scholarly journals Phonological awareness and learning to read in Afrikaans: The role of working memory

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marizel Scheepers ◽  
Salomé Geertsema ◽  
Mia Le Roux ◽  
Marien Graham
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Phonemic Awareness ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Transparent Orthography ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Opaque Orthography

Background: Phonological awareness (PA) skills and working memory (WM) are universally regarded as crucial precursors to skilled reading. The orthography of the language being read influences the ease with which a child learns to read. Research has been undertaken on reading in languages with an opaque orthography. Research on the role of PA and WM in Afrikaans with its transparent orthography is limited.Aim: The study investigated and described the role of WM in the acquisition of PA and ultimately reading in Afrikaans.Setting: The research study was conducted in private schools with Afrikaans as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in Grade 2.Method: A descriptive research design with correlational components was applied.Results: Phonetic decoding was employed more than eidetic decoding. Word reading skills developed rapidly and exceeded the expectations in the first two quarters of the year. Participants who read the comprehension test fluently scored higher on the questions than those who did not read fluently. The correlation between WM and reading comprehension was not statistically significant. The statistically significant correlation between WM and word reading seems to be present in both transparent and opaque orthographies. The statistically significant correlation between PA and word reading was not found in other transparent orthographies. The correlation between phonemic awareness (PhA) and word reading is the same in other orthographies.Conclusion: The statistically significant correlation between WM and word reading indicates that WM supports reading development as the ability to hold information in memory supports phoneme-grapheme associations.

scholarly journals Word recognition strategies amongst isiXhosa/English bilingual learners: The interaction of orthography and language of learning and teaching

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Probert ◽  
Mark De Vos
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Reading Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Skills Transfer ◽  
Transparent Orthography ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Opaque Orthography ◽  
Metalinguistic Skills

Word recognition is a major component of fluent reading and involves an interaction of language structure, orthography, and metalinguistic skills. This study examined reading strategies in isiXhosa and the transfer of these strategies to an additional language, English. IsiXhosa was chosen because of its agglutinative structure and conjunctive orthography. Data was collected at two schools which differed with regards to their language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in the first three years of schooling: isiXhosa and English respectively. Participants completed a wordand pseudo-word reading aloud task in each of two languages which hypothetically impose different cognitive demands. Skills transfer occurs to a limited extent when the language of first literacy uses a transparent orthography, but is less predictable when the language of first literacy uses an opaque orthography. We show that although there is transfer of word recognition strategies from transparent to deep orthographies, felicitous transfer is limited to sublexical strategies; infelicitous transfer also occurs when lexical strategies are transferred in problematic ways. The results support the contention that reading strategies and cognitive skills are fine tuned to particular languages. This study emphasises that literacies in different languages present readers with different structural puzzles which require language-particular suites of cognitive reading skills. Keywords: Foundation phase education; multilingual education; reading; word recognition; automaticity; isiXhosa reading

The impact of language on the relationships between phonological awareness and word reading in different orthographies: A test of the psycholinguistic grain size theory in bilinguals

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1083-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDRA GOTTARDO ◽  
ADRIAN PASQUARELLA ◽  
XI CHEN ◽  
GLORIA RAMIREZ
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
First Language ◽  
Phonological Sensitivity ◽  
English Reading ◽  
Syllable Onset ◽  
Different Orthographies ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe relationships among first language (L1) and second language (L2) phonological awareness and reading skills were examined in English L2 learners with a variety of L1s, specifically Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese (maximum N = 252). Longitudinal and concurrent relations between word reading and subcomponents of phonological awareness (i.e., syllable, onset-rime, phoneme, and, where applicable, tone awareness) were examined in kindergarten and first and second grades. The relationships between reading and specific subcomponents of phonological awareness were associated with the orthography being read, English or the L1. Phonological awareness subcomponents related to English reading were generally similar for the three English L2 groups, despite differences in the orthographies of learners’ native language. The findings support the psycholinguistic grain size theory with regard to links between phonological sensitivity and the sound–symbol correspondences used to read the specific languages.

The Role of Literary Instruction in the Development of Reading and Writing Skills in Spanish as a Heritage Language during Childhood

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-123
Author(s):  
Alejandro Cuza ◽  
Lauren Miller ◽  
Adrian Pasquarella ◽  
Xi Chen
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Learning Program

The present study examines the role of instruction in the development of reading and writing skills in Spanish as a heritage language during childhood. Sixty-six (n=66) Spanish heritage speakers in K-4th grade participated in an 18-week Spanish intervention. The curriculum included the development of phonological awareness, reading fluency and accuracy as well as vocabulary via cognate instruction. Undergraduate students majoring in Spanish conducted the intervention as part of a service-learning program. Standardized measures given to the students before and after the intervention included phonological awareness, receptive vocabulary knowledge, word reading accuracy, and word reading fluency. The treatment group was compared to a group of twenty-five children (n=25) who did not participate in the program. The two groups were matched by age and non-verbal reasoning. Results from pre and post-tests showed significant gains for the treatment group in vocabulary growth, word reading fluency and word reading accuracy. Phonological awareness developed significantly for both groups, but there was no advantage for the experimental group. Overall, the intervention was effective at promoting both Spanish language and literacy skills (Rhoades, 2009). Contextualized and explicit instruction on word reading and decoding, as well as oral language and vocabulary knowledge in Spanish, helped Spanish heritage learners develop academic language and literacy skills in their first/minority language. Furthermore, the results provide strong evidence supporting the efficacy of a service-learning program aimed at facilitating the development of literacy skills among child heritage language learners.

