This study investigated knowledge of letter names and letter sounds, their learning, and their contributions to word recognition. Of 123 preschoolers examined on letter knowledge, 65 underwent training on both letter names and letter sounds in a counterbalanced order. Prior to training, children were more advanced in associating letters with their…

Investigated visual word recognition of first- through fifth-graders. Found that the "viewing position effect" typically seen in skilled readers and visual field asymmetries in recognizing individual letters in words emerged early at the end of the first year of reading instruction. Noted that findings support the view that basic reading…

Three experiments examine the information extraction process in adults and elementary school children reading paragraphs or words. In experiments 1 and 2 subjects were presented paragraphs to read and to search for specified targets. In experiment 3 subjects were asked to judge whether briefly presented pairs of letters were the same or different.…

This study was designed to provide evidence concerning hemispheric independence in the visual modality of children and adults. Words and letters were shown either singly or in pairs. Hemispheric independence occurred more frequently among children when letters, as opposed to words, were shown. Results are discussed in terms of developmental models…

Discusses research on children's speed in identifying digits and letters in continuous lists and discrete trials. Latency for word identification and digit naming varied considerably. Naming speed contributed variance in reading skill independently of measures of phonological awareness. (Author/GH)

Second and fourth graders and college students categorized one- and two-syllable words. Categorization response times for second graders were related to the number of letters in one-syllable words. Second and fourth graders had longer categorization times than college students for four-letter, two-syllable words. (BC)