Exploring the Oral and Written Language Errors Made by Language Disabled Children

The relationship between errors in oral & written language was examined using a picture-naming task. Lang-disabled children (N = 34, aged 3-12) were asked first to name pictured objects, then to identify the same pictures when named for them, & finally to spell the names of selected pictures. The errors were classified according to their phonetic & semantic characteristics. The analysis system provided possible explanations for the incorrect names that are produced. It is suggested that phonetic errors represent a higher level of phonological competence than do semantic errors. Diagnostic & instructional implications of these results are discussed. 2 Tables, 1 Figure, 16 References. AA