Kindergartners' use of graphophonological information when reading and writing continuous text: A descriptive study of differentiation and affordance learning

Sue Eliot Stadler, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe change-over-time in kindergarten children's differentiation and utilization of graphophonological information for the regulation of meaning-making while reading and writing continuous text. While many children learn to read and write easily and enjoyably, some children experience difficulty in early literacy learning. Early difficulty often leads to life-long struggle with reading and writing. The findings of this study suggest that children who make good progress in early literacy learning bring the full power of perceptual learning to the tasks of learning to read and write; that is, higher progress literacy learners show evidence of both differentiation and utilization of graphophonological information in their reading and writing efforts. In contrast with their higher progress classmates, lower progress literacy learners appear to have difficulty engaging with opportunities for utilizing their graphophonological knowledge in strategic ways for regulating their meaning-making efforts in reading, and to a lesser extent, in writing. Study findings are discussed with respect to implications for both research and instruction.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Schmitt, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Literacy|Reading instruction|Elementary education

COinS