Volume 18, Issue 4 (December 2020)
Iranian Rehabilitation Journal 2020, 18(4): 419-430 |
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1- Department of Speech Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (1880 Views)
Objectives: Word definition skill is a complex language ability in which meta-linguistic awareness and literacy skills play a critical role. The present study examined the development of word definition skills in Persian-speaking children aged 4.5 to 7.5 years, concerning content and form aspects.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional and analytic-descriptive study. The study subjects were 107 children of three age groups, as follows: 54-65-month-olds, 66-77-month-olds, and 78-90-month-olds. The study participants were selected from kindergartens and schools in districts 1, 7, and 17 of Tehran City, Iran, by multi-stage sampling method. In the word definition task, children were requested to define the words. To analyze the obtained data, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used.
Results: The obtained results indicated that the mean score of content (P=0.001) and form (P=0.002) aspects of word definition significantly increased with age in the study participants.
Discussion: A shift from functional and objective responses towards meta-linguistic definitions, i.e. further developed in terms of content and form, was observed with aging. At the age of 7 years, definitions reflect the hierarchical nature of nouns, and applying the class name begins at this age. The age of reaching a specific class seems to be affected by the lexical category.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional and analytic-descriptive study. The study subjects were 107 children of three age groups, as follows: 54-65-month-olds, 66-77-month-olds, and 78-90-month-olds. The study participants were selected from kindergartens and schools in districts 1, 7, and 17 of Tehran City, Iran, by multi-stage sampling method. In the word definition task, children were requested to define the words. To analyze the obtained data, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used.
Results: The obtained results indicated that the mean score of content (P=0.001) and form (P=0.002) aspects of word definition significantly increased with age in the study participants.
Discussion: A shift from functional and objective responses towards meta-linguistic definitions, i.e. further developed in terms of content and form, was observed with aging. At the age of 7 years, definitions reflect the hierarchical nature of nouns, and applying the class name begins at this age. The age of reaching a specific class seems to be affected by the lexical category.
Article type: Original Research Articles |
Subject:
Speech therapy
Received: 2019/10/28 | Accepted: 2020/11/18 | Published: 2020/12/1
Received: 2019/10/28 | Accepted: 2020/11/18 | Published: 2020/12/1
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