We studied developmental trends in 5 important reasoning tasks that are critical components of the operational definition of rational thinking. The tasks measured denominator neglect, belief bias, base rate sensitivity, resistance to framing, and the tendency toward otherside thinking. In addition to age, we examined 2 other individual difference…

The effect of the ortographic structure of the stimulus field on the visual search performance of third and sixth graders and adults was examined in three experiments. (BD)

Three groups of elementary school students, matched on reading ability and with similar cognitive profiles, were administered tasks assessing their inventory of reading skills. Results support a developmental lag model of reading problems of nondyslexic children. (Author/RWB)

Third- and fifth-graders, like adults, quickly named words preceded by either an incongruous or a normal incomplete sentence. Results (1) support the assumption that context effects on children's word recognition are caused by spreading-activation and expectancy-based-attentional processes operating simultaneously and (2) indicate that word…

Second-grade children completed a reading task during the first half and at the end of the school year identifying words preceded by a congruous, incongruous, or neutral sentence context. The effect of context on reading times decreased with development and practice and increased with word difficulty. (Author/DB)

Regression-based procedures were used to identify 17 phonological and 15 surface dyslexics from a sample of 68 reading-disabled third graders by comparing them to chronological age controls. Defining dyslexic subtypes by reference to reading-level controls identified the phonological dyslexics, but only one of the surface dyslexics. (SLD)

Fourth and fifth graders marked on a checklist the titles and authors of children's books which they recognized. This measure of exposure to print was correlated with children's growth in reading ability as measured by standardized tests. Individual differences in growth in reading were significantly related to the measure. (BC)

Groups of eight- and ten-year-olds and adults visually searched for the presence of a target letter or number in fields of items that were either of the same or a different category (letter or number) than the target. (JMB)

Fourth and sixth graders and adults read words preceded by either a congruous, incongruous, or no-sentence context, and then completed another task where they named the color of the target word. Results suggested that context effects are mediated by automatic processes which decrease in importance with age and reading ability. (Author/JMB)

The effect of orthographic structure on the word search performance of good and poor third-grade readers is examined. (MP)

The spelling performance of 22 male and 26 female first graders using a simultaneous oral spelling method was compared when students were writing the words, spelling them with letter tiles, or typing them on a computer keyboard. Results of two experiments indicate the superiority of handwriting in improving spelling acquisition. (SLD)

The construct validity of a new measure of children's exposure to print, the Title Recognition Test (TRT), was assessed with 34 fourth, 33 fifth, and 67 sixth graders. The TRT demonstrated significant correlations with spelling, vocabulary, verbal fluency, word knowledge, and general information. (SLD)

A study of 51 third and 47 fourth graders using a new measure of exposure to print, the Title Recognition Test, established that orthographic processing ability can account for variance in word recognition skill after variance resulting from phonological processing is removed. The importance of print exposure is discussed. (SLD)

Studied reading comprehension, vocabulary, general knowledge, and print exposure of 11th graders who completed reading battery 10 years earlier. Found that first-grade reading ability predicted all 11th-grade outcomes--even when cognitive ability was partialed out--and was linked to print exposure, even after 11th-grade reading comprehension…

A new regression-based logic strategy is presented for comparing cognitive profiles of children developing reading skills at different rates. Results with 907 children support the phonological-core variable-difference model of reading disability, with the degree of aptitude-achievement discrepancy unrelated to unique cognitive trade-offs of…