Semantic Analyzability in Children’s Understanding of Idioms

1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond W. Gibbs
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Short Story ◽  
First Graders ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Fourth Graders ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Figurative Meaning ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Better Than

This study investigated the role of semantic analyzability in children’s understanding of idioms. Kindergartners and first, third, and fourth graders listened to idiomatic expressions either alone or at the end of short story contexts. Their task was to explain verbally the intended meanings of these phrases and then to choose their correct idiomatic interpretations. The idioms presented to the children differed in their degree of analyzability. Some idioms were highly analyzable or decomposable, with the meanings of their parts contributing independently to their overall figurative meanings. Other idioms were nondecomposable because it was difficult to see any relation between a phrase’s individual components and the idiom’s figurative meaning. The results showed that younger children (kindergartners and first graders) understood decomposable idioms better than they did nondecomposable phrases. Older children (third and fourth graders) understood both kinds of idioms equally well in supporting contexts, but were better at interpreting decomposable idioms than they were at understanding nondecomposable idioms without contextual information. These findings demonstrate that young children better understand idiomatic phrases whose individual parts independently contribute to their overall figurative meanings.

Linguistic factors in children's understanding of idioms

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond W. Gibbs
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
First Graders ◽  
Fourth Graders ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Developmental Models ◽  
Idiom Comprehension ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
The Law ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACTThis study examined the effect of two linguistic factors on children's understanding of idioms. Kindergarten, first, third and fourth graders listened to idiomatic expressions either alone or at the end of short story contexts. Their task was to explain verbally the intended meanings of these idioms and then to choose the correct idiomatic interpretations of these phrases. The results showed that in the presence of supporting context younger children (kindergarten and first graders) understood idioms that were syntactically frozen (e.g.turn back the clock) better than they did idioms which can be seen in a variety of syntactic forms (e.g.lay down the law). Older children (third and fourth graders) comprehended both kinds of idiom equally well. Moreover, with context, children at all grade levels were better at explaining the figurative meanings of idioms whose literal and idiomatic interpretations were closely related (e.g.hold your tongues) than they were at explaining idioms whose literal and figurative meanings were not closely related (e.g.beat around the bush). Without context there were few significant differences noted in children's understanding of the different kinds of idiom. The significance of these findings for developmental models of idiom comprehension is discussed.

scholarly journals The Development of Causal Reasoning

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Muentener ◽  
Elizabeth Bonawitz
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Causal Reasoning ◽  
Causal Structure ◽  
Statistical Evidence ◽  
Causal Learning ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Very Young Children ◽  
The World

Research on the development of causal reasoning has broadly focused on accomplishing two goals: understanding the origins of causal reasoning, and examining how causal reasoning changes with development. This chapter reviews evidence and theory that aim to fulfill both of these objectives. In the first section, it focuses on the research that explores the possible precedents for recognizing causal events in the world, reviewing evidence for three distinct mechanisms in early causal reasoning: physical launching events, agents and their actions, and covariation information. The second portion of the chapter examines the question of how older children learn about specific causal relationships. It focuses on the role of patterns of statistical evidence in guiding learning about causal structure, suggesting that even very young children leverage strong inductive biases with patterns of data to inform their inferences about causal events, and discussing ways in which children’s spontaneous play supports causal learning.

Whose Children Are We Talking About?

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Siegler
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Fourth Graders ◽  
Third Graders ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Third Way ◽  
Class Inclusion ◽  
Living Things ◽  
Developmental Theories ◽  
Concrete Operational

