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- Title
Dynamics of mirror writing compared to conventional writing in typical preliterate children.
- Authors
Portex, Marine; Hélin, Carolane; Ponce, Corinne; Foulin, Jean-Noël
- Abstract
In left-to-right writing cultures, spontaneous mirror writing of letters and digits in preliterate children appears more frequently on left-than right-facing characters. A compelling theory drawn on neuropsychological evidence of mirror generalization suggests that children resort to a right-orienting/writing rule when learning to write. The aim of the present study was to conceptually replicate and specify recent findings (Fischer, <xref>2017a</xref>) on the predominant contribution of writing directionality to mirror writing in preliterate children. A training study was designed to compare on-line production of conventional versus mirror writing of 4-to-5 year-old French children (n = 30). Over a 4-week period, children were taught to write from memory words and digits. During a subsequent writing-from-memory task, a spatial constraint (Cornell, <xref>1985</xref>) was imposed to elicit paired conventional and mirror writing of the words/digits. Spatial and kinematic data were recorded through the use of a digital pen. The results indicate a main contribution of writing directionality to letter and digit reversals. Furthermore, kinematic equivalence between conventional and mirror writing supports the neurological mirror generalization process in children. Overall, these results constitute a further illustration that the manifestation of mirror writing in typically developing children is culture-bound.
- Subjects
HANDWRITING; NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL tests; MIRROR-writing; HANDEDNESS; COGNITIVE processing of language
- Publication
Reading & Writing, 2018, Vol 31, Issue 6, p1435
- ISSN
0922-4777
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11145-018-9838-5