0000000000499668

AUTHOR

Elisabeth Borleffs

Cracking the Code : The Impact of Orthographic Transparency and Morphological-Syllabic Complexity on Reading and Developmental Dyslexia

Reading is an essential skill in modern societies, yet not all learners necessarily become proficient readers. Theoretical concepts (e.g., the orthographic depth hypothesis; the grain size theory) as well as empirical evidence suggest that certain orthographies are easier to learn than others. The present paper reviews the literature on orthographic transparency, morphological complexity, and syllabic complexity of alphabetic languages. These notions are elaborated to show that differences in reading acquisition reflect fundamental differences in the nature of the phonological recoding and reading strategies developing in response to the specific orthography to be learned. The present paper…

research product

Measuring orthographic transparency and morphological-syllabic complexity in alphabetic orthographies

This narrative review discusses quantitative indices measuring differences between alphabetic languages that are related to the process of word recognition. The specific orthography that a child is acquiring has been identified as a central element influencing reading acquisition and dyslexia. However, the development of reliable metrics to measure differences between language scripts hasn’t received much attention so far. This paper therefore reviews metrics proposed in the literature for quantifying orthographic transparency, syllabic complexity, and morphological complexity of alphabetic languages. The review included searches of Web of Science, PubMed, PsychInfo, Google Scholar, and var…

research product

GraphoGame SI: the development of a technology-enhanced literacy learning tool for Standard Indonesian

Early intervention programs are generally considered the most efficient and beneficial approach to providing support to struggling beginning readers. This paper discusses the theoretical background, development, and design of, as well as the first results obtained with, GraphoGame for Standard Indonesian, a technology-enhanced learning environment that trains the basic skills of reading by high but playful exposure to grapheme-phoneme coupling. The results of the pilot study assessing the usability of the program in 69 first-graders show that the more the students with low pre-test phonological skills were exposed to the game, the better their post-test performance on reading and decoding f…

research product

GraphoLearn SI : Digital learning support for reading difficulties in a transparent orthography

Recognition of the importance of evidence-based technological tools that provide personalized learning opportunities is growing. This paper reports on a pilot study evaluating GraphoLearn for Standard Indonesian, a digital game environment that trains basic reading skills by extensive-but-playful exposure to grapheme–phoneme correspondences. The results obtained from 33 Indonesian first graders show that game progress was found to be a significant predictor of reading and decoding abilities both at the posttest and the 5-month follow-up assessment. Our results additionally indicated a significant interaction effect of game progress and letter–sound knowledge at posttest: Progress in the gam…

research product