Writing through retellings: an exploratory study of language-impaired and dyslexic populations

Abstract

This study was designed to examine differences and similarities in the writing of 15 language-impaired, 17 dyslexic and 15 typically developing control subjects matched on chronological age. Subjects ranging in age from 11 to 21 years were required to produce a written language sample using an expository text-retell procedure. The writing of these groups was compared on eight variables across discourse, T-unit, sentence, and word levels. Control subjects performed better than language-impaired and dyslexic subjects on all writing variables. Dyslexic subjects showed better performance than the language-impaired subjects on several variables including, (a) number of T-units, (b) number of ideas, (c) total number of words, and (4) number of different words while showing comparable performance on percentage of spelling and production of grammatically correct sentences. These findings support Bishop and Snowling's [Psychol. Bull. 130 (2004) 858] position that the differences between these two clinical populations exist in the non-phonological dimensions of language.

Concurrent and longitudinal neuropsychological contributors to written language expression in first and second grade students

“…These findings would be consistent with recent work by Dockrell, Lindsay, Connelly, and Mackie (2007), Puranik, Lombardino, and Altmann (2007), and Fey, Catts, Proctor-Williams, Tomblin, and Zhang (2004) who noted that children with specific language impairments and/or dyslexia will have constraints placed on their written output by their language difficulties, and that these functions can be predictive of later writing problems. Indeed, rapid naming has been deemed as placing constraints on early reading fluency (Lervag & Hulme, 2009) and, given its inclusion in our model, it also may place constraints on written output.…”

Examining the transcription-writing link: Effects of handwriting fluency and spelling accuracy on writing performance via planning and translating in middle grades

“…The spelling-translating relationship was already implied in research into the writing of people with dyslexia, who have difficulties in reading and spelling, but not in handwriting execution (Sumner, Connelly, & Barnett, 2013). Using a text-retell procedure, Puranik, Lombardino, and Altmann (2007) found that, compared to age-matched peers, those with dyslexia showed poorer performance on complex sentence production. Consistent with our finding that spelling accuracy is TRANSCRIPTION-WRITING LINK 23 not associated with planning, they found that the two groups did not differ on the amount of ideas produced.…”

Developmental Trajectories of Writing Skills in First Grade

“…Several studies have shown that children with learning or specific language disabilities perform more poorly on lexical, grammatical, and structural aspects of written composition than typically developing children (e.g., Anderson, 1982; Dockell, Lindsay, & Connelly, 2009; Dockrell, Lindsay, Connelly, & Mackie, 2007; Englert & Thomas, 1987; Fey et al, 2004; Mackie & Dockrell, 2004; Puranik, Lombardino, & Altmann, 2007; Scott & Windsor, 2000; Windsor, Scott, & Street, 2000). For instance, children with learning disabilities had poorer text structure knowledge, and their written composition tended to lack structural aspects (e.g., inclusion of more irrelevant information and less elaborations) compared to typically developing peers (Englert & Thomas, 1987).…”