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Cohesive harmony in the written stories of elementary children

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Abstract

The use of cohesion in the written stories of normally developing and language-learning disabled elementary children was studied using Cohesive Harmony Analysis. The proportion of words in chains (cohesive density) and chain interaction (cohesive harmony) was consistent across the elementary years. However, children with language-learning disabilities evidenced significantly less cohesive density and cohesive harmony, and they included significantly fewer characters and fewer types of verbal processes in their stories. Educational implications are discussed.

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Hedberg, N.L., Fink, R.J. Cohesive harmony in the written stories of elementary children. Read Writ 8, 73–86 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00423926

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