Access to abstract restricted until 12/14/2015. / Access to thesis restricted until 12/14/2015. / Department of Educational Psychology

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The problem of this study is to evaluate the program of phonetic teaching in the Panola County schools in terms of criteria developed from current literature on the history, theories, and studies relating to the teaching of phonics in connection with the reading program in the elementary grades.

Tsoi Chun Ho. / Thesis submitted in: June 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-136). / Abstracts and questionnaires in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ABSTRACT (in Chinese) --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Background of the Present Study --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Hong Kong --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- The Place of Phonics in Hong Kong English Language Curriculum --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- A Response: The Present Study --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Significance of the Study --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5 --- Organisation of this Thesis --- p.6 / Chapter 2 --- REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- Phonics Instruction --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- What is Phonics? --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- The Role of Phonics Instruction in the EFL context --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Phonics Instruction in Hong Kong Schools --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Ways of Teaching Phonics in L1 and L2 Environments --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2 --- Task-based Language Teaching and Learning --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Task and Task Types --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Task Types --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Tasks and Comprehensible Input --- p.29 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- TBL and Interactionist Perspective in SLA --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- "Tasks, Memory and Accuracy" --- p.31 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- TBL and Affective Factors --- p.34 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- TBL and Context --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- Task-based Language Teaching and Learning in the EFL context --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2.9 --- Task-based Learning (TBL) in Hong Kong EFL Curriculum --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.10 --- Problems of Implementing the Task-based Syllabus in Hong Kong --- p.41 / Chapter 2.3 --- Learning Attitudes and its Measurement --- p.45 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Importance of Attitudes towards Language Learning --- p.45 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Measuring Attitudes --- p.46 / Chapter 2.4 --- Task-supported Phonics Instruction --- p.50 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Learning Phonics through Tasks --- p.50 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Traditional versus Task-supported Phonics Instruction for EFL Learners --- p.51 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Constructing Short Tasks in an HKEFL Lesson --- p.52 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Techniques of using task-supported Phonics with Older Learners --- p.54 / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Reasons and Limitations of Teaching and Learning Phonics in a Task-supported Way --- p.55 / Chapter 2.4.6 --- A Framework of TSP for EFL Learners --- p.56 / Chapter 2.5 --- Chapter Summary --- p.58 / Chapter 3 --- DESIGN OF THE STUDY --- p.59 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2 --- Research Questions and Null Hypotheses --- p.59 / Chapter 3.3 --- Overall Design of the Present Study --- p.62 / Chapter 3.4 --- The Settings --- p.62 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- The Original Setting and the Target Participants --- p.62 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- The New Setting and the Period of Study --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- The Participants --- p.65 / Chapter 3.5 --- The Instrument I: Questionnaire --- p.65 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Attitudinal Battery on Phonics Learning --- p.65 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Attitudinal Battery on Task-supported Learning --- p.68 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Adding Items in the Post-test of the Experimental Group --- p.69 / Chapter 3.6 --- The Instrument II: Reading Aloud Test --- p.69 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Selection of the Texts --- p.69 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- A Brief Analysis of the Texts --- p.70 / Chapter 3.7 --- Pilot Studies --- p.72 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Pilot Study for the Pre-test Questionnaire --- p.72 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Pilot Study for the Post-test Questionnaire (TSL version) --- p.74 / Chapter 3.8 --- Data Collection: Description --- p.75 / Chapter 3.8.1 --- Pre-test sessions --- p.75 / Chapter 3.8.2 --- Post-test sessions --- p.76 / Chapter 3.9 --- The Teaching and Learning of the Phonics Classes --- p.77 / Chapter 3.9.1 --- Maintaining the Internal Validity --- p.77 / Chapter 3.9.2 --- Topic Coverage and the Design of the Course --- p.79 / Chapter 3.9.3 --- Designing the Tasks and the Exercises --- p.80 / Chapter 3.9.4 --- Students' Attendance --- p.82 / Chapter 3.10 --- Methods of Data Analysis --- p.83 / Chapter 3.11 --- Chapter Summary --- p.85 / Chapter 4 --- DATA ANALYSIS --- p.87 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.87 / Chapter 4.2 --- Criteria for Excluding Data from my Analysis --- p.87 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results from the Reading Aloud Tests --- p.89 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Accuracy of the Onsets --- p.91 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Accuracy of the Vowels --- p.92 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Accuracy of the Final Consonants --- p.93 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Number of Syllables --- p.94 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Omissions --- p.95 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Summary of the Reading Aloud Results --- p.96 / Chapter 4.4 --- Quantitative Results from the Questionnaires --- p.98 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Attitudes towards Phonics Learning --- p.98 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Attitudes towards English and English Learning --- p.101 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Summary of the Questionnaire Results --- p.102 / Chapter 4.5 --- Qualitative Results from the Questionnaires --- p.103 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Learners' Feelings towards Phonics Learning --- p.103 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Things Students Like about the Phonics Course --- p.104 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Things Students Don't Like about the Phonics Course --- p.105 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Students' Ideas of Amending the Course --- p.105 / Chapter 4.6 --- Results from Confirmatory Factor Analysis using SEM --- p.106 / Chapter 4.7 --- Chapter Summary --- p.107 / Chapter 5 --- DISCUSSION --- p.108 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2 --- Significant Finding: Learners' Improvement in Sounding out Onsets --- p.108 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Onsets are Sequenced First in the Course --- p.109 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Onset as a Similar Feature between English and Chinese --- p.109 / Chapter 5.3 --- Significant Findings: Learners' Attitudes towards Phonics Learning --- p.110 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Attitudes towards Phonics Lessons --- p.110 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Attempts to Sound Out Unfamiliar Words --- p.111 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Anxiety Levels in Reading Aloud when Other People are Present --- p.111 / Chapter 5.4 --- An Examination of Findings that Fail to Support the Hypotheses --- p.112 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Vowels --- p.112 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Codas --- p.113 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Omissions --- p.114 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- Learners' Intention to Encourage Others to Learn Phonics --- p.114 / Chapter 5.4.5 --- Learners' Attitudes towards the English Language and English Learning --- p.115 / Chapter 5.5 --- Implications of the Present Study to the Current Model --- p.116 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- A meaningful context is not adequate --- p.116 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- Having lessons at the right time --- p.116 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- Learners' Attendance and Involvement is an Important Factor --- p.118 / Chapter 5.5.4 --- The Attractiveness of the 'Product' Element --- p.118 / Chapter 5.5.5 --- The Contribution of These Implications to the SEM Model --- p.120 / Chapter 5.6 --- Implications of the Present Study to the Current Model --- p.120 / Chapter 6 --- CONCLUSION --- p.121 / Chapter 6.1 --- Summing Up --- p.121 / Chapter 6.2 --- Limitations of the Present Study --- p.122 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Period of Study and Time for Designing the Course --- p.122 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- The Setting --- p.123 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Limited Number of Participants --- p.123 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Infeasibility of Having a Delayed Post-test --- p.124 / Chapter 6.3 --- Recommendations for Future Research --- p.110 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.125 / APPENDICE --- p.122 / Appendix 1 Approval Notice from the CUHK Survey and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee / Appendix 2 Application for Change in Thesis Title / Appendix 3 Invitation Letter Sent to Primary Schools / Appendix 4 Invitation Proposal Sent to Primary Schools / Appendix 5 Prepared Letters for Parents of the Participatory Primary School / Appendix 6 School Notice for Recruiting Students / Appendix 7 Course Outline / Appendix 8 Reading Aloud Tests / Chapter a) --- PowerPoint Slides Used in the Pre-test Session / Chapter b) --- Instructions for the Reading Aloud tests / Chapter c) --- Pre-test Reading Aloud Passage / Chapter d) --- Post-test Reading Aloud Passage / Appendix 9 a) Questionnaire (Pre-test) / Chapter b) --- Questionnaire (Post-test: Control Group) / Chapter c) --- Questionnaire (Post-test: Experimental Group)

