The Relationship Between Phonemic Awareness and Later Reading Achievement

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two longitudinal studies were conducted to examine the relationship between phonemic awareness and reading achievement in the primary grades. In Study 1, scores on a test of phonemic awareness given in kindergarten were compared with scores on a standardized reading achievement test given in 2nd grade. A series of stepwise regression analyses confirmed a significant correlation between performance on some phonemic awareness tasks and reading achievement in 2nd grade. A 3-year follow-up of the children who scored in the lowest quartile was conducted in Study 2. Most of those students could not read fluently; however, they were not a homogeneous group. Early identification of children who lack phonemic awareness is useful for providing appropriate instruction, but it should not be used to justify retention or to infer within child deficits for identification of learning disabilities.