title: Phonological awareness in children with Down syndrome.
abstract: Research in the area of phonological awareness has mainly focused on the nature of the relationship between reading ability and awareness of phonemes. However, a recent study of phonological awareness in children with Down syndrome questioned the existence of any necessary relationship (Cossu, Rossini & Marshall, 1993). This paper describes a study of phonological awareness in children with Down syndrome with varying levels of reading ability. The sample consisted of 10 male and 7 female children with Down syndrome (aged 9 years 2 months to 14 years 5 months). All children received a battery of tests which consisted of assessments of: 1) phonological awareness, 2) reading and spelling competence, 3) non-word reading and spelling ability, and 4) non-verbal measures. Children with Down syndrome demonstrated measurable levels of phonological awareness. Significant positive correlations were found between phonological awareness and: reading and spelling competence, ability to spell non-words and non-verbal measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK. Helen@Fletch25.freeserve.co.uk
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buckley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001076:Aptitude; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010700:Phonetics; D011932:Reading; D014706:Verbal Learning