Word density effects on phonological awareness in children who are deaf and hard of hearing

Carter, Riley

Publication

Word density effects on phonological awareness in children who are deaf and hard of hearing

Carter, Riley

Date

2024-04-29

Abstract

Phonological awareness skills are imperative for literacy and academic development. Current literature has shown us that children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) struggle with phonological awareness. The current study aimed to explore word density and its impact on phonological awareness skills. Word density impacts were explored over time through an experimental phonological blending task. Children who are DHH (with cochlear implants or hearing aids) and children with typical hearing (TH) were assessed at four time points (age five and a half, age six, first grade, and second grade). The findings showed that the children who are DHH experienced a facilitation effect on the high-density words. Therefore, they performed better on the high-density words. For the children with TH, they did not experience a facilitation effect from the high- or low-density words. Results suggest that clinicians could consider word structure when tailoring intervention for phonological awareness.