My children have never looked much like those described in most theories of cognitive development. I don’t mean that they are generally deviant or that they perform abnormally on conservation or class inclusion tasks. They generally seem more or less normal, and on the few occasions when I have presented tasks from the cognitive developmental literature, they have acted pretty much like the children described in the articles. Where my children are altogether different from the theoretical descriptions is in the variability of their thinking. Cognitive developmental theories generally depict age and thought as proceeding in a 1:1 relation. At an early age, children think in one way; at a later age, they think in another way; at a still later age, they think in a third way. Such descriptions are so pervasive that they begin to feel like reality. Young children are said to form thematic concepts; somewhat older ones to form chain concepts; yet older ones to form true concepts. The reasoning of young children is said to be preoperational; that of somewhat older ones concrete operational; that of yet older ones formal operational. Young children are said to have one theory of mind; somewhat older ones a different, more inclusive theory; yet older ones a more advanced theory still. The story is the same with characterizations of performance on specific tasks. In descriptions of the development of the concept of living things, 3- and 4-yearolds are said to think that anything that moves is alive, 5- to 8-year-olds that animals—and only animals—are alive, and older children that plants as well as animals are alive. In descriptions of the development of addition skill, kindergartners are said to count from one; first through third graders to count from the larger addend; fourth graders and older children to retrieve answers from memory. In descriptions of the development of serial recall strategies, 5-year-olds are said not to rehearse; 8-year-olds to rehearse in a simple way; 11-year-olds to rehearse in a more elaborate way. My children’s thinking has never looked as neat and clean as these 1:1 characterizations of the relation between age and thought.

Acquisition of doubly articulated stops among Ga-speaking children

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-146
Author(s):  
Felix Kpogo ◽  
Virginia C. Mueller Gathercole ◽  
Jonathan Nsiah Tetteh
Keyword(s):  
Picture Naming ◽  
Speech Sound ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Better Than

Abstract This study investigates the acquisition of labio-velar stops by Ga-speaking children in Ghana. Such stops were elicited in initial, intervocalic, and pre-lateral positions through a picture naming task. Sixty Ga-dominant and Ga-English children at 5-, 61/2-, and 8-years of age were tested. All age groups showed some difficulty with the doubly articulated stops, but this was relative to voicing, phonological environment, age, and input. Performance on the voiceless labio-velar stop was better than on the voiced labio-velar stop, and better in intervocalic position than in word-initial and pre-lateral positions. Older children performed better than younger children and Ga-dominant children better than Ga-English children. Performance was better when children did not receive a prompt than when they did. Analysis of modifications reveals frequent processes of simplification to labial singleton stops, some voicing changes, and the occurrence of processes of vowel insertion between the stops and /l/. These findings are discussed in terms of universals of speech sound acquisition, the role of input, and the influence of language-specific factors on children’s performance.

What Made Sahar Scared?: Imaginary and Realistic Causes in Palestinian and American Children’s Concept for Fear

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 32-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary H. Kayyal ◽  
Sherri C. Widen
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Palestinian Children ◽  
American Children ◽  
Age And Sex

Young children associate fear with monsters, ghosts, and other imaginary creatures more than with real threats to safety, such as robbers or bullies – at least in Western societies. Cross-cultural studies are rare, are limited to older children, and have not asked if the role of the imagination extends to emotions other than fear. In this study, young Palestinian and American children (60 in each group, 3–7 years, age- and sex-matched) were asked to tell stories in which they generated a cause for fear as well as happiness, sadness, anger and surprise. Imaginary creatures were rarely cited as the cause of any emotion other than fear, but were cited frequently for fear by both Palestinians and Americans. There was also a cultural difference: Palestinians generated significantly fewer imaginary and more realistic causes for fear than did Americans. Thus, imaginary causes are a part of Palestinian children’s fear concept, but imaginary causes are not primary as they are for American children; for Palestinian children, realistic causes are primary in their fear concept.

scholarly journals Children and Adults in Second-Language Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Hadna Suryantari
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Classroom Situation ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Natural Situation ◽  
Better Than

Learning is a process in which people study to acquire or obtain knowledge or skill. Second language learning is a process of internalizing and making sense of a second language after one has an established first language. Learning a second language is different from learning first language. Second language is learnt after one is able to speak and has absorbed knowledge, which influences him  in learning a second language. Most of us believe that children are better than adults in learning second language. This statement is supported by common observation stated that young second-language learners seems to be able to learn another language quickly by exposure without teaching. In this article, the writer tries to present how children and adults in second-language learning based on factors involved in it. Steinberg (2001) states that there are three factors involved in second-language learning. The first is psychological category. It includes intellectual processing which consists of explication and induction process, memory, and motor skills. Then, social situation consists of natural situation and classroom situation. The last is other psychological variables. It consists of ESL or EFL community context, motivation, and attitude. It is complex to determine whether children or adults are better in second-language learning. The common belief that children are better than adults has been proved, although with some qualification regarding the classroom situation. Put another way, adults do not do best in any situation. In the natural situation of language learning, it is determined that young children will do better than adults, and so will older children. It is not even uncommon for young children to learn a second language in a year or less. Therefore, children do better than adults. In the classroom situation, older children will do better than adults. However, young adults will do better than young children to the extent that the young children’s classroom is not a simulation of the natural situation. In the simulation case, young children will do better.

