Phonological Awareness Assessment Test (PACOF) for Pre-school Children: Evidence of Validity and Reliability

Abstract

Phonological awareness problems have been identified as predictors of learning difficulties with reading and writing in alphabetic languages. The objective of this study is to present an analysis of the psychometric properties of the Phonological Awareness Assessment Test (PACOF), a computer-based test for assessing syllable, phoneme, and intra-syllable awareness in pre-schoolers. Two studies were conducted to collect: (1) evidence of concurrent validity and reliability (N = 30) and (2) evidence of predictive validity (N = 52). Significant correlations between the scores in PACOF and a different test of phonological awareness were found. Regarding reliability, test-retest results indicated a high stability in the scores over time. Concerning predictive validity, the results revealed that scores on the PACOF and on each of its three sub-scales obtained at the end of preschool predict future reading and writing performance. These findings suggest that the test is a reliable and valid measure to assess phonological awareness in pre-schoolers.