Teleneuropsychology intervention in phonological awareness for children with specific learning disorder with reading and mathematical difficulties.

Specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 5-15% of school-aged children worldwide. Often, difficulties in reading (SLD-RD) and mathematics (SLD-MD) occur together. Deficits in phonological awareness (PA) have been identified as the common factor between the two difficulties. Intervention in PA has been shown to be effective in SLD-RD; however, it is not clear whether it is also effective in SLD-MD. Neuropsychological intervention is usually conducted face-to-face, but when the patient is in a remote location or during extraordinary situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, tele neuropsychology (TeleNP) may be a suitable alternative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a telerehabilitation program for PA to improve math skills in children with SLD-RD/SLD-MD. The study had an N-of-1 SCED design, and included six children aged 10-12 years with SLD-RD/SLD-MD. After four baseline measurements with an arithmetic verification paradigm, they were treated with TeleNP-PA. The effect on each participant was evaluated using visual analysis and the reliable change index. After the intervention, all participants showed improvement in arithmetic tasks, suggesting that the PA intervention had a positive influence on these skills.

Impact of reading intervention on the phonological awareness of children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose To review studies that have intervention in reading with impacts on phonological awareness in children with autism spectrum disorder. Research strategies Searches took place until February 2021 in Cochrane, Embase, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and gray literature databases. Selection criteria The review included experimental studies with preschoolers and schoolchildren with ASD. Two independent reviewers selected the studies and, in case of disagreement, a third reviewer was consulted. Data analysis Joanna Briggs Institute checklists were used for risk of bias. A random effects meta-analysis was performed and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool. Results Eight studies with some impact on phonological awareness were reviewed. The risk of bias was low and moderate. The certainty of the evidence was low for randomized trials and very low for non-randomised trials. Comparison of pre- and post-therapy on the Preschool Literacy Test (TOPEL) showed that children with ASD improved phonological awareness, with a mean difference between baseline and post-therapy of 6.21 (95% CI = 3.75-8.67; I2 = 0%). Conclusion Shared reading and software activities with words and phrases can alter phonological awareness. These results support further research with larger samples and a detailed description of the intervention to observe its effectiveness in phonological awareness.

The relationship between morphological awareness and word reading in Brazilian Portuguese: a longitudinal study.

Studies have provided evidence that morphological awareness contributes to word reading in opaque languages such as English. However, this relationship is not yet established for Brazilian Portuguese, a much less opaque language. The present study performed a longitudinal investigation of the relationship between morphological awareness and word reading in 162 children from 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. The children were evaluated in the final quarter of the respective school year (time 1) and 1 year later (time 2). Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for intelligence, phonological awareness, and phonological working memory were conducted. The hierarchical regression analyses were followed up by cross-lagged panel correlations, and both results converged to word reading measured in the 2nd and 3rd grades contributing to morphological awareness 1 year later. In addition, morphological awareness measured in the 4th grade contributed to word reading 1 year later. The greater transparency of Brazilian Portuguese may make morphological awareness less important for word reading in the early grades; however, in older children, morphological awareness is important for word reading performance.

Study of a set of reading precursors among Chilean children with Down syndrome.

Learning to read for children with Down syndrome is relevant because of the impact this ability has on learning and the development of autonomy. Previous research has described reading development in this population, but it is not clear if the process and precursors are the same in a transparent language like Spanish. This study explores performance in a set of precursors (phonological awareness, visual recognition, vocabulary, letter knowledge and verbal reasoning) in 42 children with Down syndrome between 6:0 and 10:11 years. We hypothesized that the participants would have a lower performance than previously reported with children with typical development, particularly in tasks of phonological awareness, because the method for reading instruction in Chile with this population is usually the global method. Our results show that the precursors improve with age, that there are differences in performance between the skills assessed, and the ceiling effect was not observed as would be expected for children with typical development for the abilities assessed at these ages, which suggests that in the children assessed the precursors are not consolidated at these ages. These results suggest that the stimulation of phonological awareness and other reading precursors in children with Down syndrome is important for reading development.

The relationship between morphological awareness and word reading in Brazilian Portuguese: a longitudinal study

Abstract Studies have provided evidence that morphological awareness contributes to word reading in opaque languages such as English. However, this relationship is not yet established for Brazilian Portuguese, a much less opaque language. The present study performed a longitudinal investigation of the relationship between morphological awareness and word reading in 162 children from 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. The children were evaluated in the final quarter of the respective school year (time 1) and 1 year later (time 2). Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for intelligence, phonological awareness, and phonological working memory were conducted. The hierarchical regression analyses were followed up by cross-lagged panel correlations, and both results converged to word reading measured in the 2nd and 3rd grades contributing to morphological awareness 1 year later. In addition, morphological awareness measured in the 4th grade contributed to word reading 1 year later. The greater transparency of Brazilian Portuguese may make morphological awareness less important for word reading in the early grades; however, in older children, morphological awareness is important for word reading performance.

Adaptação e validade de conteúdo da prova de consciência fonológica para Moçambique / Adaptation and content validity of the phonological awareness test for Mozambique / Adaptación y validez de contenido de la prueba de conciencia fonológica para Mozambique

Phonological awareness is a very important skill for performance in reading, writing and mathematics, suggesting that it is monitored and evaluated preferably during preschool as a form of early intervention to prevent learning disabilities after formal education. However, for its assessment it is necessary to have qualified instruments and in Mozambique there is none that assesses this skill. Therefore, this study aimed to culturally adapt the Phonological Awareness Test by Oral production to the Mozambican context and was carried out in two phases: semantic equivalence and content validation. The Content Validity Index was 0.96, although it is considered excellent, further studies need to be carried out to verify other parameters of validity, reliability and standardization. It is expected that the instrument contributes to evaluation and that above all, the skill is part of the activities of stimulation and intervention in preschoolers.

A consciência fonológica é uma habilidade muito importante para o desempenho em leitura, escrita e matemática, sugerindo-se que seja monitorada e avaliada preferencialmente durante a pré-escola como forma de intervenção precoce para prevenção de dificuldades de aprendizagem após o ensino formal. Contudo, para sua avaliação é necessário ter instrumentos qualificados e em Moçambique não existe nenhum que avalia esta habilidade. Portanto, este estudo teve objetivo de realizar adaptação cultural da Prova de Consciência Fonológica por produção Oral para o contexto moçambicano e foi realizado em duas fases: equivalência semântica e validação de conteúdo. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo foi de 0,96, embora seja considerado ótimo, estudos posteriores precisam ser realizados para verificar outros parâmetros de validade, fidedignidade e normatização. Espera-se que o instrumento contribua para avaliação e que acima de tudo a habilidade faça parte das atividades de estimulação e intervenção em pré-escolares.

La conciencia fonológica es una habilidad muy importante para el desempeño en lectura, escritura y matemáticas, lo que sugiere que se monitorea y evalúa preferiblemente durante el preescolar como una forma de intervención temprana para prevenir dificultades de aprendizaje después de la educación formal. Sin embargo, para su evaluación es necesario contar con instrumentos calificados y en Mozambique no hay ninguno que evalúe esta habilidad. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo como objetivo adaptar culturalmente el Test de Conciencia Fonológica por Producción Oral al contexto de Mozambique y se llevó a cabo en dos fases: equivalencia semántica y validación de contenido. El Índice de Validez de Contenido fue de 0.96, aunque se considera excelente, es necesario realizar más estudios para verificar otros parámetros de validez, confiabilidad y estandarización. Se espera que el instrumento contribuya a la evaluación y que sobre todo, la habilidad sea parte de las actividades de estimulación e intervención en preescolares.

Creativity and its relationship with intelligence and reading skills in children: an exploratory study.

Creativity, intelligence, and reading skills such as phonological awareness and decoding in reading can be critical to academic success, especially during childhood. Thus, this study aimed to characterize creativity, intelligence, phonological awareness, and reading decoding and verify possible relationships between creativity and these skills. The sample consisted of 75 children divided between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades of municipal public schools in the Brazilian context. The results indicated the gradual evolution of creativity, intelligence, phonological awareness, and reading decoding in children from the 1st to the 3rd year, especially for the performance of the 3rd year. Correlations between creativity with intelligence and reading skills were also evidenced for all three classes, with the 3rd year with stronger correlations, which are promising results for these relationships. The study of creativity is still a recent field for empirical investigations and deserves future investigations for a better understanding of these constructs in this population.