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

The current study examined the correlations between parental reflective functioning and children’s phonological awareness and reading-related neural development (measured via a phoneme-processing experiment using EEG), and its utility as a predictor of children’s reading skills one year later when they have begun literacy education. Fourteen pre-readers’ (mean age 4.51 years) phonological awareness and their parents’ reflective functioning skills were assessed, along with their EEG responses in a phoneme- processing task. Children’s phonological awareness and emergent reading skills were assessed again 12-15 months later, at the start of First Grade. Left-lateralized neural indices were observed to be correlated with parental reflective functioning (PRF) and children’s later reading-related skills. Specifically, scores on measures of PRF: Interest & Curiosity were positively correlated with the N2 amplitude in the left temporal cortex (p = 0.049), and the P2 amplitude in the left temporal cortex was also correlated with children’s Phonological Awareness scores (p = 0.004) and with their Basic Reading scores (p = 0.002) one year later. Multiple linear regression analyses also revealed that scores on measures of PRF: Interest and Curiosity significantly predicted children’s future phonological awareness (p = 0.014) and basic reading skills (p = 0.002). This study is the first of its kind to identify correlations between parental engagement and neural indices of children’s pre-reading skills, and to reveal parental reflective functioning as a strong predictor of children’s later reading abilities.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

Thesis (MEd (Faculty of Education and Social Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / This study emphasized the important role of phonological and phonemic awareness and understanding of letter-sound correspondence in elementary reading in a grade 1 class. The importance of preparatory activities preceding reading is strongly emphasized when looking at strategies for delays to cope in beginning reading. The ability of learners to develop auditory and visual perceptions and discernment between sounds and sound patterns are described as predictors of successful reading. Early and continuous monitoring of initial reading skills are an important aspect to reduce and prevent reading barriers. Action Research is conducted in a grade 1 class with learners who have not received grade R instruction and who at age 5 ½ years already enrolled at the school. The learners are young and do not receive enough stimulation at home. They already show barriers to learning in the effective use of language and learning with school entry. Due to the large backlogs of these learners the focus is on phonological awareness and phonemic awareness in elementary reading of the young child. The development of phonological and phonemic awareness and the organization and importance of teaching phonics in context, as a method of reading to strengthen skills at grade 1 learner in a poor language environment is investigated. A variety of teaching strategies in reading approaches is investigated in the study. The findings of the effect of phonological awareness and phonemic awareness in elementary reading are discussed. Learning Programmes such as the ‘Foundation for Learning’ of the National Department of Education (DoE) introduced to schools should be taught thoroughly. The view of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED 2006: 3) who expressed the approach to Literacy as “explicit teaching of phonics within a balanced approach to reading” is held. This approach allows major challenges to educators and learners in a poor language environment. Educators' methodology of teaching reading should be adjusted and should be focused on the teaching of phonics in context to maintain a balance between phonic and balanced approach to reading.