TRANSFER AMONG PHONOLOGICAL TASKS IN KINDERGARTEN - ESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT

The construct of phonological awareness was explored by examining the effects of instructional treatments on the development of specific and generalized phonological skills for kindergarten children. Sixty-six children with low phonological manipulation skills were randomly assig ned to 1 of 2 treatments or a control condition: (a) auditory blending and segmenting with limited letter-sound correspondences; (b) a globa l array of phonological tasks, with letter-sound correspondences; or ( c) only letter-sound instruction. Children in both treatments showed i mproved phonological abilities, which transferred to a reading analog task. Treated children achieved a level of phonological awareness comp arable to that of higher skilled children. The combination of blending and segmenting instruction encouraged generalized phonological awaren ess; however, the ability to blend and segment accounted for more vari ance in reading analog scores than did other phonological tasks.