Black and White Appalachian children, matched for sex and Full Scale WISC-R IQ scores, were compared on their subtest scores. One finding was that the Black males scored significantly higher than the Whites on Verbal IQ, which contradicts previous observations of poorer Verbal Scale performance by minority subjects. (SJL)

Assessed age-related changes in 2- to 4-year olds' verbal and nonverbal memory for the same unique event. Found that children's performance on each memory measure increased as a function of age. Children with more advanced language skills reported more during the verbal interview and exhibited superior nonverbal memory relative to children with…

Discusses how native speakers of Spanish, accustomed to dealing with nonnative Spanish speakers, evaluated 18 taped nonnative speech samples that provided a wide sample of pronunciation. Comprehensibility, voice agreeability/ disagreeability, and nativeness of accent were rated. (32 references) (LB)

Verbal short-term memory, as measured by digit or word span, is generally impaired in individuals with Down's syndrome (DS) compared to mental age-matched controls. Moving from the working memory model, the present authors investigated the hypothesis that impairment in some of the articulatory loop sub-components is at the base of the deficient…

The performance of two groups of non-native English speakers on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and an appropriate verbal aptitude test was examined. One group of graduate applicants took both TOEFL and the verbal section of the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Another group of undergraduate applicants…

This study examines a common set of equating items for their appropriateness to both American and Canadian populations and, to determine the equations for converting scores from the verbal and mathematical scales of the 1971 form of the Canadian Scholastic Aptitude Test (the future standard continuing scales of the CSAT) to the corresponding…

ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO GROUPS OF DISADVANTAGED FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN WAS COMPARED. ONE GROUP OF 52 SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN A PROJECT HEAD START SUMMER PROGRAM, AND THE OTHER GROUP OF 52 SUBJECTS DID NOT. TO DETERMINE IF CHILDREN OF LIMITED OPPORTUNITY, PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO BROADEN EXPERIENCES, EXHIBIT SUPERIOR LANGUAGE…

Explores the concept of spelling instruction in the elementary grades through the analysis of error-types. (Author/HOD)

A series of possible explanations for learning disabilities (LDS) couched in terms of information processing capabilities was tested by comparing the performance of LDS children on several types of information processing tasks with that of a control group. Subjects were 28 LDS children (10-11 years old) and 24 elementary school students of the…

Relationships between pretraining skills, learning, and posttest performance were studied in spatial and verbal tasks for 84 preschool children. The measurement model that fit the data best maintained separate verbal and spatial domains. The best structural model included paths from pretest and learning assessments to posttest performance within…

Background: Longitudinal studies show that in the general population IQ declines with age: early and rapidly in the case of performance IQ, later and more slowly in the case of verbal IQ. These populations have not apparently included people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Method: A literature search identified 11 studies, some…

Purpose: Two approaches commonly used for estimating prevalence of language disorders in families were compared. The 1st involved examining a subset of language items from an investigator-based interview used to record parental information on the language and literacy difficulties in relatives. The 2nd was the direct assessment of ability in…

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of self-directed questioning on comprehension. The self-directed questioning strategy involved making predictions, defining evidence that generates the predictions, evaluating subsequent clues, and reformulating predictions when necessary or devising new ones when previous ones are confirmed.…