Writing Times in Three Digit Numerals: Relation between Timesand Syntactic Structure of Verbal Expressions Dictated

Abstract

Objective. This study evaluates in three-digit numerals how the writing times between digits (Inter Digit Jump – IDJ) adjust to the predictions deduced from the transcoding models proposed by Power and Dal Martello (1990) and Barrouillet, Camos, Perruchet and Seron (2004), who explain the writing of numerals in children. Method. The study had the participation of twenty five (25) first grade children who wrote down spoken verbal numerals in three-digit numerals correctly; the duration of the Inter-Digit Jump was analyzed for four types of numerals during the course of four sessions. Results. The results of the ANOVAs showed that in the four types of numerals, the duration in the first IDJ is greater than in the second IDJ, and that the shortest durations tended to take place prior to writing the zero digit. Conclusion. These findings best fit the predictions based on the model by Barrouliet et al., (2004), which assumes that the chain of digits is produced and stored in a buffer to be subsequently produced by the graphomotor procedures, showing that in three-digit numerals the IDJ duration reflects more the production program than the syntactic structure of the verbal numerals dictated.