Page 2: Case Studies and Cognitive Theory

This page delves into case studies and cognitive theory related to child language acquisition.

The Genie case study is presented as an example of the critical period hypothesis in language acquisition:

• Genie was abused and isolated from birth to 13 years old
• She experienced no communication except barking and growling
• When rescued, she only knew her name and "sorry"
• Despite an enriched learning environment, she was unable to achieve full language acquisition
• Her language development was limited to the two-word stage and about 100 words

Highlight: The Genie case study demonstrates the importance of early language exposure and the potential consequences of missing the critical period for language acquisition.

Berko's Wug Test is introduced as a method to test children's knowledge of morphology:

• The test shows that children learn language patterns, not just repetition
• Children can apply language rules to nonsense words (e.g., "one wug, two wugs")

Example: In the Wug Test, children are shown a picture of a made-up creature called a "wug" and asked what two of them would be called, demonstrating their ability to apply plural rules to unfamiliar words.

The page also outlines Piaget's cognitive theory, which describes four stages of cognitive development:

1. Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)
2. Preoperational stage (2-7 years)
3. Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)
4. Formal operational stage (11-13 years)

Definition: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched, typically achieved during the sensorimotor stage.

Page 4: Reading Acquisition Theories

This page focuses on theories related to reading acquisition, an important aspect of language development in early childhood.

Frank Smith's theory on reading is presented:

• Children learn to recognize whole words by searching for meaning in stories, questions, and patterns
• Reading ability is the transformation of visual presentation of language into meaning
• Phonics can be useful for unfamiliar words but may slow down reading and make it tedious

Quote: "Reading ability is to transform visual presentation of language into meaning." - Frank Smith

Frith's theory of language acquisition stages in reading is outlined:

1. Logographic stage: Child processes words in the same way as pictures
2. Alphabetic stage: Child acquires explicit knowledge of phonemes and begins decoding
3. Orthographic stage: Child can recognize many words automatically without sounding them out

Highlight: Dyslexic learners often struggle at the alphabetic stage of reading acquisition.

Goodman's whole language theory is briefly mentioned:

• Children should focus on meaning and context when learning to read, rather than isolated phonics instruction

Definition: The whole language approach to reading instruction emphasizes understanding the meaning of texts and using context clues, rather than focusing solely on phonics and decoding skills.

These theories provide different perspectives on how children acquire reading skills, highlighting the complexity of the reading process and the various approaches to teaching reading.