This book aims to contribute to a growing interest amongst psycholinguists and morphologists in the mechanisms of meaning predictability. It presents a brand-new model of the meaning-prediction of novel, context-free naming units, relating the wordformation and wordinterpretation processes. Unlike previous studies, mostly focussed on N+N compounds, the scope of this book is much wider. It not only covers all types of complex words, but also discusses a whole range of predictability-boosting and -reducing conditions. Two measures are introduced, the Predictability Rate and the Objectified Predictability Rate, in order to compare the strength of predictable readings both within a word and relative to the most predictable readings of other coinages. Four extensive experiments indicate inter alia the equal predicting capacity of native and non-native speakers, the close interconnection between linguistic and extra-linguistic factors, the important role of prototypical semes, and the usual dominance of a single central reading.

"This book has it all. Neurology, heredity, cognition, motivation, prevention, assessment, intervention, and policy are just some of the topics covered in this comprehensive guide examining the links between language and literacy learning. This is a 'must-have' book for anyone who is interested in reading and writing development and disorders. As a sourcebook for researchers and a text for graduate-level seminars in literacy, special education, and speech and language, it is without equal."--Steve Graham, EdD, Department of Special Education, University of Maryland

The prevalent on-demand services that are available in other walks of life must be adapted to the education and learning field if training departments are to be successful in the new millennium. As our affinity for technology and on-demand service and satisfaction grows, this culture will permeate itself in other parts of life. In particular, learners will demand equal capability for their personal and professional development.