
ERIC Number: EJ696884
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Dec
Pages: 15
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
The Nature of Written Language Deficits in Children with SLI
Mackie, Clare; Dockrell, Julie E.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v47 n6 p1469 Dec 2004
Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have associated difficulties in reading decoding and reading comprehension. To date, few research studies have examined the children's written language. The aim of the present study was to (a) evaluate the nature and extent of the children's difficulties with writing and (b) investigate the relationship between oral and written language. Eleven children with SLI were identified (mean age = 11 years) and were compared with a group of children matched for chronological age (CA; mean age = 11;2 [years;months]) and language age (LA; mean CA = 7;3). All groups completed standardized measures of language production, writing, and reading decoding. The writing assessment revealed that the SLI group wrote fewer words and produced proportionately more syntax errors than the CA group, but they did not differ on a measure of content of written language or on the proportion of spelling errors. The SLI group also produced proportionately more syntax errors than the LA group. The relationships among oral language, reading, and writing differed for the 3 groups. The nature and extent of the children's written language problems are considered in the context of difficulties with spoken language.
Descriptors: Written Language, Syntax, Writing Evaluation, Age, Writing Tests, Speech, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Oral Language, Language Impairments
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 301-897-5700, ext. 4164; Fax: 301-897-7348.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A