Word Retrieval Problems

"Gosh....it's on the tip of my tongue....."

The term "word retrieval" refers to the processes involved in mentally identifying and then producing the word or words necessary to express a thought or name an object.

Word retrieval difficulties sometimes occur in isolation, but they are often accompanied by problems in other areas of language function. Students with a wide variety of learning issues frequently are found to have word retrieval problems. These include students with learning and/or language disabilities, reading disability, ADHD, fluency disorders, or brain injuries. Word retrieval problems are particularly associated with the "language zones" of the left hemisphere of the brain and parts of the frontal lobes.

Parents are often confused about what to do to help a child that has word retrieval difficulties. It's important to realize that this is not a vocabulary issue that will be fixed by exposing your child to new vocabulary words. Rather, it is that the student knows and understands the word or words, and has correctly used the words before. Their brain is just slow to pull up those words. Like many other brain functions, regular practice can improve the brain's ability to retrieve words quickly and accurately.

Some activities you can do with your child to help with word retrieval include:

Read riddle books or other books that play with words.

Play word classification games.

Play synonym and antonym games.

Tell how things are the same and different.

A psychologist or speech-language pathologist can help to identify or remediate word retrieval problems. At Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers, we have found that our work to develop visualizing and verbalizing skills can also prove useful in the development of language skills in general.

Jacksen: A Star Student

Jacksen came to Langsford Center with an amazing thirst to learn. He came in each day with a dazzling smile and ready to work. Dad, in a conversation with Jacksen's Learning Coordinator, shared that after three short weeks he knew they were in the right place for Jacksen.

Jacksen improved his reading significantly while here, and school reported that his reading rate had increased from 47 WPM (words per minute) to 87 WPM in just 4 months time! Since 90 WPM is the goal for the end of 2nd grade, Jacksen was right on target. With the improvement he made while here, coupled with the practice he's getting this summer, Jacksen should be able to start 3rd grade feeling confident and capable.

Good job, Jacksen!

More on Brain Rewiring

We know that brain scans have proven remedial instruction in reading can improve one's decoding skills. But what about spelling? Can remedial work in spelling rewire the brain in the same fashion? Research indicates it can!

Researchers have found that humans code words in three forms while learning to spell. Each of the three draw on different, unique brain circuits. The brain codes words by their sound (phonology), the parts of the words that signal meaning and grammar (morphology), and by their visual or written form (orthography).

Research indicates that it is work related to the orthography of words that leads to changes in the brain. Orthographic instruction should include strategies for focusing on and remembering the letters in written words. This type of instruction has been proven to alter brain activity, causing poor spellers' brain scans to more closely resemble scans of good spellers. I'm happy to report that it is an orthographic approach that Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers use to improve spelling!

For more information on this research, click here.

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

Where Your Child is Our Center!

(502) 473-7000

Brain Rewiring in Children

"GET HELP WITH YOUR READING! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!"

Exciting news for struggling readers! A recent article in Science Daily discusses how scientists have uncovered evidence that intensive instruction to improve reading skills in young children causes the brain to physically rewire itself.

Researchers report that a study using brain imagery to compare the brains of good readers and poor readers showed that the quality of white matter (brain tissue that carries signals between areas of the brain where information is processed) improved substantially for poor readers who received 100 hours of remedial instruction.

The study showed a direct correlation between this improvement and improved reading skills. More specifically, the amount of change in the white matter was directly related to the amount of increase in phonological decoding ability!

Still skeptical? The control group, which contained both good and poor readers, did not receive the remedial instruction and their brain scans did not show any changes. This lack of change shows that the changes in the treated group cannot be attributed to natural maturation during the course of the study.

If you'd like information on the remedial instruction offered at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers, please contact us.

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

Where Your Child is Our Center

weteachreading.com

(502) 473-7000

For Fun!

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.

~Groucho Marx