HelexKids:a word frequency database for Greek and Cypriot primary school children

In this article, we introduce HelexKids, an online written-word database for Greek-speaking children in primary education (Grades 1 to 6). The database is organized on a grade-by-grade basis, and on a cumulative basis by combining Grade 1 with Grades 2 to 6. It provides values for Zipf, frequency per million, dispersion, estimated word frequency per million, standard word frequency, contextual diversity, orthographic Levenshtein distance, and lemma frequency. These values are derived from 116 textbooks used in primary education in Greece and Cyprus, producing a total of 68,692 different word types. HelexKids was developed to assist researchers in studying language development, educators in selecting age-appropriate items for teaching, as well as writers and authors of educational books for Greek/Cypriot children. The database is open access and can be searched online at www.helexkids.org

Spelling improvement through letter-sound and whole-word training in two multilingual Greek- and English- speaking children

Case studies of two children with spelling difficulty are reported. LK was multilingual and ED bilingual. A training programme that targeted phonic decoding (or sublexical) spelling processes was conducted with both children. Immediate and delayed post-training assessments showed improvement in spelling nonwords for LK but not for ED. Training that targeted whole word (or lexical) spelling processes was then conducted with ED. Improvement in spelling of irregular words (a marker for lexical spelling processes) was observed. Research into literacy difficulties with multilingual children is sparse, although multilingualism is increasingly widespread. Up to now theoretically based training studies have focused on monolingual children and results were promising. The present findings indicate that theoretically based training programmes for literacy difficulties can also be effective for multilingual children

Predictors of single word spelling in English-speaking children: a cross sectional study

Background: The study aimed to explore to what extent variables associated with lexical and sublexical spelling processes predicted single word spelling ability, and whether patterns of lexical and sublexical processes were different across ages. Methods: Beginning (mean age 7-years, N=144) and advanced (mean age 9-years, N=114) English-speaking spellers completed tasks associated with sublexical processing (phonological ability and phonological short-term memory), lexical processing (visual short-term memory, visual attention span), and factors known to predict spelling (e.g., rapid automatised naming). Results: Phonological ability, rapid automatised naming, visual short-term memory and visual attention span were significant predictors of spelling accuracy for beginning spellers, while for more advanced spellers, only visual attention span was a significant predictor. Conclusions: The findings suggested that for beginning spellers, both lexical and sublexical processes are important for single word spelling, but with increasing literacy experience, lexically related variables are more important

Is there just one dyslexic reader? Evidence for the existence of distinct dyslexic sub-groups.

Purpose of Review. It is generally agreed that there are individual differences in the severity of the reading deficit in dyslexia. The purpose of this review is to discuss whether recent research strengthens claims that there are also qualitative differences in the type of reading impairment that individual dyslexic children experience. Recent Findings. Recent research suggests that surface dyslexia exists in larger numbers than has previously been assumed and that different subtypes of surface dyslexia exist in English as well as in Hebrew. Bilinguals with surface dyslexia in English also show the hallmarks of surface dyslexia when reading a more transparent orthography. The developmental reading impairments that have been observed in children with phonological dyslexia and in children with letter position dyslexia can also be found in several different orthographies and are quite distinct from those seen in surface dyslexia. Summary. Surface dyslexia, phonological dyslexia and letter position dyslexia represent qualitatively different types of developmental reading impairments and can all be seen in both opaque and more transparent alphabetic orthographies

Eastern European parents' experiences of parenting a child with SEN in England

Parenting a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN) presents numerous challenges for families. For immigrant parents, these challenges can be particularly difficult to overcome when faced with structural, cultural and linguistic barriers. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of 8 Eastern European immigrants parenting a child with SEN in England. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a data-driven thematic analysis of a series of interviews was carried out. The study identified two key themes: (a) embarking on an unpredicted journey and (b) navigating through challenges. The analyses highlight discrepancies in partnership working between parents and educators and shortcomings in advice that professionals provided to these parents, potentially placing pupils and their families at a disadvantage. The implications for educational psychologists (EP) and other professionals working with Eastern European parents raising a child with SEN are also discussed

Spelling performance of 6- and 8-year-old Irish children; is it <analice> or <analyze>?

The association of phonological and lexical-semantic processes with spelling ability in children has received scant research interest even though uncovering such associations can increase our understanding of literacy development. We report a cross-sectional study that was carried out with 42 six- and eight-year-old children in the southeast of Ireland. The children took part in tasks assessing reading, letter-sound knowledge, phonological ability, phonological short-term memory, and rapid automatized naming. They also completed an assessment of spelling ability involving regular words, irregular words, and pseudowords. Analyses revealed that, for both age groups, and for all three word types, spelling accuracy was strongly associated with phonological ability scores. In contrast, phonological short-term memory was found to be significantly associated with regular word and total word spelling for the younger group. For the older group, rapid automatised naming was associated with all word categories. Qualitative analysis of the spelling errors revealed that an increase in spelling ability was accompanied by greater prevalence of phonologically appropriate errors. Our findings have important implications for teaching and assessment practices for spelling.

Spelling performance of 6- and 8-year-old Irish children; Is it <analice> or <analyze>?

The association of phonological and lexical-semantic processes with spelling ability in children has received scant research interest even though uncovering such associations can increase our understanding of literacy development. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 42 6- and 8t-year-old children in the southeast of Ireland. The children took part in tasks assessing reading, letter-sound knowledge, phonological ability, phonological short-term memory, and rapid automatized naming. They also completed an assessment of spelling ability involving regular words, irregular words, and pseudowords. Analyses revealed that, for both age groups, and for all three word types, spelling accuracy was strongly associated with phonological ability scores. In contrast, phonological short-term memory was found to be significantly associated with regular word and total word spelling for the younger group. For the older group, rapid automatized naming was associated with all word categories. Qualitative analysis of the spelling errors revealed that an increase in spelling ability was accompanied by greater prevalence of phonologically appropriate errors. Our findings have important implications for teaching and assessment practices for spelling