Efectividad de la estimulación de la conciencia fonológica en preescolares: una revisión sistemática / Effectiveness of phonological awareness stimulation in preschoolers: a systematic review

La conciencia fonológica es un predictor importante del aprendizaje de la lectoescritura. Se han desarrollado y probado diferentes programas para su estimulación, sin embargo, el grado de variabilidad entre los métodos utilizados dificulta la comparación de resultados. Es necesaria una síntesis de la literatura para analizar la efectividad de programas de estimulación de la conciencia fonológica, que considere la variabilidad existente entre metodologías. Se planteó una revisión con los siguientes objetivos:1) sintetizar la literatura sobre estudios que investigan programas de estimulación de la conciencia fonológica en niños con desarrollo típico; 2) examinar la eficacia de dichos programas; 3) evaluar críticamente su metodología.Para esta investigación bibliográfica se utilizaron las siguientes bases de datos: Central, Medline, Pubmed, Scopus y Web of Knowledge. Diez artículos cumplieron con los criterios de elegibilidad establecidos y fueron incluidos en el presente estudio. En general, los resultados mostraron la efectividad de los programas de estimulación de conciencia fonológica utilizados. Sin embargo, la calidad metodológica es variable entre los estudios; esto incluye una falta de detalle en cuanto a los criterios de inclusión, capacitación limitada de los/las profesionales que llevaron a cabo los programas de CF, participación inconsistente de los padres y falta de seguimiento. Se discuten algunas pautas para futuras investigaciones con el objetivo de mejorar la calidad metodológica de los estudios y reducir el riesgo de sesgo.

Phonological awareness is a strong predictor of reading and writing skills development. Several programs have been developed and tested for the stimulation of phonological awareness, but the degree of variation among them makes it difficult to compare the different methods. A synthesis of the literature on phonological awareness stimulation programs is needed to examine the effectiveness of PA programs while considering the variability that exists between the methodologies used. This systematic review aimedto 1) synthesize the literature on PA stimulation programs in typically developing children; 2) examine the effectiveness of PA programs; 3) critically appraise the methodology of PA stimulation programs. Central, Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge were used to conduct an extensive literature search. A total of 10 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the present study. Results showed that, in general, the phonological awareness stimulation programs carried out in the analyzed research were effective. However, the quality of the methodology varied significantly across studies, showing in some cases a lack of detail in the inclusion criteria, limited training of the professionals who carried out the PA programs, an inconsistency in parent involvement, and a lack of follow-up. Guidelines for future research are discussed to enhance the methodological quality of this line of research and reduce the risk of bias.

Creativity and its relationship with intelligence and reading skills in children: an exploratory study

Creativity, intelligence, and reading skills such as phonological awareness and decoding in reading can be critical to academic success, especially during childhood. Thus, this study aimed to characterize creativity, intelligence, phonological awareness, and reading decoding and verify possible relationships between creativity and these skills. The sample consisted of 75 children divided between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades of municipal public schools in the Brazilian context. The results indicated the gradual evolution of creativity, intelligence, phonological awareness, and reading decoding in children from the 1st to the 3rd year, especially for the performance of the 3rd year. Correlations between creativity with intelligence and reading skills were also evidenced for all three classes, with the 3rd year with stronger correlations, which are promising results for these relationships. The study of creativity is still a recent field for empirical investigations and deserves future investigations for a better understanding of these constructs in this population. (AU)

Phonological awareness tasks: accuracy in predicting reading and writing difficulties / Tarefas de consciência fonológica: acurácia em predizer dificuldades de leitura e escrita / Tareas de conciencia fonológica: precisión para predecir las dificultades de lectura y escritura

This study evaluated the accuracy of the at-risk/not-at-risk classifications of reading and writing difficulties of different measures of Phonological Awareness (PA). A total of 213 Brazilian children in kindergarten performed six PA tasks (varying in phonological unit and cognitive demand). One year later, 176 of those children performed a writing task and 174 performed a reading task. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were constructed based on the scores of the reading and writing tasks. The results indicated that the complete set of PA tasks presented the greater area under the curve. However, two PA measures with fewer items, supra-phonemic awareness and phonemic awareness, also presented adequate sensitivity and specificity values for screening purposes. These results are encouraging, since those measures could be used to detect children at risk of reading and writing difficulties in kindergarten (about one year before formal reading and writing instruction in Brazil).

