Research Seminars 2009-10

Unless otherwise stated all seminars take place in the Group Room, 31 Claremont Crescent, and start at 1pm and are concluded by 2pm.

For further information please contact Kathryn Sharpe (tel: 0114 222 2402, e-mail: k.sharpe@sheffield.ac.uk).

March 2010 Seminar
Thursday 25th Speaker: Dr Blanca Schaefer, University of Newcastle

How does phonological awareness develop in German-speaking children? - A comparison of developmental trajectories in children with and without spoken language difficulties


Lunch: A sandwich lunch will be available from 12:15-13:00 in The Group Room


Phonological awareness (PA) is the ability to reflect on and manipulate word forms. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of PA in typically and atypically developing German-speaking preschool children.

A 12-month longitudinal study was undertaken involving 97 typically developing (TD) children and 30 children with speech and language difficulties (SLD), comprising subgroups with speech delay, speech disorder and combined speech and language difficulties. The participants, aged 4;0 to 4;11 years at the beginning of the study, were tested at three time points, using the PA battery together with tests of letter knowledge, word retrieval, grammar comprehension and nonverbal reasoning. The PA battery consists of matched input and output subtests tapping different linguistic units: syllable, onset / rhyme and phoneme.

The PA skills of the TD-children developed significantly over time. Evidence was found that PA progresses from larger units (syllables) to smaller units (phonemes). PA profiles were generally stable over time: children performing poorly at T1 continued to perform less well than their peers at T2 and T3. Significant differences between the TD- and SLD-group were found for most PA subtests. While the two groups showed comparable development on the syllable and rhyme tasks, the performance of the SLD-group on the onset/rhyme and phoneme tasks did not significantly improve. The subgroup of children with combined speech and language difficulties showed the poorest PA skills. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.


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