SCREENING AND TRAINING PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE A GROUP-ADMINISTERED SCREENING TEST FOR PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN KINDERGARTEN-AGED CHILDREN, AS WELL AS A SELF-CONTAINED, SMALL-GROUP, TRAINING MODULE IN PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS SKILLS. BOTH OF THESE PRODUCTS HAVE DIRECT APPLICATION IN REDUCING THE INCIDENCE OF READING FAILURE IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF PHASE I ARE TO: (1) DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL STRUCTURE FOR A QUICK, SIMPLE-TO-ADMINISTER, GROUP-SCREENING TEST FOR PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS; (2) VALIDATE THE GROUP-SCREENING INSTRUMENT AGAINST STANDARD, INDIVIDUALLY ADMINISTERED PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS TESTS; AND (3) PREPARE PROTOTYPIC TRAINING MATERIALS FOR SMALL-GROUP INSTRUCTION IN PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS AND PROVIDE EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. THIS PROJECT IS BASED ON A SOLID RESEARCH CONSENSUS CONCERNING THE IMPORTANCE OF PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN THE ATTAINMENT OF EARLY READING SKILLS. THERE ARE PRESENTLY NO GROUP MEASURES OF PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS AVAILABLE, NOR ARE THERE ANY FORMAL TRAINING MATERIALS WIDELY AVAILABLE.