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Construction of graphic symbol sequences by preschool-aged children: Learning, training, and maintenance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2011

ANNICK POUPART ,
NATACHA TRUDEAU  and
ANN SUTTON
ANNICK POUPART
Affiliation:
Commission Scolaire de Montréal
NATACHA TRUDEAU
Affiliation:
Université de Montréal
ANN SUTTON*
Affiliation:
Université d'Ottawa
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE Ann Sutton, Université d'Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Room 3066, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada. E-mail: ann.sutton@uottawa.ca
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Abstract

The use of augmentative and alternative communication systems based on graphic symbols requires children to learn to combine symbols to convey utterances. The current study investigated how children without disabilities aged 4 to 6 years (n = 74) performed on a simple sentence (subject–verb and subject–verb–object) transposition task (i.e., spoken model into graphic symbol sequence). Scores were obtained on initial testing, after training, and 1 month later. Error patterns were examined. Four-year-olds obtained significantly lower initial scores and were the only ones showing training effects and lower performance a month later. The distribution of error types was similar across age groups. These results suggest that the age of 4 may represent an important stage in the use of graphic symbol communication.

Type
Articles
Information
Applied Psycholinguistics , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 91 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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