Hierarchical development of early visual-spatial abilities – a taxonomy based assessment using the MaGrid app

Visual-spatial abilities (VSA) are considered a building block of early numerical development. They are intuitively acquired in early childhood and differentiate in further development. However, when children enter school, there already are considerable individual differences in children’s visual-spatial and numerical abilities. To better understand this diversity, it is necessary to empirically evaluate the development as well as the latent structure of early VSA as proposed by the 2 by 2 taxonomy of Newcombe and Shipley (2015). In the present study, we report on a tablet-based assessment of VSA using the digital application (app) MaGrid in kindergarten children aged 4–6 years. We investigated whether the visual-spatial tasks implemented in MaGrid are sensitive to replicate previously observed age differences in VSA and thus a hierarchical development of VSA. Additionally, we evaluated whether the selected tasks conform to the taxonomy of VSA by Newcombe and Shipley (2015) applying a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach. Our results indicated that the hierarchical development of VSA can be measured using MaGrid. Furthermore, the CFA substantiated the hypothesized factor structure of VSA in line with the dimensions proposed in the taxonomy of Newcombe and Shipley (2015). Taken together, the present results advance our knowledge to the (hierarchical) development as well as the latent structure of early VSA in kindergarten children

Hand vs. Tastatur: Einflüsse des Schreibmediums in der Untersuchung der Schriftsprache bei Kindern mit und ohne LRS

Digitale Medien beeinflussen Schreibgewohnheiten und -prozesse in einem Maße, das die Frage aufwirft, ob computerbasierte Verfahren in gleicher Weise zur Beurteilung von (Recht-)Schreibfähigkeiten geeignet sind wie traditionelle handschriftliche Untersuchungsmethoden.In dieser Studie untersuchten wir den Einfluss des Schreibmediums (d.h. Hand vs. Tastatur) auf die Textproduktion (d.h. Rechtschreibgenauigkeit, Schreibzeit und Korrekturverhalten) bei Kindern mit und ohne Lese-Rechtschreibstörungen (LRS/RS). Mittels regelspezifischer Analysen differenzierten wir phonologische Aspekte (z.B. linguistische Prozesse der Vokallängendiskrimination) und medium-spezifische schreibmotorische Prozesse (zusätzlicher Tastendruck bei der Groß- und Kleinschreibung auf der Tastatur) bei der Bewertung der Rechtschreibgenauigkeit.Die Ergebnisse zeigten signifikante Einflüsse des Schreibmediums nur für spezifische Aspekte des Schreibens, wie der Groß- und Kleinschreibung, jedoch keinen allgemeinen Effekt auf linguistische Prozesse. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich, dass Kinder mit LRS/RS in der freien Textproduktion auch ohne automatische Fehlerkorrektur vom Schreiben auf der Computertastatur profitierten.Unsere Ergebnisse liefern damit weitere empirische Evidenz für das Potential digitaler Medien bei der Erfassung entwicklungsbedingter Störungen der Schriftsprache. </div

Mode effect: an issue of perspective? Writing mode differences in a spelling assessment in German children with and without developmental dyslexia

Digital technology has an increasing influence on writing processes. In this context, the question arises whether changes in writing mode (i.e., handwriting vs. computer‐keyboard typing) also require changes in writing assessments. However, data directly comparing writing mode influences in children with and without developmental writing deficits are scarce. This study investigated the influence of writing mode in German‐speaking, typically developing children and children with developmental dyslexia (DD) from two different levels. Results showed on a general level that writing mode influenced overall spelling accuracy, writing time, and self‐corrections comparably in children with and without DD. On a rule‐specific level, outcomes for writing time and self‐corrections substantiated these findings. However, as regards spelling accuracy, a mode effect was only apparent for capitalization, whereas other spelling rules were resistant to writing mode influences. Present findings suggest that a mode effect is present only for typing specific aspects (e.g., capitalization) rather than reflecting a general influence on orthographic principles (e.g., grapheme–phoneme assignment, morphologic principles). These mode‐specific aspects seem to comparably affect the writing performance of typically developing children and children with DD. We recommend writing assessments to consider that different writing modes may influence individual spelling rules differently

Group differences in the right frontoparietal RSN, sensorimotor RSN, executive control RSN, and medial visual RSN.

<p>All x, y, and z coordinates according to the MNI coordinate system (ICBM 152); <i>t</i>-statistics and <i>p</i>-values correspond to the peak voxels within the anatomical region(s) specified in the left column. For all contrasts, increased activity is reported at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected). (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; L =  left hemisphere; R =  right hemisphere; RSN =  resting-state network; tDCS =  transcranial direct current stimulation</i>).</p

Voxel-wise difference maps for the cerebellar RSN and the TPN.

<p>Activity detected in the context of the cerebellar RSN and the TPN is displayed at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected) and projected on the MNI template brain (ICBM 152). A) Areas associated with the cerebellar RSN exhibiting increased activity following tDCS. B) Areas associated with the TPN exhibiting increased activity following tDCS. (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; FDR =  false discovery rate; RH =  right hemisphere; RSN =  resting-state network</i>).</p

Voxel-wise difference maps for the DMN.

<p>Activity detected in the context of the DMN is displayed at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected) and projected on the MNI template brain (ICBM 152). A) Areas associated with the DMN exhibiting decreased activity following tDCS. B) Areas associated with the DMN exhibiting increased activity following tDCS. (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; DMN =  default mode network; FDR =  false discovery rate; LH =  left hemisphere; RH =  right hemisphere</i>).</p

Voxel-wise difference maps for the executive control and the medial visual RSN.

<p>Activity is displayed at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected) and projected on the MNI template brain (ICBM 152). A) Areas associated with the executive control RSN exhibiting increased activity following tDCS. B) All areas associated with the medial visual RSN exhibiting increased activity following tDCS. (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; FDR =  false discovery rate; RH =  right hemisphere; RSN =  resting-state network</i>).</p

Group differences in the cerebellar RSN, TPN, and DMN.

<p>All x, y, and z coordinates according to the MNI coordinate system (ICBM 152); <i>t</i>-statistics and <i>p</i>-values correspond to the peak voxels within the anatomical region(s) specified in the left column. For all contrasts, increased activity is reported at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected). (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; L =  left hemisphere; R =  right hemisphere; RSN =  resting-state network; tDCS =  transcranial direct current stimulation</i>).</p

Group differences in the right frontoparietal RSN, sensorimotor RSN, executive control RSN, and medial visual RSN.

<p>All x, y, and z coordinates according to the MNI coordinate system (ICBM 152); <i>t</i>-statistics and <i>p</i>-values correspond to the peak voxels within the anatomical region(s) specified in the left column. For all contrasts, increased activity is reported at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected). (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; L =  left hemisphere; R =  right hemisphere; RSN =  resting-state network; tDCS =  transcranial direct current stimulation</i>).</p

Overview of fMRI results.

<p>The table summarizes all results for the eleven RSN and the two contrasts of interest. For both contrasts, increased activity is displayed at a cluster-level threshold of <i>p</i><0.05 (FDR corrected). (<i>BA =  Brodmann area; DMN =  default mode network; LH =  left hemisphere; RH =  right hemisphere; RSN =  resting-state networks; tDCS =  transcranial direct current stimulation; TPN =  task positive network</i>).</p