A Meta-Analysis on the Optimal Cumulative Dosage of Early Phonemic Awareness Instruction

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose Research on how much early phonemic awareness (PA) instruction is optimal has produced inconclusive answers. We conducted a nonlinear meta-analysis to estimate the optimal cumulative dosage of early PA instruction on PA outcomes with an associated maximum effect size in preschool through first-grade students. Method Sixteen experimental and quasi-experimental primary studies (35 effect sizes) on PA instruction effectiveness that reported cumulative dosage data were included. There were 613 students in treatment and 542 students in control conditions (Mage = 5.20 years; SDage = 0.87). Results The cumulative dosage response model took a concave parabolic form (an upside-down U shape). Specifically, PA instruction effects improved with increasing dosage up to 10.20 hours of instruction (dmax = 0.74), after which the effects declined. Moderator analyses revealed these results held for students at-risk for reading disabilities and basic PA skills instruction. Furthermore, moderator analyses showed that the dosage response curves exhibited a convex parabolic form (a U shape) in PA instruction with letters, with effects continually increasing after 16 hours of PA instruction. Discussion Overall, our findings highlight the importance of planning the optimal cumulative dosage of early PA instruction in preschool through first-grade settings so that students acquire the PA and phonological-orthographic associations taught and show progress in learning to read.