Recent research suggests that visual-verbal paired associate learning (PAL) may tap a crossmodal associative learning mechanism that plays a distinct role in reading development. However, evidence from children with dyslexia indicates that deficits in visual-verbal PAL are strongly linked to the verbal demands of the task. The primary aim of this…

Reports that incentives had an incremental effect upon learning, that incentives were equally effective for both retarded and normal readers, and that the performance of the retarded and normal readers did not differ significantly. (Author/WY)

Two studies examined the relationship between phonological sensitivity and 5-year-olds' acquisition of new words that systematically differed in the familiarity of their sound structures. Found that phonological sensitivity was related to pair-associated learning of phonologically unfamiliar, but not familiar, words. Following phonological…

Results were interpreted as supporting an inhibition deficit theory of mental retardation. (Authors)

Study suggests that, rather than being less able to organize information, young children simply organize according to different criteria than adults. (Authors)

Investigated verbal and nonverbal paired associate learning among 8- to 11-year-old Dutch dyslexic children and chronological-age and reading-age controls. Found that dyslexic children had difficulty with verbal learning of words and nonwords. Phonological and general learning errors were distributed similarly for the reading groups. Found no…