Modularity of action programs in normal and Down syndrome individuals / O papel do conhecimento do nome das letras no início da aprendizagem da leitura: evidência de indivíduos com síndrome de Down

• Main Authors: Cláudia Cardoso-Martins, Mirelle França Michalick, Tatiana Cury Pollo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2006-01-01
• Series: Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica
• Subjects: Down syndrome; reading strategy; letter-name knowledge
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-79722006000100008&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt
• ISSN: 0102-7972; 1678-7153

This study investigates the reading strategies that are used by individuals with Down syndrome when they begin to learn to read Portuguese. Individuals with Down syndrome who knew or did not know the name of the letters learned to read two types of simplified spellings: phonetic spellings in which the letters corresponded to sounds in the pronunciation of words (e.g., BTRA for beterraba 'beet'), and visual spellings in which the letters bore no relationship to sounds in the pronunciation of words, but which were visually more outstanding (e.g., UQLG for detetive 'detective'). Results questioned the view that individuals with Down syndrome learn to read visually. The individuals who did not know the name of the letters found both type of spellings very difficult. In contrast, the individuals who knew the name of the letters learned the phonetic spellings more easily than the visual spellings.