June 13, 2006

Donald Shankweiler

Reading Comprehension and the Brain: Individual Differences

ABSTRACT:

Although brain markers of skill differences in word decoding have been proposed, we still know little about neural manifestations of differences less extreme than the contrast groups in dyslexia studies. Moreover, there has been almost no study of skill differences in reading connected material. We present results of recent coordinated reading and listening comprehension studies, based on a wide sampling of reading ability that extends from the college level at the high end to low-literacy school dropouts at the low end. Collectively, the findings have enabled us to examine how functional equivalence of spoken and printed messages is expressed neurally. 

May 30, 2006

Nicole Landi

BEHAVIORAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF SEMANTIC PROCESSING IN SKILLED AND LESS-SKILLED COMPREHENDERS

ABSTRACT:

Three experiments compared adult skilled and less-skilled comprehenders (matched on decoding) on tasks requiring semantic and phonological processing. The findings from these studies revealed that less-skilled comprehenders generated fewer semantic associates relative to phonological associates in a verbal fluency task and showed reduced categorical priming relative to associative priming in an a semantic priming task. Additionally, electrophysiological records of less-skilled comprehenders differed from skilled readers
during a semantic processing task but not during a phonological processing task. These findings suggest that comprehension ability is partially independent of low level reading ability and provide evidence that supports semantic knowledge/semantic processing differences between skilled and less-skilled comprehenders.

Background reading (all papers in PDF format):

• Nation and Snowling. Developmental differences in sensitivity to semantic relations among good and poor comprehenders.

• Kutas and Federmeier. Electrophysiology reveals semantic memory use in language comprehension.

• Nation and Snowling. Semantic Processing and the Development of Word-Recognition Skills.

May 16, 2006

Hollis Scarborough and Nicole Patton-Terry will discuss their Learning Study that is part of the A40 grant (both the current and new cycles). Their topic will be:

"Loci of Difficulty for Learning-Disabled Learners."

(Note: There are no suggested readings, though those interested may want to take a look at the A40 proposals. The project is under A40-Project 5 for the current cycle and A40-Project 4 for the new cycle.)

April 18, 2006

Caitlin Dillon (Postdoctoral fellow at Haskins)

"Reading and Phonological Processing Skills in Deaf Children who Use Cochlear Implants."

> Caitlin Dillon PowerPoint presentation

• Dillon & Pisoni, Nonword repetition and reading in deaf children with cochlear implants.

• Geers, Predictors of Reading Skill Development in Children with Early Cochlear Implantation.

March 14, 2006

Einar Mencl and Ken Pugh summarized the current research on brain involved in reading and on the use of fMRI in this work. They also discussed how current work at Haskins will interface with our new Program Project (A-40).

> Einar Mencl PowerPoint presentation

> Ken Pugh PowerPoint presentation