The Impact of Vocal Warm-Up Exercises on the Objective Vocal Quality in Female Students Training to be Speech Language Pathologists

Purpose. the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a specific vocal warm-up (WU) program-focused on the improvement of the dynamics of the extrinsic and intrinsic laryngeal muscles-on the objective vocal quality in Dutch female students who are getting trained to be speech language pathologists (SLPs). Hypothetically, one can assume that the objective vocal quality will increase after vocal WU exercises in SLPs in comparison with the matched control group that receives no WU program.Methods. This was a pretest-posttest control group design study, in which 45 female future SLPs were randomly assigned into two groups. the experimental group received a well-defined vocal WU program, whereas the control group took 30 minutes of vocal rest. Objective assessment techniques (aerodynamic, vocal range, acoustic measurements, and Dysphonia Severity Index [DSI]) were used.Results. After vocal WU, a significant increased DSI value, increased vocal performance (with lower intensity and higher frequency), and increased fundamental frequency (F-0) were measured.Conclusions. Clinically, there is clear evidence that warming up the vocal mechanism is beneficial to the objective vocal quality and the vocal performance in future SLPs. To what extent the repetition of these vocal WU exercises has the possibility to maintain increased objective vocal quality in these future professional voice users is subject to further research.Ghent Univ Hosp, Dept ENT & Head & Neck Surg, B-9000 Ghent, BelgiumUniv Antwerp Hosp, Dept ENT & Head & Neck Surg, Antwerp, BelgiumFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP EPM, Ctr Voice Studies, Grad Program Human Commun Disorders, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP EPM, Ctr Voice Studies, Grad Program Human Commun Disorders, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Classification, seriation, and counting in grades 1, 2, and 3 as two-year longitudinal predictors for low achieving in numerical facility and arithmetical achievement?

Previous research stresses the importance of seriation, classification, and counting abilities that should be assessed in kindergarten, when looking for crucial predictors of mathematical learning disabilities in Grade 1. This study examines (n = 158) two-year-long predictive relationships between children's seriation, classification, procedural counting knowledge, and conceptual counting knowledge, and their numerical facility and arithmetical achievement in Grades 3, 4, and 5. Path analyses reveal a relationship between procedural counting knowledge in Grades 1 and 3 and numerical facility, and between conceptual counting knowledge in Grade 1 and arithmetical achievement in Grades 1 and 2. In addition, procedural counting knowledge correlates with seriation, and conceptual counting knowledge correlates with classification as well as with seriation in Grade 1. Clinicians are encouraged to select early arithmetic subtests with caution when assessing and predicting arithmetic and arithmetical disabilities

Predicting arithmetic abilities : the role of preparatory arithmetic markers and intelligence

Arithmetic abilities acquired in kindergarten are found to be strong predictors for later deficient arithmetic abilities. This longitudinal study (N = 684) was designed to examine if it was possible to predict the level of children's arithmetic abilities in first and second grade froth their performance on preparatory arithmetic abilities in kindergarten. Furthermore, the role of intelligence in the assessment of developing mathematical reasoning and numerical facility was investigated. The results showed that good predictions of beginning arithmetic abilities can be made. Even in the long term, it was possible to make predictions of later arithmetic performances, especially for the domain of arithmetical reasoning. Logic thinking abilities such as seriation and classification and counting knowledge may be assessed in kindergarten as possible markers for at-risk development. Furthermore, it is important to take into account intelligence when looking for useful predictors of arithmetical reasoning