Esse estudo avaliou a acurácia de diferentes medidas de Consciência Fonológica (CF) em predizer o risco para dificuldades de leitura e escrita. No último ano da educação infantil, 213 crianças brasileiras foram avaliadas em 6 tarefas de CF. Um ano depois, 174 dessas crianças realizaram uma tarefa de leitura e 176 realizaram uma tarefa de escrita. Curvas de Característica Operacional do Receptor foram construídas com base nos escores de leitura e escrita. O escore total em todas as tarefas de CF apresentou a maior área sob a curva. No entanto, duas medidas de CF compostas por menos itens, consciência supra-fonêmica e consciência fonêmica, apresentaram sensibilidade e especificidade adequadas. Esses resultados são encorajadores já que essas tarefas podem ser utilizadas para rastrear, com um ano de antecedência do ensino formal da leitura e escrita, crianças em risco de desenvolverem dificuldades nessas habilidades.

Este estudio evaluó la precisión de las clasificaciones de riesgo / no riesgo de dificultades de lectura y escritura de diferentes medidas de conciencia fonológica (CF). Un total de 213 niños brasileños realizaron seis tareas de CF (variando en unidad fonológica y demanda cognitiva) cuando estaban en el jardín de infancia. Un año después, 176 de esos niños realizaron una tarea de escritura y 174 realizaron una tarea de lectura. Las curvas de las Características Operativas del Receptor se construyeron con base en las puntuaciones de las tareas de lectura y escritura. Los resultados indicaron que el total de tareas de CF presentaba la mejor área bajo la curva. Sin embargo, la conciencia supra-fonemas y la conciencia de fonemas, también presentaron valores adecuados de sensibilidad y especificidad. Estos resultados son alentadores ya que esas medidas podrían usarse para detectar a los niños en riesgo de dificultades de lectura y escritura.

Engajamento Escolar e Preditores Cognitivos da Leitura: um Estudo Longitudinal / School Engagement and Cognitive Predictors of Reading: a Longitudinal Study / Implicación Escolar y los Predictores Cognitivos de la Lectura: un Estudio Longitudinal

O presente estudo investigou a relação dos preditores cognitivos da leitura e do engajamento escolar com a habilidade de leitura. Participaram dessa pesquisa 74 crianças falantes do português brasileiro. As crianças eram de uma escola pública e tinham uma idade aproximada de 10 anos no início da pesquisa. Avaliou-se a consciência morfológica, a consciência fonológica, a memória de trabalho fonológica, a nomeação seriada rápida, a inteligência, o engajamento escolar e a leitura dos participantes em dois momentos: no final do 4º ano do Ensino Fundamental e no meio do 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Os resultados de análises de regressão evidenciaram que as variáveis cognitivas são as mais importantes na predição da leitura. Identificou-se uma relação causal da precisão de leitura para a consciência fonológica e uma relação recíproca entre a nomeação seriada rápida e a fluência de leitura. A consciência morfológica foi importante para a compreensão de leitura, juntamente com o engajamento comportamental. Esses resultados reforçam a importância de se estimular os preditores cognitivos da leitura e de se incentivar o envolvimento dos alunos na escola durante a aprendizagem da leitura. (AU)

The present study investigated the relationship of cognitive predictors of reading and school engagement with reading ability. Seventy-four Brazilian Portuguese speaking children participated in this research. The children were from a public school and had, at the beginning of the study, 10 years old approximately. Morphological awareness, phonological awareness, phonological working memory, rapid automatized naming, intelligence, school engagement, and reading were evaluated in the participants in two moments: at the end of the 4th year of elementary school and in the middle of the 5th year of elementary school. The results of regression analysis showed that cognitive variables are the most important in predicting reading. A causal relationship between reading accuracy and phonological awareness and a reciprocal relationship between rapid serial naming and reading fluency were identified. Morphological awareness was important for reading comprehension, along with behavioral engagement. These results reinforce the importance of stimulating cognitive predictors of reading and school engagement throughout the entire process of learning to read. (AU)

El presente estudio investigó la relación entre los predictores cognitivos de la lectura y de la implicación escolar y habilidades de lectura. Participaran desta investigación setenta y cuatro estudiantes brasileños hablantes del portugués. Los estudiantes eran de una escuela pública y tenían una edad aproximada de 10 años al inicio de la investigación. Se evalúo la Consciencia Morfológica, Consciencia Fonológica, Memoria de Trabajo Fonológica, Denominación Automatizada Rápida, Inteligencia, Implicación Escolar y Lectura en dos momentos: en final de 4º año escolar e en medio de 5º año escolar. Los resultados de Analisis de Regression evidenciaron que las variables cognitivas son las más importantes en la explicación de la Lectura. Se identificó una relación de causalidad de la precisión de Lectura para la Consciencia Fonológica y una relación reciproca entre la Denominación Automatizada Rápida y la fluidez de Lectura. La Conciencia Morfológica fue importante para la comprensión de Lectura, juntamente con el compromiso conductual Estos resultados refuerzan la importancia de estimular los predictores cognitivos de la lectura y de incentivas la implicación de los alumnos en la escuela durante el aprendizaje de la lectura. (AU)

