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The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment

Thesis (PhD (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.

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Main Author: Klop, Daleen
Other Authors: Anthonissen, Christine
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2011
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access_status_str Open Access
author Klop, Daleen
author2 Anthonissen, Christine
author_browse Anthonissen, Christine
Klop, Daleen
author_facet Anthonissen, Christine
Klop, Daleen
author_sort Klop, Daleen
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (PhD (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6755
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:52.447Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2011
publishDateRange 2011
publishDateSort 2011
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
publisherStr Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6755 The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment Klop, Daleen Anthonissen, Christine Tuomi, S. K. University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. Narrative skills Reading comprehension Language impairment Theses -- Linguistics Dissertations -- Linguistics Children with social disabilities -- Books and reading -- Ability testing Children with social disabilities -- Education (Elementary) Comprehension -- Testing Reading skills competency testing Language disorders in children -- Diagnosis General Linguistics Thesis (PhD (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. Bibliography ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The attainment of literacy is crucial for survival in a modern industrialised, knowledge-driven society. Children with poor language skills are at risk for academic failure because of the differences between oral language used in daily interactions and the language skills needed to succeed in a formal school environment. The impact of poorly developed oral language skills on the successful acquisition of reading skills, particularly reading comprehension, is often underestimated in the education of young learners in South Africa. Narrative skills form the bridge between oral language and literacy by providing experience in using the extended and decontextualized discourse units that children will encounter in written language. This study investigated the relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension skills in young learners who are developing literacy. Specific linguistic markers of literacy in the narratives of a group of Grade 3 learners from communities with low socio-economic status were examined. The main research questions this study attempted to answer were: “How do linguistic deficits of learners with poor reading comprehension and specific reading comprehension deficits manifest in their oral narratives?” and “Are there linguistic markers that decisively distinguish between learners with specific reading comprehension deficits and learners with general poor reading skills as compared to learners with normal reading comprehension?” In a quasi-experimental research design, the Grade 3 participants in this study were assigned to three groups: Readers who are competent at word level and comprehension (good reading comprehension group), readers who are competent at word level but poor at comprehension (specific comprehension disorder group) and readers who are poor at both word level and comprehension (poor reading comprehension group). Measurement protocols were used to assess the linguistic variables of interest, namely vocabulary, narrative micro- and macrostructure structure, cohesion, coherence and other aspects of oral language. The results of this study confirmed the relationships between language skills and reading comprehension. It was found that readers with general poor reading skills performed significantly poorer on a variety of linguistic measures than readers with good reading comprehension. The group identified as readers with specific reading comprehension disorders were, in general, not significantly different from the other two groups. This study therefore did not provide clear evidence that readers with specific reading comprehension disorders presented with linguistic markers that could differentiate them from the other groups. The clinical implications for speech-language therapists and educators with regards to assessment and intervention were highlighted. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die behaling van geletterdheid is noodsaaklik om te oorleef in ‘n moderne, geïndustrialiseerde en kennisgedrewe samelewing. Kinders met swak taalvaardighede loop die risiko om akademies te faal weens die verskille tussen die orale taal wat alledaags gebruik word en die taalvaardighede wat vereis word om sukses in formele skoolomgewings te behaal. Die impak van swak orale taalvaardighede op die suksesvolle aanleer van leesvaardighede, spesifiek leesbegrip, word dikwels onderskat in die onderrig van jong Suid-Afrikaanse leerders. Narratiefvaardighede vorm die oorgang tussen orale taal en geletterdheid omdat narratiewe ondervinding verskaf in die gebruik van uitgebreide en gedekontekstualiseerde diskoerseenhede wat kinders in skryftaal teëkom. Hierdie studie het die verband tussen narratiefvaardighede en leesbegrip in jong kinders wat besig is om gelettedheid te ontwikkel, ondersoek. Spesifieke linguistiese merkers vir geletterdheid in die narratiewe van ‘n groep Graad 3 leerders van lae sosio-ekonomiese status, is ondersoek. Die hoof navorsingsvrae van die studie was: “Hoe manifesteer die linguistiese gebreke van leerders met swak leesbegrip en spesifieke leesbegripsprobleme in hul orale narratiewe?” en “Is daar linguistiese merkers wat afdoende onderskei tussen leerders met spesifieke leesbegripsprobleme en leerders met algemene swak leesvaardighede?” In ‘n kwasieksperimentele ontwerp is die deelnemers aan hierdie studie toegeken aan drie groepe: Lesers wat bevoeg is op woordvlak en begripsvlak (groep met goeie leesbegrip), lesers wat bevoeg is op woordvlak, maar met swak begrip (groep met spesifieke leesbegripsprobleme) en lesers wat onbevoeg is op woordvlak en begripsvlak (groep met algemene swak leesvaardighede). Protokolle is gebruik om die linguistiese veranderlikes, naamlik woordeskat, narratief mikro- en makrostruktuur, kohesie, koherensie en ander aspekte van verbale taal, te meet. Die resultate van hierdie studie het die verband tussen taalvaardighede en leesbegrip bevestig. Daar is gevind dat lesers met algemene swak leesvaardighede, in vergelyking met lesers met goeie leesbegrip, beduidend swakker presteer het op verskeie linguistiese metings. Die groep wat geïdentifiseer is as lesers met spesifieke leesbegripsprobleme het, oor die algemeen, nie beduidend van die ander twee groepe verskil nie. Hierdie studie het dus nie duidelike bewyse gevind dat lesers met spesifieke leesbegripsprobleme linguistiese merkers vertoon het wat hulle van die ander twee groepe kon onderskei nie. Die kliniese implikasies vir spraak-taalterapeute en opvoeders met betrekking tot assessering en intervensie is toegelig. Doctoral 2011-03-02T13:48:22Z 2011-03-14T08:38:13Z 2011-03-02T13:48:22Z 2011-03-14T08:38:13Z 2011-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6755 en_ZA University of Stellenbosch xv, 278 p. : ill.(some col.) application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle Narrative skills
Reading comprehension
Language impairment
Theses -- Linguistics
Dissertations -- Linguistics
Children with social disabilities -- Books and reading -- Ability testing
Children with social disabilities -- Education (Elementary)
Comprehension -- Testing
Reading skills competency testing
Language disorders in children -- Diagnosis
General Linguistics
Klop, Daleen
The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
title The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
title_full The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
title_fullStr The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
title_full_unstemmed The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
title_short The relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension : when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
title_sort relationship between narrative skills and reading comprehension when mainstream learners show signs of specific language impairment
topic Narrative skills
Reading comprehension
Language impairment
Theses -- Linguistics
Dissertations -- Linguistics
Children with social disabilities -- Books and reading -- Ability testing
Children with social disabilities -- Education (Elementary)
Comprehension -- Testing
Reading skills competency testing
Language disorders in children -- Diagnosis
General Linguistics
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6755
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