Optimizing Phonological Awareness Learning in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten to Improve Later Reading and Spelling

Summary

The goal of the proposed study is to directly and rigorously address current scientific controversy about phonological awareness intervention content and timing for prekindergarten and kindergarten children. Using an experimental design, we will compare the relative impact of phonological sensitivity + phonemic awareness intervention versus phonemic awareness intervention on children's phonemic awareness and later reading and spelling abilities. We expect that both types of intervention will lead to impacts beyond business-as-usual instruction but do not have directional hypotheses as to which type of intervention will be most effective. Also, we will determine the relative efficacy of intervening in prekindergarten versus kindergarten, examine child characteristics that might moderate effects, and explore whether a transition point can be identified as to when phonemic awareness intervention may be most effective. Ultimately, our findings will help optimize early phonological awareness instruction.

Conditions

• Reading Difficulties

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

phonemic awareness intervention (PA)

All 12 weeks of lessons will exclusively focus on instruction at the phoneme level (i.e., the individual sounds in words), with activities addressing the blending of sounds to form short words. Other activities may include counting the number of sounds heard in a word, matching letter tiles to the sounds heard in the word, and separating short words into their component sounds.

BEHAVIORAL

phonological sensitivity + phonemic awareness intervention (PSPA)

The first six weeks of intervention will include a focus on being able to manipulate (separate and blend) parts of words larger than the individual sounds. This will include manipulating compound word components, syllables, and initial sounds and rhyming components of words. Activities may include matching pictures of words, assembling/disassembling puzzle pieces that represent words, and sorting pictures (words) by their first or ending sounds. The second six weeks of intervention will focus on phonemic awareness, as described for the PA intervention condition, and be the same as what the children in the DPA intervention condition experience.

BEHAVIORAL

delayed onset phonemic awareness intervention (DPA)

The six weeks of intervention will focus on phonemic awareness, as described for the PA intervention condition, and be the same as the second six weeks of lessons that the children in the PSPA intervention condition experience.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• Florida State University

  collaborator OTHER

• Ohio State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Shayne B Piasta, PhD · Ohio State University

• Beth M Phillips, PhD · Florida State University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

4 Years

Max Age

9 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-12

Primary Completion

2029-07-31

Completion

2029-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations