Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the reading behavior of young proficient Chinese readers at preschool age. Especially, the roles of phonetic skill and Chinese Character recognition in reading comprehension were explored. 10 kindergartens were recruited to participate in the study. Subjects were 72-98 kindergarten children. Instruments include 5 measures of language assessments. Pearson product-moment correlation, ANOVA and stepwise regression were used to analyze quantitative data. Reading miscue analysis was employed to analyze children's reading style and error patterns. The results found: (1) Word recognition was a better predictor in reading fluency when comparing with Chinese phonic spelling ability. (2) Reading fluency was positively correlated with reading comprehension. (3) There were 4 types of young readers. (4) Balanced readers had the best reading comprehension abilities.(5) Young children used mostly syntax and semantics clues in miscue analysis. (6) Reading fluency and PPVT were the two best early predictors for later reading comprehension abilities.
Highlights
Whether to learn Zhuyin Fuhao (Taiwan’s phonetic symbol) in preschool stage for young children has been a controversial issue in Taiwan
It is worth to note that characters recognition has moderately significant correlation with reading fluency(r = .661), but no significant correlation with phonetic skill
Incorrect word pronunciation was negatively correlated with phonetic skill, characters recognition, reading fluency and correct rate
Summary
Whether to learn Zhuyin Fuhao (Taiwan’s phonetic symbol) in preschool stage for young children has been a controversial issue in Taiwan. Proponents believe that they help children to decode new words and to become a better reader, while opponents argue that reading is not just about decoding. Since Chinese characters are logograms in writing, word-sound connections are weak. Children should start their early reading practice by learning Chinese character directly. Similar controversy was found in English speaking countries. In countries that speak alphabetic languages, especially in English speaking countries, views on reading acquisition has been the focus of many scholarly debates
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