Desempenho de crianças pré-leitoras e leitoras iniciantes em tarefa de memória: análise da relação com as propriedades da palavra

Abstract

Reading is a process that permeates our daily lives in many segments and activities; from the simpler to the more more complex ones. In this regard, reading acquisition emerges from a long and multifaceted process, involving interpersonal, contextual, biological, emotional and cognitive aspects. The cognitive approach makes explicit the skills involved in emergent literacy, among them, working memory is seen as crucial in the process of reading acquisition. Therefore, the current research investigates the relations between the properties of the word (length, frequency and regularity) and the performance of children (pre-readers and beginning readers) in the memory task. We conducted this study with 173 children of both sexes, aged 4-7 years, enrolled in classes from pre school and 1st year of elementary public and private schools in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil. To meet the objectives proposed in this study we used the memory task of the "Teste de Habilidade Preditoras da Leitura (THPL)", a test of pre-reading skills, in its computerized version. The results found significant correlations between the properties of the word and item response (right or wrong answers); and between the properties of the word and reaction time in pre-reading and beginning reading children. In addition, there were significant differences between the groups of pre readers and beginning readers in relation to performance and correctness rate. The study confirmed the relevance of THPL test, which sets items of the memory task to the skill level of each child and enables the analysis of the answer and the reaction time of the child, item by item.