Candy Cigarettes: Do They Encourage Children's Smoking?

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Klein ◽  
Billie Forehand ◽  
Janice Oliveri ◽  
Charlotte J. Patterson ◽  
Janis B. Kupersmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Snack Foods ◽  
Smoking Behaviors ◽  
Children's Attitudes ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Attitudes Toward Smoking

Candy and bubble gum cigarettes are packaged to resemble cigarette brands, and so they may encourage young children to smoke. Two studies of the role of these products in the development of children's attitudes and behaviors toward smoking were conducted. In the first study, six focus group interviews were conducted with 25 children in three age groups (4 through 5, 6 through 8, and 9 through 11 years old). Children in each group were shown five candy and snack foods and asked about their opinions and experiences with each item. In the second study, 195 seventh-grade students in a southeastern city school system were surveyed about their cigarette smoking and candy cigarette use. In the focus groups, candy cigarettes were recognized by most children. Young children played with the candy cigarettes more than with other candy or snack items and made general references to smoking behaviors. Older children made favorable references to smoking behavior; most knew which stores sold candy cigarettes, and many had chosen to buy and use these items, despite parental disapproval. Candy cigarettes may play a role in the development of children's attitudes toward smoking as an acceptable, favorable, or normative behavior. Elimination of these products should be part of efforts to prevent initiation of smoking by children.

Siblings and Salvation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Capp
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Similar Pattern ◽  
Sibling Relationships ◽  
Protestant Reformation ◽  
Essential Dimension ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Very Young Children ◽  
Practical Support

The Protestant Reformation often created divisions within families as well as in the nation at large, making religion an essential dimension of sibling relationships in this period. The chapter opens with the role of older children in the religious upbringing of younger siblings, especially in puritan and Nonconformist families where even very young children sometimes imbibed the spiritual zeal of their parents. Devout adults often felt it their duty to awaken or convert more worldly siblings. The chapter then examines the role of siblings in the survival of the persecuted Catholic community, whether in reclaiming lost sheep, sheltering missionary priests, or dabbling in conspiracy. A similar pattern among persecuted Nonconformists in the Restoration period was reflected in emotional and practical support and solidarity. The chapter ends with a contrasting phenomenon: the ability of blood ties to outweigh denominational differences within families.

scholarly journals Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in young children do not differ significantly from those in older children and adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharline Madera ◽  
Emily Crawford ◽  
Charles Langelier ◽  
Nam K. Tran ◽  
Ed Thornborrow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Reverse Transcription ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Viral Nucleic Acid ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
The Us

AbstractThe role of children in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a matter of urgent debate as societies in the US and abroad consider how to safely reopen schools. Small studies have suggested higher viral loads in young children. Here we present a multicenter investigation on over five thousand SARS-CoV-2 cases confirmed by real-time reverse transcription (RT) PCR assay. Notably, we found no discernable difference in amount of viral nucleic acid among young children and adults.

Speech Intelligibility of Young School-Aged Children in the Presence of Real-Life Classroom Noise

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (07) ◽  
pp. 508-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald G. Jamieson ◽  
Garry Kranjc ◽  
Karen Yu ◽  
William E. Hodgetts
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
School System ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Older Children ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
Better Than

We examined the ability of 40 young children (aged five to eight) to understand speech (monosyllables, spondees, trochees, and trisyllables) when listening in a background of real-life classroom noise. All children had some difficulty understanding speech when the noise was at levels found in many classrooms (i.e., 65 dBA). However, at an intermediate (-6 dB SNR) level, kindergarten and grade 1 children had much more difficulty than did older children. All children performed well in quiet, with results being comparable to or slightly better than those reported in previous studies, suggesting that the task was age appropriate and well understood. These results suggest that the youngest children in the school system, whose classrooms also tend to be among he noisiest, are the most susceptible to the effects of noise.

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