HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal My Folders Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Larsen, J. A. Articles by Nippold, M. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Larsen, J. A. Articles by Nippold, M. A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Morphological Analysis in School-Age Children: Dynamic Assessment of a Word Learning Strategy

Contact author: Marilyn A. Nippold, Communication Disorders and Sciences, College of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403. E-mail: nippold{at}uoregon.edu.

Purpose: Morphological analysis is the ability to use knowledge of root words and affixes to determine the meanings of unfamiliar, morphologically complex words. Beginning in the early elementary grades and continuing into the college years, it is a primary strategy that is used to increase one's knowledge of difficult vocabulary. The purpose of this study was to investigate how well school-age children could use morphological analysis to explain word meanings. The study was also designed to examine individual differences in this domain in relation to children's broader literacy skills.

Method: The ability of 50 typically developing sixth-grade children to explain the meanings of 15 low-frequency morphologically complex words was measured using a dynamic assessment procedure. Children were individually interviewed and were asked to define each word. As needed, varying degrees of adult scaffolding were provided. Children were also assessed for their word knowledge and reading comprehension.

Results: Performance on the dynamic assessment task revealed a wide range of skill levels in these children and was positively related to the children's literacy levels. Although some children readily used morphological analysis to explain the meanings of unfamiliar words, others required greater amounts of adult scaffolding to be successful.

Implications: Suggestions are offered for ways to employ dynamic assessment to examine children's ability to use morphological analysis as a word learning strategy.

KEY WORDS: derivational morphology, word learning, dynamic assessment, school-age children

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Jarmulowicz and S. E. Hay Derivational Morphophonology: Exploring Errors in Third Graders' Productions Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, July 1, 2009; 40(3): 299 - 311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Nippold and L. Sun Knowledge of Morphologically Complex Words: A Developmental Study of Older Children and Young Adolescents Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch, July 1, 2008; 39(3): 365 - 373. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]