Dupla Rota na Leitura e Compreensão Leitora no Português do Brasil / Dual Route in Reading and Reading Comprehension in Brazilian Portuguese / Ruta Dual en Lectura y Comprensión Lectora en Portugués Brasileño

O Modelo de Leitura de Dupla Rota é relevante tanto para o entendimento do processo de leitura como para a compreensão leitora. Este estudo objetivou investigar a contribuição da consciência fonológica (rota fonológica) e do reconhecimento de palavras (rota lexical), bem como do ano escolar para a habilidade de leitura em voz alta de palavras isoladas e a compreensão de leitura no português do Brasil. Participaram desta pesquisa 443 alunos do 3º ao 5º ano de Ensino Fundamental I, de escolas públicas de todas as regiões do Brasil. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Cloze 1 e Cloze 2, Prova de Leitura do Teste de Desempenho Escolar, Roteiro de Avaliação de Consciência Fonológica e Escala de Reconhecimento de Palavras. Os resultados indicaram que o valor explicativo da mediação do reconhecimento de palavras na relação preditiva indireta da consciência fonológica foi maior para compreensão de leitura do que para leitura. A contribuição explicativa da mediação do reconhecimento de palavras na relação preditiva do ano escolar apresentou valores próximos para leitura e compreensão de leitura. É possível concluir que mesmo com o controle do ano escolar, tanto a rota fonológica como a rota lexical predizem a leitura e a compreensão leitora. (AU)

The Dual Route Reading Model is relevant to both understanding the reading process and reading comprehension. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of phonological awareness (phonological route) and word recognition (lexical route) and the school year for the ability to read aloud single words and reading comprehension in Brazilian Portuguese. Participated 443 students from Elementary School (3rd to the 5th grade). The schools were public and are located in the five regions of Brazil. The instruments used were Cloze 1 and Cloze 2, School Performance Test Reading Test, Phonological Awareness Assessment Guide, and Word Recognition Scale. The results indicated that the explanatory value of mediating word recognition in the indirect predictive relationship of phonological awareness was greater for reading comprehension than for reading. The explanatory contribution of the mediation of word recognition in the predictive relationship of the school year presented similar values for reading and reading comprehension. It is possible to conclude that even with the control of the school year, both the phonological route and the lexical route predict reading and reading comprehension. (AU)

El modelo de lectura de ruta dual es relevante tanto para comprender el proceso de lectura como para la comprensión lectora. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar la contribución de la conciencia fonológica (ruta fonológica) y el reconocimiento de palabras (ruta léxica), así como el año escolar para la capacidad de leer en voz alta palabras sueltas y la comprensión lectora en portugués brasileño. En esta investigación participaron un total de 443 estudiantes del 3º al 5º grado del Ensino Fundamenral, de escuelas públicas de todas las regiones de Brasil. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron Cloze 1 y Cloze 2, Prueba de Desempeño Escolar, Prueba de Lectura, Guía de Evaluación de la Conciencia Fonológica y Escala de Reconocimiento de Palabras. Los resultados indicaron que el valor explicativo de mediar en el reconocimiento de palabras en la relación predictiva indirecta de la conciencia fonológica fue mayor para la comprensión lectora que para la lectura. El aporte explicativo de la mediación del reconocimiento de palabras en la relación predictiva del curso escolar presentó valores similares para lectura y comprensión lectora. Es posible concluir que aún con el control del curso escolar, tanto la vía fonológica como la vía léxica predicen lectura y comprensión lectora. (AU)

The dimensionality of phonological awareness among Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children: a longitudinal study.

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).

