Habilidades prelectoras en niños uruguayos de diferente nivel socioeconómico / Differential pre-literacy skills development in Uruguayan children from different socioeconomic backgrounds

Resumen El objetivo del presente estudio fue comparar las habilidades prelectoras en 50 preescolares uruguayos de 5 años de edad de diferente nivel socioeconómico (NSE) y analizar el impacto de estas habilidades en el aprendizaje de la lectura. Para ello, se evaluó a los niños mediante pruebas de vocabulario receptivo, conciencia fonológica, conocimiento sobre el nombre y el sonido de las letras, y denominación rápida de objetos a fin del nivel preescolar Tiempo 1 (T1). Un año más tarde, se evaluó a un subgrupo de la muestra inicial mediante una prueba de lectura de palabras Tiempo 2 (T2). Los resultados señalaron la existencia de correlaciones significativas entre los predictores (T1) y la lectura de palabras (T2) y entre todas las variables evaluadas y el nivel socioeconómico de los niños. La comparación del desempeño intergrupal señaló la existencia de diferencias significativas en todas las habilidades evaluadas a favor del nivel socioeconómico medio. Sin embargo, el desempeño en la lectura de palabras de ambos grupos fue bajo. Por otra parte, un análisis de regresión mostró que, para los niños de nivel socioeconómico bajo, el nivel de conciencia fonológica fue el que explicó la mayor parte de la varianza en la eficiencia lectora. El nivel de lectura de los niños de nivel socioeconómico medio fue mayormente explicado por el conocimiento del nombre de las letras. Los resultados ponen en evidencia la importancia de atender a las diferencias que se generan temprano en el desarrollo de habilidades lingüísticas fundamentales para aprender a leer.

Abstract Learning to read transforms lives. Reading contributes to knowledge acquisition, cultural engagement, and success in the school. The unequal distribution of literacy skills in a society is associated with economic and social inequalities as a result, children with a poor foundation in literacy before entering formal schooling are more likely to struggle academically and to drop out of school. For these reasons, there has been an intense scientific interest for decades in understanding how children learn to read. It is well established that in the early stages of reading development, phonological awareness, letter name-sounds knowledge, and the naming speed are three independent longitudinal predictors of children's later word-reading skills in alphabetic-writing systems. Phonological awareness constitutes the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of their own language, meanwhile letter knowledge promotes the discovery of systematic relationships between writing and oral language. As early readers develop some level of phonological awareness and some level of letter knowledge, they can recognize written words through phonological recoding processes, in which graphemes are recoded as phonemes and assembled to pronounce words. In addition, rapid naming expresses the speed at which phonological information is accessed from a graphic label. Phonological processing and letter knowledge are powerfully affected by the experience, stimulation, and support that children receive before beginning formal education. Most children acquire these abilities relatively effortlessly during early childhood. However, there is a significant number of children in Latin America who experience difficulties in their pre-literacy skills development. This study examined the cognitive profiles of a total of 50 Uruguayan preschoolers from different socioeconomic backgrounds from two public schools in Montevideo, Uruguay. Twenty-six children from low-income households were compared to peers from middle-income. At the end of the pre-schooling period (time 1) receptive vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter name-sounds knowledge, and object naming speed tests were administered to children. One year later (time 2), word -reading of a subgroup of children was measured. Significant correlations were observed between all predictors at time 1; between predictors at time 1 and word reading at time 2; and between all measured abilities and socioeconomic status. Comparative analysis between children of different socioeconomic status showed that children growing up in poverty contexts performed more poorly than their peers from middle-income families in all the tests. Nonetheless, both groups performed poorly in word reading. Descriptive statistics indicated that, out of a total of 26 words, low SES children correctly read a total of 7 words per minute, and medium SES children a total of 14 words. Finally, regression analyses indicated that phonological awareness contributed 30 % variance in predicting the total score achieved in a reading-word test in children of low-income families, meanwhile letter name knowledge contributed 74 % variance in predicting the total score achieved in a reading-word test in their peers from middle-income families. In general terms, results of pre-reading skills and reading performance seem to indicate that children of different socioeconomic status use different word recognition strategies according to their level of letter-knowledge of and phonological processing. Discussion considers international literature pointing out that children who enter elementary school with limited reading-related skills are unlikely to be able to keep pace with their peers. These findings warn about the importance to elaborate systematic and high-quality educational proposals to try to reduce the gap in reading development for children from low-income families. Developing literacy and language skills before formal schooling sets a child up for success in school and life. Results also suggest the importance of analyzing the variables that affect reading development in populations that are not the majority described.

