App-based morphological training produces lasting effects on word knowledge in primary school children: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Educational Impact and Implications StatementWords can consist of several meaningful parts, or morphemes, such as -ist in guitarist and re-in reuse. Understanding common morphemes helps children infer the meanings of new words. In this study, we tested the effects of working with an educational application (app) focusing on morphemes. Children completed app exercises such as sorting words or pictures according to their meaning, combining morphemes to build words, or identifying the correct word or morpheme to fit a sentence or picture context. We found that the app was effective in improving Norwegian second graders' ability to explain, understand, read, and spell words, including words which were not shown in the app, but which contained trained morphemes. The brief low-cost training produced long-term effects with a minimal burden on teachers.

Effectiveness of a Classroom‐Implemented, App‐Based Morphology Program for Language‐Minority Students: Examining Latent Language‐Literacy Profiles and Contextual Factors as Moderators

“…We found lasting effects on students' morphological word knowledge immediately after the training period and 6 months later, aligning with previous findings from the same project (Torkildsen et al, 2021). Specifically, the program increased students' performance on a latent measure of the ability to explain, manipulate, use, and understand words with trained morphemes compared to an active control group working with a math application.…”

“…This study employs the same data set as the study by Torkildsen et al (2021) but was preregistered as a separate study in the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10. 17605/OSF.IO/TG24F).…”

“…In the first study from the VLC project, Torkildsen et al (2021) found that these tests were best described by separate intercorrelated second-order latent factors for meaning-based morphological knowledge (RMWT and PMWT) and code-based morphological knowledge (MCWRT and MCWST). In the current study, the two tests that were used to measure intervention effectiveness reflect only one of these two aspects of morphological knowledge, that is, the meaning-based morphological knowledge, which represents a narrower morphological knowledge construct, specifically, receptive and productive word knowledge that primarily operates on the level of word meaning/morpho-semantics.…”

“…The study builds on the same data set as Torkildsen et al (2021) but differs from that study by investigating program effectiveness and moderators for LM students specifically. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use an RCT design with stratified individual randomization when investigating the effectiveness of a classroom-implemented, language instruction program for LM students.…”

Dimensionality of Morphological Knowledge—Evidence from Norwegian Third Graders

“…A large body of research has shown that morphological knowledge predicts vocabulary, reading fluency and reading comprehension in many languages (James et al, 2021; Manolitsis et al, 2019; McBride‐Chang et al, 2005), and that morphological instruction can enhance children's word knowledge and reading development (e.g., Bowers et al, 2010; Carlisle, 2010; Goodwin & Ahn, 2010; Lyster et al, 2016; Reed, 2008; Torkildsen et al, 2022). The Morphological Pathways Framework introduced by Levesque et al (2021) provides a theoretical model of the mechanisms behind the influence of morphology on other areas of literacy.…”