Working Memory Predicts Reading Skills of Children at Risk of Dyslexia

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandhyarani Hawbam
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Children At Risk ◽  
Correlation And Regression Analysis ◽  
Current Thinking ◽  
The Relationship

Working memory enables storage of information in our mind for brief periods and makes it available for current thinking and activities. Many studies have documented the role of working memory in academic achievements. The study examines the relationship between working memory and reading skills among children at risk of dyslexia. It also attempts to see if working memory can significantly predict these reading skills. The study comprises 40 children at risk of dyslexia selected through purposive sampling method. Various standardized tools were used to assess working memory and reading skills of the participants. The data were quantitatively analyzed using correlation and regression analysis methods. The findings of the study show that there is statistically significant relationship between working memory and reading skills among children at risk of dyslexia and working memory can predict reading skills such as reading rate, accuracy and fluency. However no significant relationship was found between working memory and comprehension. It confirms various theories that emphasize on the role working memory in reading. Thus it can be inferred that training targeting working memory may improve reading skills.

scholarly journals A longitudinal study of phonological processing skills and reading in bilingual children

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
ADÈLE LAFRANCE ◽  
ALEXANDRA GOTTARDO
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Naming Speed ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Orthographic Depth ◽  
French And English

French/English bilingual children (N=40) in French language schools participated in an 8-month longitudinal study of the relation between phonological processing skills and reading in French and English. Participants were administered measures of phonological awareness, working memory, naming speed, and reading in both languages. The results of the concurrent analyses show that phonological awareness skills in both French and English were uniquely predictive of reading performance in both languages after accounting for the influences of cognitive ability, reading ability, working memory, and naming speed. These findings support the hypothesis that phonological awareness is strongly related to beginning word reading skill in an alphabetic orthography. The results of the longitudinal analyses also suggest that orthographic depth influences phonological factors related to reading.

scholarly journals Tapping to Music Predicts Literacy Skills of First-Grade Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Kertész ◽  
Ferenc Honbolygó
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Rapid Automatized Naming ◽  
Reading Accuracy

The ability to synchronise one’s movements to the sound of a regular beat has been found to be associated with children’s language and reading abilities. Sensorimotor synchronisation or tapping performance can among other factors [e.g., working memory and rapid automatized naming (RAN)] predict phonological awareness and word reading accuracy and fluency of first graders. While tapping tasks that use a simple metronome sound are more often used, applying musical stimuli has the potential advantage of being more engaging and motivating for children. In the present study, we investigated whether tapping to a metronome beat or complex musical stimuli would predict phonological awareness and reading outcomes of Hungarian 6-7-year olds (N=37). We also measured participants’ general cognitive abilities (RAN, non-verbal intelligence and verbal working memory). Our results show that phonological awareness, spelling and reading accuracy were associated with the musical tasks while reading fluency was predicted by the metronome trials. Our findings suggest that complex musical tasks should be considered when investigating this age group, as they were, in general, more effective in predicting literacy outcomes.

scholarly journals A Cognitive Dimensional Approach to Understanding Shared and Unique Contributions to Reading, Math, and Attention Skills

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda E. Child ◽  
Paul T. Cirino ◽  
Jack M. Fletcher ◽  
Erik G. Willcutt ◽  
Lynn S. Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Dimensional Approach ◽  
Academic Variables ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Skills ◽  
Math Disability

Disorders of reading, math, and attention frequently co-occur in children. However, it is not yet clear which cognitive factors contribute to comorbidities among multiple disorders and which uniquely relate to one, especially because they have rarely been studied as a triad. Thus, the present study considers how reading, math, and attention relate to phonological awareness, numerosity, working memory, and processing speed, all implicated as either unique or shared correlates of these disorders. In response to findings that the attributes of all three disorders exist on a continuum rather than representing qualitatively different groups, this study employed a dimensional approach. Furthermore, we used both timed and untimed academic variables in addition to attention and activity level variables. The results supported the role of working memory and phonological awareness in the overlap among reading, math, and attention, with a limited role of processing speed. Numerosity was related to the comorbidity between math and attention. The results from timed variables and activity level were similar to those from untimed and attention variables, although activity level was less strongly related to cognitive and academic/attention variables. These findings have implications for understanding cognitive deficits that contribute to comorbid reading disability, math disability, and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Small Group Reading Instruction: Activities for Teaching Phonemic Awareness, the Alphabetic Principle, and Phonics in a Tier 2 Setting

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-85
Author(s):  
Victoria S. Henbest
Keyword(s):  
Small Group ◽  
Reading Instruction ◽  
Phonemic Awareness ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Alphabetic Principle ◽  
Small Group Reading ◽  
Explicit And Systematic Instruction

Explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, and phonics are critical for children who are struggling to read words. Further, it is the responsibility of the speech-language pathologist (SLP) to provide intervention for students that present with written language difficulties including those who have not yet been identified as having a disability. This paper serves as a guide for SLPs who aim to improve the word reading skills of young elementary-age students in a small group setting, characteristic of Tier 2 in a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. First, phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, and phonics are defined and their critical roles for success with early word reading are discussed. Next, examples of activities addressing each of these skills are provided including the rationale for each activity, required materials, and additional considerations and/or modifications for students with varying skill levels. The paper concludes with further important considerations when addressing the word reading skills of young struggling readers.

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