Shelley Shaul - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Shelley Shaul
International Journal of Psychophysiology, Jun 1, 2012
In recent years many studies have focused on brain activity differences between fluent and dyslex... more In recent years many studies have focused on brain activity differences between fluent and dyslexic readers in order to understand the neural basis of dyslexia. The aim of the current study was to examine the processing of words and pseudo-words in the two hemispheres among dyslexic as compared to fluent readers, using behavioral, and electrophysiological source estimation measures. Two matched groups of university students, fluent and dyslexic readers, performed a lexical decision task in order to examine the processes of word recognition. Dyslexic readers showed overall less activity than fluent readers, mainly during late processing stages. In addition, the distinctive patterns of activity for words and pseudo-words displayed by fluent readers were not apparent in dyslexic readers. In particular, the increased activation of left-hemisphere language areas found in response to pseudo-words was absent in dyslexics. These findings are further evidence of orthographic and phonological impairments in dyslexia.
Reading and Writing, 2004
Abstract. Cross-linguistic studies provide a unique tool for the identification of uni-versal pro... more Abstract. Cross-linguistic studies provide a unique tool for the identification of uni-versal processes in oral and written language, both in development and in breakdown (Annual Review of psychology, 52, 369396). Examining the differential strengths and weaknesses of ...
Children
The working memory system supports learning processes such as acquiring new information and the d... more The working memory system supports learning processes such as acquiring new information and the development of new skills. Working memory has been found to be related to both early literacy and early numeracy in kindergarten and to linguistic and mathematical academic skills at older ages, but the contribution of each of the memory components at these ages is not yet clear. The purpose of this study is to examine the unique connections among the various systems of WM, early literacy, and early numeracy using various assessment tests of simple WM and complex WM, as well as a variety of tasks in math and language skills administered to the same 250 children in kindergarten and 150 children in first grade. Consistent with the predictions, significant relations among all components of memory and mathematics and language knowledge at both ages were found, although these connections were differential for the different types of tasks and memory systems. The connection of complex WM was str...
Child & youth care forum, May 20, 2022
Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An interdisciplinary journal, 2020
Literacy Studies, 2016
Most research on the development of reading has focused on linguistic abilities, such as naming a... more Most research on the development of reading has focused on linguistic abilities, such as naming and phonological awareness, and their role in reading, recent studies have found several specific cognitive dimensions to be associated with the development of early decoding and word recognition skills such as visual attention span, working memory and executive functions. The current study examined the connection between cognitive abilities and reading at the beginning of first grade and at the end of first grade after an intervention program. As well as the cognitive and linguistic profile of children who benefited most from the intervention.
Literacy Studies, 2016
The present study examines the contributions of several different cognitive and literacy skills t... more The present study examines the contributions of several different cognitive and literacy skills to reading fluency in Hebrew among Grade 1 students. The main objective of the study was to examine what predicts word reading fluency at two crucial points during Grade 1: mid-year, before a multi-tiered intervention, and again 12 weeks later at the end of the year, after the intervention. A total of 47 first graders in Israel were assessed on cognitive and literacy tasks before and after an implementation of intervention. Our preliminary results demonstrate that in Hebrew orthography, there is a rapid growth in word reading fluency during Grade 1. One skill, syllable deletion, predicts reading fluency by the middle of Grade 1. By the end of Grade 1, two skills predict word reading fluency: RAN and syllable deletion. The results call attention to the pedagogical need to monitor this skill in Hebrew and emphasize the need to include fluency theoretically in models of reading as well as in related practice of early reading development in Hebrew orthography.
Nature Communications, 2013
Poor reading skills of developmental dyslexics persist into adulthood with standard remediation p... more Poor reading skills of developmental dyslexics persist into adulthood with standard remediation protocols having little effect. Nevertheless, reading improves if readers are induced to read faster. Here we show that this improvement can be enhanced by training. Training follows a multi-session procedure adapted to silent sentence reading, with individually set, increasingly more demanding, time constraints (letter-by-letter masking). In both typical and dyslexic adult readers, reading times are shortened and comprehension improves. After training, the dyslexic readers' performance is similar to that of typical readers; moreover, their connected text reading times and comprehension scores significantly improve in standard reading tests and are retained at 6 months post training. Identical training without time constraints proves ineffective. Our results suggest that fluent reading depends in part on rapid information processing, which then might affect perception, cognitive processing and possibly eye movements. These processes remain malleable in adulthood, even in individuals with developmental dyslexia.
Frontiers in Psychology
Early numeracy and literacy skills are all the knowledge that children acquire spontaneously and ... more Early numeracy and literacy skills are all the knowledge that children acquire spontaneously and independently before entering school and beginning formal learning. This knowledge is essential and forms the basis for the acquisition of reading and arithmetic in school. A bilingual child is a child who is fluent in two languages, as opposed to a monolingual child who is exposed to only one language. Bilingualism has been found to affect verbal and mathematical abilities in children, but only a few studies have focused on the early numeracy and literacy skills of preschoolers. This study examined the connection between early numeracy and literacy skills and among monolingual children as compared to bilingual children in preschool. Three hundred and two children aged 5–6years old were recruited from 74 kindergartens. Participants were divided into two groups: 151 monolingual children who spoke and were exposed to only one language (Hebrew) and 151 bilingual children who spoke and were ...