Consciência fonológica: diferentes formas de avaliação em crianças com desenvolvimento típico / Phonological awareness: Different ways of evaluation in children with typical development

O objetivo foi verificar o desempenho em habilidades de consciência fonológica com a aplicação do teste CONFIAS in vivo e por meio de gravação em vídeo. Participaram do estudo 16 crianças com idades entre 7 e 8 anos (média de 7,8 anos), cursando o 2º e 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental e que apresentaram bom rendimento escolar. As avaliações constaram da aplicação do teste CONFIAS in vivo (P1) segundo as instruções contidas no manual do teste; e na aplicação do teste CONFIAS por meio de um vídeo (P2). Analisou-se o desempenho das crianças em cada contexto separadamente e foi feita comparação entre os dois contextos. Para a análise estatística, utilizou-se o teste de Wilcoxon e o teste de Mann-Whitney. Não houve diferença significativa entre o sexo, a idade e o tipo de procedimento usado para a aplicação do teste, mas a pontuação no nível silábico, fonêmico e total foi superior em ambos os sexos com o P2. As crianças mais velhas apresentaram melhor desempenho no teste tanto no nível silábico quanto no fonêmico, independentemente do procedimento. Constatou-se diferença estatística no desempenho dos participantes no nível silábico (p=0,02), no fonêmico (p<0,01) e na pontuação total do teste (p<0,01) quando foram comparados os procedimentos (P1 e P2) de avaliação, sendo que a maior diferença entre os contextos ocorreu no nível fonêmico (com média das diferenças de 4,1 pontos). As crianças apresentaram melhor desempenho no CONFIAS no P2 nos níveis silábico e fonêmico.

The purpose was to verify the performance in phonological awareness skills with the application of the CONFIAS test in vivo and through video recording. Sixteen children between the ages of 7 and 8 years (mean of 7.8 years) participated in the study, attending the 2nd and 3rd year of elementary school and presenting good academic performance. The evaluations consisted of the application of the CONFIAS in vivo test (P1) according to the instructions contained in the test manual; and in the application of the CONFIAS test by means of a video (P2). The performance of the children in each context was analyzed separately and a comparison was made between the two contexts. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon test and the Mann-Whitney test. There was no significant difference between the sex, age and type of procedure used for the test application, but the syllabic, phonemic and total level scores were higher in both sexes with P2. The older children presented better performance in the test at both the syllabic and the phonemic level, regardless of the procedure. Statistical differences were found in the syllabic performance (p=0.02), phonemics (p<0.01) and total test score (p<0.01) when the procedures (P1 and P2). The greatest difference between the contexts occurred at the phonemic level (with a mean difference of 4.1 points). The children presented better performance in the CONFIAS in P2, in the syllabic and phonemic levels.

The dimensionality of phonological awareness among Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children: a longitudinal study

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).

Avaliação das Contribuições da Consciência Fonológica no Desenvolvimento da Escrita de um Aluno com Deficiência Intelectual no 1º Ano do Ensino Fundamental I / Assessment of the Contributions of the Phonological Consciousness in the Development of the Writing of a Student with Intellectual Disability in the First Grade of Elementary Education I

RESUMO: Este artigo teve como objetivo investigar os avanços de um aluno com deficiência intelectual do 1° ano do Ensino Fundamental I, no decorrer de avaliações realizadas antes, durante e após um processo de intervenção com atividades que envolveram habilidades de consciência fonológica para o desenvolvimento da escrita. Buscou-se fazer uso dos preceitos da perspectiva sociohistórica, como também de autores contemporâneos que vêm se debruçando sobre estudos acerca da consciência fonológica e do desenvolvimento da leitura e escrita escolares. Participou deste estudo uma criança com deficiência intelectual de uma escola da Rede Municipal de Recife, Pernambuco. Foram realizadas oito avaliações diagnósticas durante o processo de intervenção, sendo possível perceber avanços na escrita da criança, a qual começou a internalizar os aspectos abstratos dessa atividade. Notou-se, ainda, uma reciprocidade entre a aquisição da escrita e o desenvolvimento da consciência fonológica.

ABSTRACT: This article aimed to investigate the progress of a student with intellectual disability in the 1st grade of Elementary School during assessments carried out before, during and after an intervention process with activities that involved phonological awareness skills for the development of writing. It was sought to make use of the precepts of the socio-historical perspective, as well as contemporary authors who have carried out studies on phonological awareness and the development of school reading and writing. A child with intellectual disability from a school in the Municipality of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, participated in this study. Eight diagnostic evaluations were carried out during the intervention process, when it was possible to notice advances in the child's writing, which began to internalize the abstract aspects of this activity. It was also possible to perceive a reciprocity between the acquisition of writing and the development of phonological awareness.

