Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability

In this study we examined age differences in children and young adolescents’ use of comparative text signals in order to gain insights into the development of signaling knowledge. We predicted that differential patterns of age differences would be found for readers classified as having low, middle,...

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Main Authors: Bonnie J.F. Meyer, Melissa N. Ray, Wendy Middlemiss
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses universitaires de Caen 2012-07-01
Series:Discours
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/discours/8637
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author Bonnie J.F. Meyer
Melissa N. Ray
Wendy Middlemiss
author_facet Bonnie J.F. Meyer
Melissa N. Ray
Wendy Middlemiss
author_sort Bonnie J.F. Meyer
collection DOAJ
description In this study we examined age differences in children and young adolescents’ use of comparative text signals in order to gain insights into the development of signaling knowledge. We predicted that differential patterns of age differences would be found for readers classified as having low, middle, and high comprehension ability, and that the middle group of comprehenders would have the greatest amount of variability with age. 4th-, 6th-, and 9th-grade readers’ use of words employed to mark comparative relationships were compared by means of an open cloze. Results from analyses of competency of use scores, indicated that readers in the middle comprehension group had a larger number of significant increases in competency with age. Fewer age differences in overall competency were found for readers in low and high comprehension groups. Analysis of individual signals indicated that patterns of age differences may also vary in relation to the particular signal being processed. The findings from this study suggest that readers’ overall comprehension ability may influence the acquisition and use of text signals.
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spelling doaj-art-cb43f90db9504406adb90630f3063dd42025-01-30T09:52:43ZengPresses universitaires de CaenDiscours1963-17232012-07-011010.4000/discours.8637Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension AbilityBonnie J.F. MeyerMelissa N. RayWendy MiddlemissIn this study we examined age differences in children and young adolescents’ use of comparative text signals in order to gain insights into the development of signaling knowledge. We predicted that differential patterns of age differences would be found for readers classified as having low, middle, and high comprehension ability, and that the middle group of comprehenders would have the greatest amount of variability with age. 4th-, 6th-, and 9th-grade readers’ use of words employed to mark comparative relationships were compared by means of an open cloze. Results from analyses of competency of use scores, indicated that readers in the middle comprehension group had a larger number of significant increases in competency with age. Fewer age differences in overall competency were found for readers in low and high comprehension groups. Analysis of individual signals indicated that patterns of age differences may also vary in relation to the particular signal being processed. The findings from this study suggest that readers’ overall comprehension ability may influence the acquisition and use of text signals.https://journals.openedition.org/discours/8637text comprehensiontextual structuressignalingconnectivesexpository text
spellingShingle Bonnie J.F. Meyer
Melissa N. Ray
Wendy Middlemiss
Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability
Discours
text comprehension
textual structures
signaling
connectives
expository text
title Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability
title_full Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability
title_fullStr Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability
title_full_unstemmed Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability
title_short Children’s Use of Comparative Text Signals: The Relationship between Age and Comprehension Ability
title_sort children s use of comparative text signals the relationship between age and comprehension ability
topic text comprehension
textual structures
signaling
connectives
expository text
url https://journals.openedition.org/discours/8637
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AT melissanray childrensuseofcomparativetextsignalstherelationshipbetweenageandcomprehensionability
AT wendymiddlemiss childrensuseofcomparativetextsignalstherelationshipbetweenageandcomprehensionability