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021
Many studies have attempted to identify measures that predict reading abilities. The results of t... more Many studies have attempted to identify measures that predict reading abilities. The results of these studies may be inclined to over-identification of children considered at risk in kindergarten but who achieve parity in reading by the end of first grade. Therefore, the current study sought to analyze the specific cognitive and linguistic predictors of reading accuracy and reading speed separately. Additionally, the study examined if it is possible to use empirically validated measures to distinguish between children who are not ready to learn how to read in kindergarten but manage to acquire reading skills by the end of first grade, and those who continue to exhibit difficulties. The study followed 98 kindergarteners (43 boys and 55 girls) aged 4 years 10 months to six years from three different schools, who were taught how to read in kindergarten. Multiple measures of general cognitive skills, linguistic abilities, and reading abilities were measured at three different points in ...
This paper presents study that investigates brain activity (using ERP methodology) of male adoles... more This paper presents study that investigates brain activity (using ERP methodology) of male adolescents when solving short problems in algebra and geometry. The study design links mathematics education research with neuro-cognitive studies. We performed a comparative analysis of brain activity associated with the translation from visual to symbolic representations of mathematical objects in algebra and geometry. The findings demonstrate that electrical activity associated with the performance of geometrical tasks is stronger than that associated with solving algebraic tasks. Additionally, we found different scalp topography of the brain activity associated with algebraic and geometric tasks. Based on these results, we argue that problem solving in algebra and geometry are related to different patterns of brain activity.
Written Language and Literacy
The aim of the current study was two-fold. It aimed (i) to examine how a multi-component task, as... more The aim of the current study was two-fold. It aimed (i) to examine how a multi-component task, as well as more specific executive function (EF) tasks, are related to a wide range of early literacy (phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, word writing) and emergent mathematical abilities; and (ii) to broaden our understanding of the similar (domain-general) or differential (domain-specific) nature of these relations. The study was conducted in the northern part of Israel. Our results indicated that the multi-component task Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders, which taps most EF components (attentional control, inhibition, shifting, and working memory) significantly contributed to most domains of preschool academic development. These included orthographic knowledge and emergent mathematical abilities even after controlling for the role of background cognitive skills. The findings showed that EF tasks have domain-general predictive power for pre-academic abilities that are less automatic...
International Journal of Psychophysiology, Jun 1, 2012
In recent years many studies have focused on brain activity differences between fluent and dyslex... more In recent years many studies have focused on brain activity differences between fluent and dyslexic readers in order to understand the neural basis of dyslexia. The aim of the current study was to examine the processing of words and pseudo-words in the two hemispheres among dyslexic as compared to fluent readers, using behavioral, and electrophysiological source estimation measures. Two matched groups of university students, fluent and dyslexic readers, performed a lexical decision task in order to examine the processes of word recognition. Dyslexic readers showed overall less activity than fluent readers, mainly during late processing stages. In addition, the distinctive patterns of activity for words and pseudo-words displayed by fluent readers were not apparent in dyslexic readers. In particular, the increased activation of left-hemisphere language areas found in response to pseudo-words was absent in dyslexics. These findings are further evidence of orthographic and phonological impairments in dyslexia.
Reading and Writing, 2004
Abstract. Cross-linguistic studies provide a unique tool for the identification of uni-versal pro... more Abstract. Cross-linguistic studies provide a unique tool for the identification of uni-versal processes in oral and written language, both in development and in breakdown (Annual Review of psychology, 52, 369396). Examining the differential strengths and weaknesses of ...
Children
The working memory system supports learning processes such as acquiring new information and the d... more The working memory system supports learning processes such as acquiring new information and the development of new skills. Working memory has been found to be related to both early literacy and early numeracy in kindergarten and to linguistic and mathematical academic skills at older ages, but the contribution of each of the memory components at these ages is not yet clear. The purpose of this study is to examine the unique connections among the various systems of WM, early literacy, and early numeracy using various assessment tests of simple WM and complex WM, as well as a variety of tasks in math and language skills administered to the same 250 children in kindergarten and 150 children in first grade. Consistent with the predictions, significant relations among all components of memory and mathematics and language knowledge at both ages were found, although these connections were differential for the different types of tasks and memory systems. The connection of complex WM was str...
Child & youth care forum, May 20, 2022
Cognition, Brain, Behavior. An interdisciplinary journal, 2020
Literacy Studies, 2016
Most research on the development of reading has focused on linguistic abilities, such as naming a... more Most research on the development of reading has focused on linguistic abilities, such as naming and phonological awareness, and their role in reading, recent studies have found several specific cognitive dimensions to be associated with the development of early decoding and word recognition skills such as visual attention span, working memory and executive functions. The current study examined the connection between cognitive abilities and reading at the beginning of first grade and at the end of first grade after an intervention program. As well as the cognitive and linguistic profile of children who benefited most from the intervention.
