The Influence Of Specific Phonemic Awareness Processes On The Reading Comprehension Of African American Students

Keywords

Elementary education; minorities; phonological awareness; reading assessment; reading comprehension

Abstract

Research indicates the primary difference between strong and weak readers is their phonemic awareness skills. However, there is no consensus regarding which specific components of phonemic awareness contribute most robustly to reading comprehension. In this study, the relationship among sound blending, sound segmentation, and reading comprehension is investigated. A total of 84 African American and two multiethnic 1st- through 4th-grade students attending an inner-city charter school completed measures of sound blending, sound segmentation, and reading comprehension. Statistically significant relationships were found between blending and segmenting skills and blending and reading comprehension. Results from structural equation modeling reveal a moderate to large effect size between sound blending and reading comprehension and a relatively small effect size between sound segmenting and reading comprehension. The results indicate sound blending skills account for more variance in the prediction of reading comprehension than segmenting skills with this unique research population. Implications for early instruction and intervention are discussed.

Publication Date

1-2-2016

Publication Title

Journal of Research in Childhood Education

Volume

30

Issue

1

Number of Pages

74-84

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2015.1105332

Socpus ID

84951784329 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84951784329

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