Phonological Awareness and Its Role in Literacy Development among Elementary School Children in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the phonological awareness and its role in literacy development among elementary school children in Brazil. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Phonological awareness plays a crucial role in literacy development among elementary school children in Brazil, as evidenced by several key findings. It significantly correlates with early reading skills, including decoding and word recognition, fostering better comprehension abilities as children progress academically. Effective phonological awareness instruction enhances spelling and writing skills, contributing to overall language proficiency in Portuguese. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Cognitive-developmental theory (Piaget), connectionist theory (Rumelhart and McClelland) & socio-cultural theory (Vygotsky) may be used to anchor future studies on the phonological awareness and its role in literacy development among elementary school children in Brazil. Educators in Brazil should prioritize early and systematic phonological awareness instruction in literacy programs. Education policies in Brazil should advocate for comprehensive literacy frameworks that recognize phonological awareness as a foundational skill.