The relationship between semantic flexibility and word reading in Chinese children

Abstract

Chinese writing system is more reliable in terms of semantic-orthographic link than phonological-orthographic link. We suggest that flexibly using semantic cues in language is essential in Chinese word recognition in beginning readers, which was supported by the current study among 45 children at risk of dyslexia and 51 with average reading abilities using two semantic flexibility tasks. Children at risk of dyslexia showed significantly poorer performances in homophone comprehension and using semantic radicals as cues to learn characters. Results of regression models indicate flexibly using semantic radicals as cues uniquely contributed to word recognition. Theoretical and educational implications were discussed.