Adaptação de um Programa de Ensino de Consciência Fonológica para Crianças com Paralisia Cerebral / Adaptation of a Phonological Awareness Teaching Program for Children with Cerebral Palsy

RESUMO: Neste trabalho, propôs-se a adaptar um instrumento para ensinar consciência fonológica (CF) a crianças com Paralisia Cerebral (PC). PC consiste em um grupo de desordens do movimento e da postura, que pode estar associado a déficits cognitivos, de interação e de linguagem, comprometendo a independência funcional do indivíduo, tanto na modalidade oral quanto na escrita. A literatura afirma que, vocabulário, memória fonológica e CF são consideradas habilidades preditoras e necessárias à aquisição e ao desempenho em leitura e escrita. Participaram do estudo três crianças com diagnóstico de PC e dois juízes especialistas. O estudo foi dividido em quatro etapas: a) análise e adaptação do instrumento Alfabetização: Método Fônico; b) análise de juízes especialistas; c) estudo piloto com pré e pós teste de CF e leitura; e d) versão final do instrumento. Foram adaptadas 63 atividades, levando em consideração o perfil da população, a análise dos juízes e a aplicação a um grupo clínico. Os participantes conseguiram compreender e executar o treino em 26 das 33 atividades. Todos mostraram melhora nos escores quando comparados pré e pós testes. Diante disso, o instrumento mostrou-se adequado à população após a adaptação e mostrou-se fiel ao ensino proposto pelo instrumento original.

ABSTRACT: In this work, it was proposed to adapt an instrument to teach phonological awareness (PA) to children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP consists of a group of movement and posture disorders, which may be associated with cognitive, interaction and language deficits, compromising the individual's functional independence, both in oral and written form. Literature states that vocabulary, phonological memory and PA are considered predictive and necessary skills for acquisition and performance in reading and writing. Three children diagnosed with CP and two expert judges participated in the study. The study was divided into four stages: a) analysis and adaptation of the Literacy: Phonic Method; b) analysis carried out by expert judges; c) pilot study with pre and post CP test and reading; and d) final version of the instrument. Sixty-three activities were adapted, taking into account the population profile, the analysis carried out by the judges and the application to a clinical group. Participants were able to understand and execute the training in 26 of the 33 activities. All showed improvement in scores, when pre and post tests were compared. Therefore, the instrument proved to be suitable for the population after adaptation and was faithful to the teaching proposed by the original instrument.

Neuropsychological and environmental predictors of reading performance in Brazilian children.

Word-level reading is strongly associated with phonological processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive and environmental variables on word reading performance. Our sample consisted of 185 fourth-grade students. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the role of the following variables as potential predictors of word reading accuracy and fluency: phonological processing (phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and phonological memory); verbal fluency; working memory; socioeconomic status and an indicator of school quality (IDEB) in Brazil. Phonological awareness and rapid automatic naming were the best predictors of reading, supporting the role of phonological processing as a key contributor to the lexical aspects of reading, beyond the early years of literacy acquisition. Environmental variables were significant predictors of irregular word reading (socioeconomic status) and fluency (IDEB), corroborating multicomponent models of reading performance. The present findings demonstrate the complex interplay of factors underlying reading performance and highlight the importance of a multidimensional approach to the study of reading.

La Música como promotora de habilidades fonológicas: un estudio ex ploratorio con niños preescolares uruguayos

Este estudio presenta los resultados de un Programa de estimulación de la Conciencia Fonológica (CF), a través de la música en un grupo de 21 niños uruguayos de 5 años de edad. Se utilizó un diseño cuasiexperimental de comparación de grupos (pre-postest-seguimiento). Los niños que participaron del Programa de estimulación obtuvieron un puntaje mayor que los niños del grupo control en tareas de CF, al finalizar el periodo preescolar, y, además, se desempeñaron mejor en una tarea de lectura de palabras que se les administró al finalizar el primer año de escuela. Los resultados se discuten tomando en cuenta lo reportado por la literatura internacional que sostiene que participar de programas de entrenamiento musical favorece el desarrollo de las habilidades de CF, y en función de las características del programa de estimulación que estuvo centrado particularmente en el desarrollo de habilidades vinculadas con el ritmo, la precisión y la duración.

