Phonological processing, speech perception, and reading disability: An integrative review

Abstract

Relations between phonological processing and speech perception skills in reading-disabled children and adults are considered. Following Wagner and Torgesen (1987), phonological processing is comprised of at least three distinct though interrelated abilities--phonemic awareness, phonological recoding in lexical access, and short-term verbal memory skills. Speech perception skills may also represent two domains, speech perception and short-term memory. Studies of speech perception and word reading are critiqued. The interactions of speech perception, phonological processing skills, and word-reading abilities with development are considered in a preliminary model of reading. Although studies of phonological processing and speech perception in poor readers have thus far developed separately, experimenters in these isolated domains could benefit from the research findings in each and the unique paradigms each uses to investigate deficits in poor readers.