ABSTRACT
Abstract Phonological awareness is one of the most important predictors of reading. However, there is still controversy concerning its dimensionality. This study evaluated the dimensionality of phonological awareness among Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children. A total of 212 children performed six phonological awareness tasks in the last year of kindergarten. Of those children, 177 performed the same tasks when they were in the first grade. The phonological awareness measures differed in both their cognitive demand (detection, blending, segmentation, and elision) and the phonological unit involved (rhyme, syllable, and phoneme). Confirmatory factor analyzes were employed to test several models of phonological awareness dimensionality. The results indicated that the best model was an oblique model of phonological units with two correlated latent factors: phonemic awareness and supraphonemic awareness. This model presented the best fit to the data both in kindergarten and in the first grade. In addition, supraphonemic awareness in the kindergarten predicted phoneme awareness in the first grade; however, phonemic awareness in the kindergarten did not predict supraphonemic awareness in the first grade. These results are compatible with phonological awareness developing from larger phonological units (e.g., syllables) to small phonological units (e.g., phonemes) and the reciprocal relationship between phonological awareness and reading. From a theoretical point of view, these results also suggest that phonological awareness is a one-dimensional construct that can be evaluated by tests employing different phonological units (e.g., syllables, rhymes, phonemes).
Subject(s)
AwarenessABSTRACT
This longitudinal study investigates the importance of two methods for the success of the learning of reading and spelling and for the development of the phonemic awareness (PA) ability. It also verifies the contribution of PA and its predictive capacity for literacy learning in Brazilian Portuguese (PB). Two groups of children who started the first year (Mage = 5;10 years), one from a school that adopted a phonic method and the other from a school that adopted a nonphonic method, were followed until the end of the 2nd year, and were assessed on PA, reading and writing in three moments. The main findings of studies in other transparent orthographies are confirmed: PA is a strong predictor of reading and writing. It was also found that in PB the ability to read words is achieved quickly, with both methods, while the learning of writing is influenced significantly by the phonic method.
Este estudo longitudinal investiga a importância de dois métodos de alfabetização para o sucesso da aprendizagem da leitura e da escrita e para o desenvolvimento da habilidade de consciência fonêmica (CF). Verifica ainda a contribuição da CF e sua capacidade preditiva para a alfabetização no português brasileiro (PB). Duas turmas de crianças que iniciavam o 1º ano (Midade = 5;10 anos), uma proveniente de uma escola que adotava método fônico e a outra, de uma escola que adotava um método não fônico, foram seguidas até final do 2º ano, com avaliações de CF, leitura e escrita, aplicadas em três momentos. Os principais achados de estudos em outras ortografias transparentes são confirmados: a CF é um forte preditor da leitura e da escrita. Encontrou-se ainda que no PB a habilidade de leitura de palavras é alcançada rapidamente, com ambos os métodos, ao passo que a aprendizagem da escrita é influenciada significativamente pelo método fônico.
Este estudio longitudinal investiga la importancia de dos métodos de alfabetización en el éxito del aprendizaje de la lectura y la escritura y para el desarrollo de la habilidad de conciencia fonémica (CF). También verifica la contribución de la CF, y su capacidad predictiva, para dicho aprendizaje en portugués brasileño (PB). Dos grupos de niños que empezaban el primer curso (Medad = 5;10 años), uno proveniente de una escuela que adopta un método fónico y la otra, de una escuela que adopta un método no-fónico, fueron seguidos hasta el final del segundo curso, con evaluaciones de CF, lectura y escritura, aplicadas en tres momentos. Los principales hallazgos de estudios en otras ortografías transparentes son confirmados: la CF es un fuerte predictor de la lectura y la escritura. Se ha encontrado que en el PB la habilidad de lectura de palabras se alcanza rápidamente, con ambos métodos, mientras que el aprendizaje de la escritura es influenciado significativamente por el método fónico.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , ChildABSTRACT
Este estudo objetivou verificar as relações entre amplitude visuoatencional (AVA), consciência fonêmica (CF) e desempenho em leitura em uma amostra de 48 alunos de 1º, 3º e 5º anos do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública de São Paulo. As crianças foram avaliadas em três sessões em tarefas de leitura de palavras isoladas, AVA, CF, inteligência não verbal, memória fonológica e limiar de identificação de letras. Os resultados indicam que a AVA e a CF se relacionam com a leitura desde o 1º até o 5º ano e que essas relações são mais fortes no 1º ano, mas continuam tendo um papel relevante no 3º ano e no 5º ano, principalmente na leitura de pseudopalavras e palavras irregulares.
This study aimed to verify the relationship between visual attention span (VAS), phonemic awareness (PA) and reading performance in a sample of 48 students from the 1st, 3rd and 5th grade from a public elementary school in Sao Paulo. Children were assessed in three sessions through a battery of tasks, which included single word reading, VAS, PA, nonverbal intelligence, phonological memory and letter identification threshold. Results showed that the VAS and PA correlated with performance in reading from 1st to 5th grade, and they play a more important role at 1st grade, but remain relevant in 3rd and 5th grade, especially in the reading of nonwords and irregular words.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child , Reading , Attention , Awareness/physiology , Phonetics , Students , Education, Primary and Secondary , Educational Status , Language DevelopmentABSTRACT
El objetivo del estudio fue describir el desempeño de conciencia fonológica en escolares que inician primero básico. El grupo de estudio estaba constituido por 100 niños chilenos1 de nivel socioeconómico bajo, pertenecientes a colegios municipales y particulares subvencionados de la Región Metropolitana. Se evaluó el desempeño, mediante la prueba de conciencia fonológica. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que al iniciar primero básico, un 56 por ciento de los escolares presenta un desarrollo de conciencia fonológica bajo el promedio esperado para su edad. Por otra parte el análisis del desempeño de cada subprueba muestra diferencias significativas asociadas a la complejidad de las tarea.
The aim of this study was to describe the phonological awareness performance in students starting first grade in elementary school, considering the type educational institution they attend. The study group consisted of 100 Chilean children, low socioeconomic status, enrolled in public schools and state-funded private schools in the Metropolitan Region. The development of phonological awareness was assessed using a test for phonological awareness. The results show that, at the beginning of first grade, 56 percent of students show a low development of phonological awareness. In addition, the analysis of the level of performance on each sub-test shows significant differences linked to the complexity of the tasks. Furthermore, it was found that students attending state-funded private schools performed better in phonological awareness than students in public schools.