The role of morphological awareness for early literacy development – An experimental training study

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Claudia Steinbrink
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 540839352

Correlational studies show that morphological awareness (i.e. the conscious awareness of the morphemic structure of words and the ability to reflect on and manipulate that structure) is associated with literacy development. To test whether morphological awareness is causally related to literacy acquisition, experimental training studies with preschool children are, however, needed in addition. The few hitherto existing experimental training studies with preschool children were conducted in various languages, none of them in German, and gave important insights. They indicate, for example, that morphological awareness can already be trained in preschool children, but that a transfer to later literacy skills might only be achieved if an oral morphological awareness training is combined with exposure to morphemes in print. None of these studies does, however, fulfill all requirements to clarify unequivocally whether morphological awareness is causally and specifically related to literacy development. This assumption would be supported if the training showed a transfer to literacy-related abilities and literacy skills, if the pattern of this transfer reflected the hypothesized causal link between morphological awareness and literacy, and if the transfer to other academic skills was weaker. Methodologically it would be required that one of the training groups receives a purely oral morphological awareness training (without print exposure) and that the participating children are not able to read at the start of the study (see Castles & Coltheart, 2004). In the first step of the planned project, a morphological awareness training for preschool children is developed (two versions: with vs. without print exposure). Then, an experimental training study with two training groups (morphological awareness training with vs. without print exposure) and an untrained control group is conducted. The participants are children in their last kindergarten year. Children who are able to read at the start of the study are excluded from data analysis. At pre- and posttest (about 8 and 2½ months before school entry, respectively), morphological awareness and other cognitive foundations of literacy acquisition are assessed. At follow-up (end of grade 1), various reading and spelling skills as well as mathematical ability are measured. In this way, the planned study allows to test whether morphological awareness causally and specifically influences literacy development. Additionally, the planned study is the first study a) inspecting the differential effectiveness of a preschool morphological awareness training with vs. without print exposure and b) investigating the effects of a preschool morphological awareness training in German.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants