The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
J Learn Disabil. 2022 Mar-Apr;55(2):154-167. doi: 10.1177/0022219420979959. Epub 2020 Dec 22.
Copying characters presented previously (delayed copying) is an important skill in Chinese literacy acquisition. The relations of delayed copying and a set of literacy-related skills (including vocabulary knowledge, rapid automatized naming, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and orthographic awareness), visual-orthographic judgment, motor coordination, pure copying of foreign scripts, and delayed copying to Chinese spelling were examined among 294 typically developing Hong Kong kindergarteners. With all other variables statistically controlled, rapid automatized naming, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic awareness, motor coordination, and delayed copying all uniquely explained Chinese spelling. To further investigate how delayed copying interacts with other skills, path analyses were conducted. The final model showed that vocabulary knowledge, visual-orthographic judgment, and pure copying had indirect effects on spelling through delayed copying. These findings partly support spelling models developed in alphabetic writing systems, but also reflect the uniqueness of Chinese. In addition, results suggest that delayed copying is a unique window into how children learn to write words in Chinese. The potentially critical role of delayed copying in Chinese spelling makes it a potentially good clinical indicator of early spelling proficiency and spelling difficulties.
复制先前呈现的字符（延迟复制）是汉语识字习得的重要技能。本研究考察了 294 名香港幼儿园儿童延迟复制与一系列读写相关技能（包括词汇知识、快速命名自动化、语音意识、形态意识和正字法意识）、视觉-正字法判断、运动协调、外语字母的纯复制和汉字延迟复制之间的关系及其对汉字拼写的影响。在控制了所有其他变量的情况下，快速命名自动化、语音意识、形态意识、正字法意识、运动协调和延迟复制都能独特地解释汉字拼写。为了进一步探讨延迟复制与其他技能的相互作用，进行了路径分析。最终模型显示，词汇知识、视觉-正字法判断和纯复制通过延迟复制对拼写产生间接影响。这些发现部分支持了在字母书写系统中发展起来的拼写模型，但也反映了汉字的独特性。此外，结果表明，延迟复制是了解儿童如何学习用中文书写单词的独特窗口。延迟复制在汉字拼写中的潜在关键作用使其成为早期拼写熟练程度和拼写困难的潜在良好临床指标。