Literacy Studies, 2016
The present study examines the contributions of several different cognitive and literacy skills t... more The present study examines the contributions of several different cognitive and literacy skills to reading fluency in Hebrew among Grade 1 students. The main objective of the study was to examine what predicts word reading fluency at two crucial points during Grade 1: mid-year, before a multi-tiered intervention, and again 12 weeks later at the end of the year, after the intervention. A total of 47 first graders in Israel were assessed on cognitive and literacy tasks before and after an implementation of intervention. Our preliminary results demonstrate that in Hebrew orthography, there is a rapid growth in word reading fluency during Grade 1. One skill, syllable deletion, predicts reading fluency by the middle of Grade 1. By the end of Grade 1, two skills predict word reading fluency: RAN and syllable deletion. The results call attention to the pedagogical need to monitor this skill in Hebrew and emphasize the need to include fluency theoretically in models of reading as well as in related practice of early reading development in Hebrew orthography.
Nature Communications, 2013
Poor reading skills of developmental dyslexics persist into adulthood with standard remediation p... more Poor reading skills of developmental dyslexics persist into adulthood with standard remediation protocols having little effect. Nevertheless, reading improves if readers are induced to read faster. Here we show that this improvement can be enhanced by training. Training follows a multi-session procedure adapted to silent sentence reading, with individually set, increasingly more demanding, time constraints (letter-by-letter masking). In both typical and dyslexic adult readers, reading times are shortened and comprehension improves. After training, the dyslexic readers' performance is similar to that of typical readers; moreover, their connected text reading times and comprehension scores significantly improve in standard reading tests and are retained at 6 months post training. Identical training without time constraints proves ineffective. Our results suggest that fluent reading depends in part on rapid information processing, which then might affect perception, cognitive processing and possibly eye movements. These processes remain malleable in adulthood, even in individuals with developmental dyslexia.
Frontiers in Psychology
Early numeracy and literacy skills are all the knowledge that children acquire spontaneously and ... more Early numeracy and literacy skills are all the knowledge that children acquire spontaneously and independently before entering school and beginning formal learning. This knowledge is essential and forms the basis for the acquisition of reading and arithmetic in school. A bilingual child is a child who is fluent in two languages, as opposed to a monolingual child who is exposed to only one language. Bilingualism has been found to affect verbal and mathematical abilities in children, but only a few studies have focused on the early numeracy and literacy skills of preschoolers. This study examined the connection between early numeracy and literacy skills and among monolingual children as compared to bilingual children in preschool. Three hundred and two children aged 5–6years old were recruited from 74 kindergartens. Participants were divided into two groups: 151 monolingual children who spoke and were exposed to only one language (Hebrew) and 151 bilingual children who spoke and were ...
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021
Many studies have attempted to identify measures that predict reading abilities. The results of t... more Many studies have attempted to identify measures that predict reading abilities. The results of these studies may be inclined to over-identification of children considered at risk in kindergarten but who achieve parity in reading by the end of first grade. Therefore, the current study sought to analyze the specific cognitive and linguistic predictors of reading accuracy and reading speed separately. Additionally, the study examined if it is possible to use empirically validated measures to distinguish between children who are not ready to learn how to read in kindergarten but manage to acquire reading skills by the end of first grade, and those who continue to exhibit difficulties. The study followed 98 kindergarteners (43 boys and 55 girls) aged 4 years 10 months to six years from three different schools, who were taught how to read in kindergarten. Multiple measures of general cognitive skills, linguistic abilities, and reading abilities were measured at three different points in ...
This paper presents study that investigates brain activity (using ERP methodology) of male adoles... more This paper presents study that investigates brain activity (using ERP methodology) of male adolescents when solving short problems in algebra and geometry. The study design links mathematics education research with neuro-cognitive studies. We performed a comparative analysis of brain activity associated with the translation from visual to symbolic representations of mathematical objects in algebra and geometry. The findings demonstrate that electrical activity associated with the performance of geometrical tasks is stronger than that associated with solving algebraic tasks. Additionally, we found different scalp topography of the brain activity associated with algebraic and geometric tasks. Based on these results, we argue that problem solving in algebra and geometry are related to different patterns of brain activity.
Written Language and Literacy
The aim of the current study was two-fold. It aimed (i) to examine how a multi-component task, as... more The aim of the current study was two-fold. It aimed (i) to examine how a multi-component task, as well as more specific executive function (EF) tasks, are related to a wide range of early literacy (phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, word writing) and emergent mathematical abilities; and (ii) to broaden our understanding of the similar (domain-general) or differential (domain-specific) nature of these relations. The study was conducted in the northern part of Israel. Our results indicated that the multi-component task Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders, which taps most EF components (attentional control, inhibition, shifting, and working memory) significantly contributed to most domains of preschool academic development. These included orthographic knowledge and emergent mathematical abilities even after controlling for the role of background cognitive skills. The findings showed that EF tasks have domain-general predictive power for pre-academic abilities that are less automatic...