Cross-Language Transfer of Phonological Awareness and Letter Knowledge: Causal Evidence and Nature of Transfer

Resource type
Journal Article
Authors/contributors
Title
Cross-Language Transfer of Phonological Awareness and Letter Knowledge: Causal Evidence and Nature of Transfer
Abstract
Using a randomized control trial, this study examined the causal evidence of cross-language transfer of phonological awareness and letter knowledge (names and sounds) using data from multilingual 1st-grade children (N = 322) in Kenya. Children in the treatment condition received an 8-week instruction on phonological awareness and letter knowledge in Kiswahili. The comparison group received business-as-usual classroom instruction. Children in the treatment condition showed greater improvement in phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge in Kiswahili and English (positive transfer; effect sizes from 0.37 to 0.95), whereas a negative effect was found in letter-name knowledge (interference; effect size, g = 0.27). No effects were found in reading, nor did the results vary by moderators (e.g., Kiswahili vocabulary). Path analyses revealed divergent patterns of results for different outcomes. Results provide causal evidence for cross-language transfer of phonological awareness and letter knowledge and offer important theoretical and practical implications.
Publication
Cross-Language Transfer of Phonological Awareness and Letter Knowledge: Causal Evidence and Nature of Transfer
Volume
22
Issue
6
Pages
443-461
Date
20180101
Language
eng
ISSN
1088-8438
Extra
an: EJ1188478; source: Scientific Studies of Reading; docTypes: Journal Articles ; Reports - Research; pubTypes: Academic JournalReport;
Citation
Wawire, B. A., & Kim, Y.-S. G. (20180101). Cross-Language Transfer of Phonological Awareness and Letter Knowledge: Causal Evidence and Nature of Transfer. Cross-Language Transfer of Phonological Awareness and Letter Knowledge: Causal Evidence and Nature of Transfer, 22(6), 443–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2018.1474882