interviews with parents and teachers alongside standardized tests for the evaluation of intelligence, reading and writing, as well as the risk factors that determine the appearance of the problem. This action protocol provides a model for the detection of dyslexia, which seeks to distinguish it from other comorbid problems and identify its characteristics and determinants, in order to offer effective intervention and/or prevention from an early age.

Motivación de logro y lenguaje escrito en adolescentes españoles / Motivation and written language in Spanish adolescents

La mayoría de los estudios sobre lectura y escritura analizan su relación con factores cognitivos-lingüísticos, siendo menos frecuentes los relacionados con la motivación. Este estudio analiza la relación de la motivación de logro con la composición escrita y la comprensión lectora en adolescentes españoles. La muestra está formada por 203 sujetos de 1º (ME=12.4, DT=1.28), 2º (ME=13.6, DT=1.02) y 3º (ME=14.2, DT=1.34) de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, de clase sociocultural media, con niveles intelectuales normales y sin déficits físicos, psíquicos o sensoriales. Se evalúa la motivación de logro en función de la frecuencia de pensamientos relacionados con la realización de las tareas académicas. La composición escrita fue evaluada en términos de progresión temática, conocimiento semántico, morfosintáctico y metacognición. La comprensión lectora se evaluó en términos de selección y organización de ideas, conocimiento semántico, morfosintáctico y metacognición. El diseño es transversal y se realiza análisis de regresión lineal. Los resultados obtenidos indican que la motivación de logro explica un 17% de la composición escrita y entre un 16 y 27% de la comprensión lectora, según el curso. Se destaca la relación de la motivación de logro con el lenguaje escrito y su posible repercusión en los problemas de composición escrita y comprensión lectora en la adolescencia

The relationship reading and writing with cognitive-linguistic factors is analyzed for most studies, being less frequent the studies related with motivation. This study analyse the relation of the motivation and writing composition and reading comprehension, in Spanish teenagers. The sample this formed by 203 subjects of 1º (ME=12.4, DT=1.28), 2º (ME=13.6, DT=1.02) y 3º (ME=14.2, DT=1.34) of compulsory secondary education, of class media sociocultural, with normal intellectual levels and without deficits physical, psychic or sensory. The students were evaluated in motivation in terms of frequency of thoughts about performance of academics tasks. The written composition was evaluated in terms of thematic progression, semantic, morphosyntactic and metacognition. And the reading comprehension evaluated in terms of selection and organization of ideas, semantic, morphosyntactic and metacognition. The design is transversal and we realised analysis of lineal regression. The results obtained indicate that the motivation explains 17% of the written composition and between 16 and 27% of the reading comprehension, according to the academic level. The relationship of motivation and written language in this ages and their potential impact on problems in written composition and reading comprehension in adolescence is emphasized

Intervención temprana de la lectoescritura en sujetos con dificultades de aprendizaje / Early intervention of the reading and the writing in children with learning disabilities

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar los efectos de un programa de intervención psicoeducativa del lenguaje escrito en edades tempranas en sujetos con riesgo de presentar dificultades de aprendizaje. La finalidad de dicho programa es priorizar y sistematizar la lectoescritura y fomentar sistemáticamente el conocimiento fonológico, el desarrollo fonológico, semántico y morfosintáctico en el currículo escolar. La muestra está formada por 56 alumnos de habla castellana, pertenecientes a zonas socioculturales medias y con riesgo de dificultades de aprendizaje, es decir sujetos sin discapacidades físicas, psíquicas y/o sensoriales y con un rendimiento académico, lenguaje oral, lenguaje escrito y razonamiento matemático bajo (inferior al percentil 25) en edades tempranas. El diseño es longitudinal de medidas repetidas, con cuatro fases de evaluación y tres de intervención, dos variables de estudio (RL, RE) y dos grupos de sujetos (GI, GNI). Los sujetos son evaluados desde que comienzan el 3er curso de Educación Infantil (cinco años) hasta que terminan el 2o curso de Educación Primaria (siete años). Los resultados obtenidos indican mejores puntuaciones en lectura y en escritura a lo largo de todas las evaluaciones y un avance significativamente.

The goal of this study is to analyze the effects of the implementation of a program of psycho-educational intervention of reading and writing in early ages in children with risk of learning disabilities. The program emphasized psycholinguistic development and gave priority to reading and writing activities in the school curriculum. The sample consisted of 56 children, of Spanish language, from a middle socio-cultural area, with average intelligence and at risk of learning disabilities. That is individuals without physical, psychological or sensory handicaps and with a low academic achievement, oral and written language, and low mathematical reasoning (lower than the percentile 25) in the early ages. The design is longitudinal of repeated measures, with four phases of evaluation and three of intervention, two variables of study (R, W) and two groups of participants (IG, NIG). The children are evaluated since they begin Preschool (five years) until they finish 2nd course of Primary Education (seven years). The results indicate better scores in reading and writing throughout all the evaluations and a significantly greater advance in the IG. These results suggest the long term effectiveness of the early, systematic and planned intervention of written mayor en el GI. Estos resultados demuestran la eficacia a largo plazo de la intervención temprana, sistemática y planificada del lenguaje escrito a través de componentes psicolingüísticos en sujetos con riesgo de dificultades de aprendizaje.