Adaptation and validation into Spanish of the Workplace Dignity Scale / Adaptación y validación al español de la Escala Dignidad en el Trabajo

Abstract Introduction and objective: Workers contend with many threats while performing their daily routine that could undermine their dignity, such as denigrating comments from supervisors or co-workers. Denying workers' dignity constitutes a direct threat towards their well-being. The aim of this paper is to adapt and validate the Spanish version of the Workplace Dignity Scale (WDS). Method: An instrumental design was executed in order to adapt the scale to Spanish with a Mexican population (N = 588). Following back-translation, three studies were conducted in which confirmatory factor analysis, correlations, regressions, and invariance analysis were applied. Results: The results showed that the Spanish adaptation conforms to the six-factor structure of the original scale and that organisational dehumanisation and workers' self-objectification predicted dignity at work; with workers' self-objectification being the variable that most strongly predicted workers' dignity. Finally, we also evaluated measurement invariance comparing our data with the results of the original scale. In general, results indicated that even when the Spanish version of the WDS presented an adequate factor structure, its measurement presented different factor loadings and slopes compared with the measurement of the original scale. Conclusions: In general, we have an instrument adapted to the Mexican context that allows us to evaluate workers' sense of dignity in the workplace.

Resumen Introducción y objetivo: Los trabajadores pueden enfrentar muchas amenazas mientras realizan su rutina diaria que podrían socavar su dignidad, como comentarios denigrantes de supervisores o compañeros de trabajo. Negar la dignidad de los trabajadores constituye una amenaza directa para su bienestar. El objetivo de este artículo fue adaptar y validar la versión en español de la Workplace Dignity Scale (WDS). Método: Se realizó un diseño instrumental con el fin de adaptar la escala al español con población mexicana (N = 588). Después de realizar una traducción inversa, se realizaron tres estudios donde se aplicaron análisis factoriales confirmatorios, correlaciones, regresiones y un análisis de invarianza. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que la adaptación al español se ajusta a la estructura de seis factores de la escala original y que la deshumanización organizacional y la auto-objetivación de los trabajadores predecían la dignidad en el trabajo; siendo la auto-objetivación de los trabajadores la variable que predecía en mayor medida la dignidad de los trabajadores. Finalmente, también se evaluó la invariancia de medición comparando nuestros datos con los resultados de la escala original. En general, los resultados indicaron que aun cuando la versión en español de la WDS presentaba una estructura factorial adecuada, su medición presentaba cargas factoriales y pendientes diferentes en comparación con la medición de la escala original. Conclusiones: En general, contamos con un instrumento adaptado al contexto mexicano que nos permite evaluar el sentido de dignidad de los trabajadores en el lugar de trabajo.

Consideraciones sobre la enseñanza de las falsas cognadas en la disciplina Inglés en Ciencias Médicas / Consideration about the teaching of the false cognate words in the English Discipline in Medical Sciences

Introducción: Una de las particularidades que ha distinguido el lenguaje médico en el siglo XXI es el predominio del idioma inglés como lengua internacional de la Medicina. La Medicina es un campo del saber amplio y multidisciplinar, por lo que hay que tener en cuenta el significado exacto de las palabras en el contexto de que se trate, de aquí que la traducción correcta de las falsas cognadas del inglés al español es fundamental para la comprensión. Objetivo: Exponer algunas consideraciones sobre la enseñanza de las falsas cognadas en la disciplina Inglés en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas. Material y Método: La información se obtuvo mediante métodos teóricos de análisis y síntesis de revisiones documentales y bibliográficas sobre el tema. Desarrollo: La traducción inadecuada de las falsas cognadas conduce a un proceso de erosión y empobrecimiento progresivo de nuestra lengua materna, y en no pocas ocasiones transmite un sentido erróneo de lo que se comunica. Conclusiones: El uso correcto de las falsas cognadas es un aspecto esencial para una comunicación eficiente. Esto sugiere que la enseñaza de las falsas cognadas tiene que ser integrada con otros aspectos lingüísticos para que el estudiante aprenda a reconocer y a utilizar estas palabras, ya que el uso preciso de la terminología influye decisivamente en el ejercicio profesional(AU)

Introduction: One of the peculiarities that have characterized the medical area in the 21st century is the predominance of English as an international language. Medicine is an ample and multidisciplinary field of study, so it is necessary to take into account the precise meaning of words according to the context. In this regard, the accurate translation of false cognates from English to Spanish is indispensable for a correct comprehension. Objective: To take into consideration the teaching of false cognate words in the English Discipline in the University of Medical Sciences. Material and Methods: The information was obtained by means of theoretical methods of analysis and synthesis of bibliographic review on the topic. Development: The incorrect translation of false cognate words leads to a process of gradual erosion of our mother tongue, and in many cases, it conveys a wrong meaning. Conclusions: The correct use of false cognate words is essential for an effective communication. In this sense, the teaching of false cognates has to be incorporated to the syllabus, along with other linguistic aspects, for the students to learn how to recognize and use these words, as the precise use of terminology is crucial for a good professional performance(AU)