Disponibilidad léxica en estudiantes de primero básico

Abstract

The article presents the results of a research experience on the index of lexical availability in 1st grade students from a subsidized school in of Talca city. Centers of interest were selected from the Panhispánico Project to gather the required information. These centers are the standards for assessing childreńs level of semantic development according their age. In addition, students̈ gender was considered as an independent variable. Data analysis was conducted using a specialized software to calculate vocabulary indexes and frequencies. Findings indicate that the index of lexical availability is greater in girls than boys, while boys display in average a larger number of oral words produced. Implications of these results on instruction and their impact on language development are discussed in this writing.