Awareness of Aural and Visual Word Boundary within a Sample of First Graders

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationships between awareness of visual and aural word boundary for a sample of prereading first graders and to determine the predictive quality of the perceptual tasks in relation to measured reading success at the end of the year. Two informal, but previously used, word-boundary tasks were selected. Good, average, and poor reading readiness determinations were made and groups established. Among the readiness groups, discrimination of aural word boundary did not discriminate performance. However, the covariance procedures indicated that visual segmentation of word boundaries did permit discriminating among performance groups. Ss labeled high in readiness produced significantly more correct visual boundary perceptions than did the low-achieving readiness group. Regression models to predict end-of-year reading achievement by the prereading variables indicated that the word-boundary scores gave significant prediction ( R^a = .30, p < .01, multiple R). When considered as a unitary predictor, awareness of aural word boundary, remained a predictor of reading achievement; yet, awareness of visual boundary, when considered as a simple predictor, did not predict success in reading. Apparently, the ability to discriminate the correct boundaries of aural words may influence Ss learning to read. Discrimination of visual boundary was not a readiness factor associated with later reading success.