Este estudio examina la contribución individual y conjunta de la motivación, la comprensión lectora y la composición escrita en el rendimiento académico de adolescentes españoles de distintos niveles educativos. La muestra está formada por 203 sujetos, de edades comprendidas entre 12 y 14 años [1.º de ESO (M = 12.4 y DE =1.28), 2.º de ESO (M = 13.6 y DE = 1.02) y 3º de ESO (M = 14.2 y DE = 1.34)], de nivel sociocultural medio y con niveles intelectuales normales. Se evalúa el rendimiento académico, la comprensión lectora, la composición escrita y la motivación de logro. Se realizan análisis de correlación y análisis de regresión lineal. Los resultados indican que las variables conjuntamente estudiadas contribuyen a explicar un relevante porcentaje del rendimiento académico en los distintos niveles educativos. La comprensión lectora y la motivación explican entre un 44 y 64 % y entre un 27 y 36 %, respectivamente, de la variabilidad el rendimiento académico en las distintas edades. Se pone de manifiesto la importancia de las variables motivacionales y lingüísticas, en concreto, de la comprensión lectora, para la mejora del rendimiento académico y de la prevención del fracaso escolar en adolescentes españoles.

The study aimed to analyze the effects on reading of an early oral and written language intervention program for Spanish children at risk of learning difficulties. The goal of this classroom-based program was to prioritize a systematic approach to reading and writing and to foster phonological knowledge and the development of oral language (phonology, semantics, morphology, and syntax) within the Spanish school curriculum. The sample comprised 56 students at risk of learning difficulties. The repeated-measures longitudinal design involved four assessment and three intervention points over a period of 3 years, considering two study groups (instruction vs. no instruction) and two variables (reading accuracy and reading comprehension). Children were assessed between the ages of 5 and 7 years. The instruction group scored higher on both reading accuracy and reading comprehension at all assessment points. Overall, the results demonstrate that this early intervention program for oral and written language is an effective way of improving the reading performance of children at risk of learning difficulties.

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Resumen: 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 esta 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 semán-tico, 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. Palabras claves: Motivación; comprensión lectora; composición escrita; adolescentes.Title: Motivation and written language in Spanish adolescents. Abstract: 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.

The aim of this chapter is to offer a neuropsychological approach to dyslexia. Firstly, the definition of dyslexia is addressed, as a specific learning disability that is neuropsychological in origin. Secondly, the clinical manifestations of dyslexia are discussed: academic, cognitive-linguistic, and socio-emotional. Thirdly, the main clinical explanations are explored, based on genetic theories (familial and twin heritability) and neurological theories, mainly neuroanatomical (brain asymmetry, corpus callosum morphology, cerebellar morphology, and variations in grey/white matter) and neurophysiological hypotheses (magnocellular system, connectivity between brain areas, and functional activity of brain areas). Finally, the main bases of an adequate neuropsychological intervention are detailed, such as training in visual perception, auditory perception, phonological processing, and orthographic processing.

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.

This paper's objective is to analyze the effects of an early intervention program to reduce the numbers of subjects at risk of learning disabilities (LD) at a young age and to increase their academic achievement (AA). The general sample initially consists of 117 five year old students. They come from middle sociocultural backgrounds and have no physical, psychological or sensory handicaps. A longitudinal design has been repeatedly used with four evaluation phases and three intervention phases, two variables (percentages of subjects at risk of LD and AA) and two sample groups (IG, NIG). Results indicate that, after three years, the percentage of subjects presenting LD in the group receiving instruction (IG) is lower than those in the group not receiving instruction (NIG). The subjects from the IG also received better scores in AA than those in the NIG. These results show the long term effectiveness of systematic and planned intervention of oral and written language at a young age as a method for avoiding LD.Keywords: Early intervention, learning disabilities, academic achievement. ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio es analizar los efectos de un programa de intervención en edades tempranas para disminuir el porcentaje de sujetos con riesgo de dificultades de aprendizaje (DA) y aumentar su rendimiento académico (RA). La muestra general está formada inicialmente por un total de 117 alumnos de cinco años, pertenecientes a zonas socioculturales medias y sin handicaps físicos, psíquicos y/o sensoriales. El diseño es longitudinal de medidas repetidas, con cuatro fases de evaluación y tres de intervención, dos variables (Porcentajes de sujetos con riesgo de DA y RA) y dos grupos de sujetos (GI, GNI). Los resultados obtenidos indican que el porcentaje de sujetos del grupo instruido (GI) que presentan DA después de tres años es menor que el de los sujetos del grupo no instruido (GNI). Además, los sujetos del GI muestran mejores puntuaciones en RA que los sujetos del GNI. Estos resultados demuestran la eficacia a largo plazo de la intervención temprana, sistemática y planificada del lenguaje oral y escrito, como modo de prevenir las DA.Palabras clave: Intervención temprana, dificultades de aprendizaje, rendimiento académico Correspondence: M.ª José González-Valenzuela.

Interest in the cognitive precursors of literacy has been increasing in recent years since reading and writing are essential components of functional learning in the first years of schooling and of school success in later educational stages. However, it can be observed that while studies on the relationship between cognitive variables and reading are frequent, those carried out about writing are scarcer and in different languages and ages. The purpose of this study is to explore the joint contribution made by certain cognitive variables, measured at the ages of 6 and 7, to word writing among Spanish children in the second year of Primary Education (7 years old). In this longitudinal study, 116 Spanish-speaking pupils participated, from schools located in an average socio-cultural area, without special educational needs. Participants were evaluated in terms of their letter knowledge, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric rapid automatised naming at 6 and 7 years of age, and word writing at 7 years of age. Descriptive-exploratory analyses, bivariate analyses, and multivariate regressions were modelled. In general, the findings show a different contribution for the cognitive variables considered in word writing at the age of seven, although this contribution does not vary substantially between the ages of 6 and 7 among Spanish pupils. Phonological knowledge at 6 and 7 years of age is the variable that best predicts the writing of words at 7 years. The contribution of non-alphanumeric speed naming remains constant and alphanumeric speed naming does not contribute to the explanation of writing at this age. Phonological memory at 6 years of age contributes to the explanation of writing at the age of 7 and letter knowledge contributes at the age of 7. These results have implications for educational practice and for the theory of writing acquisition in transparent languages.