Estrutura e coerência da narrativa oral de crianças com transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade

Performance of preschool and schoolchildren on the ProNOH protocol: macrostructure aspects

PURPOSE

To investigate if the narrative score of the ProNOH protocol allows for discriminating age groups, as well as its relation with the global coherence level of the story. The performance of preschool and schoolchildren on the macrostructure aspects.

METHODS

Participants were 97 preschoolers and schoolchildren with typical language development, aged between five and 12 years old, and both sexes who attended public schools. The "Protocolo de Avaliação da Narrativa Oral de História (ProNOH)" (Protocol for the Evaluation of Oral Storytelling) was applied and the narrative score in the macrostructure dimension was calculated with story grammar elements. These same story elements were used to obtain the global coherence level of the story, as proposed by Spinillo and Martins (1997).

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference was found between age groups, mainly between the borderline ages of 5-6 years, 7-8 years, 9-10 years, and 11-12 years. Positive and statistically significant correlations were found between the narrative score and global coherence and age, as well as between the narrative score and global coherence.

CONCLUSION

The protocol proved to be useful for identifying the repertoire of typical story grammar elements as an objective measure that differs in oral narrative across age groups. The results also indicate that the narrative score can provide an idea about the global coherence of the story, although this value does not replace a specific analysis.

Do vocabulary and narrative skills correlate in preschoolers with typical language development?

PURPOSE

To characterize the performance of preschoolers with typical language development in tasks of expressive vocabulary and oral narrative and to verify possible correlations.

METHODS

The study included 39 children aged 4 to 6 years old, of both genders, with no complaints about language development. Mothers answered a questionnaire of socioeconomic classification, while the ABFW Vocabulary Test was used to evaluate the vocabulary and the book "Frog, where are you?" was used to elicit the child's oral narrative. The data collected were submitted to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Regarding expressive vocabulary, the majority of preschoolers (92.3%) had the usual verbal designation (UVD) suitable for the age group, and the semantic fields with the highest UVD were "animals", "shapes and colors", "toys and musical instruments", "transportation" and those with children were "professions" and "local". The predominant type of narrative was causal, followed by intentional. There was no correlation between UVD and the use of words in the narratives, but there was a positive correlation between the total and the number of different words used in the narrative.

CONCLUSION

There was no correlation between the expressive vocabulary (UVD) and the use of words in the narrative, but the preschoolers who used more words in their narratives also showed greater lexical variety in this sample.