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How Children Learn to Write Words
Abstract
Mastering the writing system of one’s language is crucial for success in a modern society. This book examines how children learn to produce writing. The book provides a novel theoretical framework that integrates findings from a wide range of age groups—from children who are producing their first scribbles to experienced spellers who are writing complex words. To set the stage for these discussions, the first section of the book considers the nature of writing systems and the nature of learning itself. Existing theories of spelling acquisition are also discussed. The following chapters take up various aspects of orthographic development, including the learning of symbol shapes and the learning of punctuation in addition to the learning of spelling per se. Each chapter reviews research with learners of a variety of languages and writing systems, revealing crosslinguistic similarities and differences. Discussions of pedagogy are incorporated into each chapter. The book is unique in the range of topics and languages that it covers. Also unique is the way in which the book integrates linguistic insights about the nature of writing systems with discussions of literacy development in children.
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“Not all students in the US with dysgraphia, dyslexia, or OWL LD are being identified and provided with appropriate instruction throughout schooling to ensure they receive appropriate instruction for both their oral language and written language instructional needs as curriculum requirements change across the grades (e.g., see Treiman & Kessler, 2014).”
From Differential Diagnosis of Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and OWL LD: Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence (2015) · cites this paper as Treiman & Kessler, 2014
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Learning words amidst speech sound variability
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The Dynamics of Word Production
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How Learners Move From Sound To Morphology
Demuth, K. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198845003.013.8
Crain, S. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198845003.013.11
Αλεξιάδου, Ά. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198845003.013.2
Easy words: Reference resolution in a malevolent referent world
Gleitman, L. R., & Trueswell, J. C. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198845003.013.30
Anna Papafragou, A., Trueswell, J. C., & Gleitman, L. R. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198845003.013.29
Logic and The Lexicon: Insights from modality
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Metadata
- Authors
- Treiman, R., & Kessler, B.
- Venue
- Oxford University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Published
- 2014-05-07
- OpenAlex
- W336531777
- Cited by
- 259
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 35 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 9
- FWCI
- 8.06
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Oxford University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Writing and Handwriting Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Keywords
- spelling acquisition, spelling development, writing systems, children's writing, literacy development, cross-linguistic comparison, writing instruction, scribbling
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