Este estudo apresenta os resultados de um Programa de Estimulação da Consciência Fonológica (CF), através da música em um grupo de 21 crianças uruguaias de 5 anos. Foi utilizado um desenho de comparação de grupos, quase experimental (pré-pós-follow-up). As crianças que participaram do programa de estimulação obtiveram uma pontuação maior do que as crianças do grupo controle nas tarefas de CF no final do período pré-escolar e, além disso, tiveram melhor desempenho em uma tarefa de leitura de palavras que foi administrada no final do primeiro período do ensino fundamental. Os resultados são discutidos levando em consideração o que foi relatado pela literatura internacional que sustenta que a participação em programas de treinamento em música favorece o desenvolvimento das habilidades da CF, e contemplando as características do programa de estimulação que foi particularmente focado no desenvolvimento de habilidades ligado ao ritmo, precisão e duração.

In this study we describe the effects of a Music Intervention Program on the Phonological Awareness, PA, of a group of 21 5-year-old Uruguayan children. A quasi-experimental design of pre-post test group comparison was used. At the end of the pre-schooling period, children who participated in the Music Intervention Program performed better in Phonological Awareness tasks than those of the control group. Finally, in order to analyze the reading performance of the subjects, a word-reading test was administered at the end of the first year of school. The analysis showed statistically significant differences between the groups in reading efficiency. The discussion of the results is based on the characteristics of the stimulation program, which was focused on the development of skills related to rhythm, accuracy and duration. The discussion also takes into account reports from current international literature, which asserts that taking part in a Music Intervention Program stimulates the development of PA Skills.

Consciencia fonológica y funciones ejecutivas: asociaciones con escolaridad y edad / Phonological Awareness and Executive Functions: associations with schooling and age / Consciência fonológica e funções executivas: associações com escolaridade e idade

Tanto a consciência fonológica como as funções executivas se desenvolvem gradualmente e progridem com o avanço da escolaridade. Tais especificidades nos incentivam a investigá-las em crianças no início da escolarização. O objetivo deste estudo foi explorar as associações entre os dois grupos de competências, tomando-se a idade e a escolaridade como covariantes. Participaram 152 crianças de ambos os sexos, egressas de escolas públicas do maternal e do pré-escolar. Foram aplicados os seguintes instrumentos: Escala de maturidade Mental Columbia (CMMS), Teste de Habilidades Preditoras da Leitura (THPL), Teste de Trilhas para Pré-escolares (TT-P) e a Tarefa Stroop Dia e Noite. Os resultados apontaram para correlações de fracas a moderadas entre faixa etária e os componentes das funções executivas. Já em relação à consciência fonológica, verificamos correlações de magnitude fraca, mas estatisticamente significativa. Concluímos a favor da influência da idade e da escolaridade sobre a consciência fonológica e as funções executivas.

La consciencia fonológica y las funciones ejecutivas se desarrollan gradualmente y progresan con el avance de la escolaridad. Tales especificidades nos incentiva a investigarlas en niños en el inicio de la escolarización. El objetivo de ese estudio fue explorar las asociaciones entre los dos grupos de competencias, volviéndose la edad y la escolaridad como covariantes. Participaron 152 niños de ambos sexos, egresas de escuelas públicas desde la escuela maternal y el jardín de infancia. Se aplicaron los siguientes instrumentos: Escala de madurez Mental Columbia (CMMS), Test de Habilidades Predictoras de la Lectura (THPL), Test de Trillas para Preescolares (TT-P) y la Tarea Stroop Día y Noche. Los resultados apuntaran para correlaciones de débeles a moderadas entre grupo de edad y los componentes de las funciones ejecutivas. Ya en relación a consciencia fonológica, comprobamos correlaciones de magnitud débil, pero estadísticamente significativa. Concluimos a favor de la influencia de la edad y de la escolaridad sobre la consciencia fonológica y las funciones ejecutivas.

Both phonological awareness and executive functions develop gradually and progress with the advance of schooling. Such specificities encourage us to investigate them in children at the beginning of schooling. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between the two skill groups, taking age and schooling as covariant. A total of 152 children of both sexes participated, they are from public nursery and pre-school. The following instruments were applied: Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMMS), Predictive Reading Skills Test (THPL), Pre-School Track Test (TT-P) and the Day and Night Stroop Task. The results pointed from weak to moderate correlations between age group and the components of executive functions. Regarding phonological awareness, we found correlations of weak magnitude, but statistically significant. We conclude in favor of the influence of age and schooling upon phonological awareness and executive functions.