Researcher(s)
- Kara Mey, Cognitive Science, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Roberta Golinkoff, School of Education, University of Delaware
Abstract
This pilot experiment focuses on the instruction of Metalinguistic Awareness (MA), the ability to understand the form and structure of language–independent of its meaning–and its effects on the literacy skills of third and fourth graders. MA enables readers to reflect on language beyond its original context in order to think flexibly about multiple interpretations. Previous research has demonstrated that MA instruction has shown improvement in reading comprehension of emerging readers. Multiple types of MA instruction such as interacting with ambiguous words and sentences, affixes, compound words, and newly-created words have supported this claim (Sinar, 2018; Zipke, 2007; Zipke, 2009; Brinchmann et al., 2016; Deacon & Kieffer, 2018). The program will occur in afterschool programs, set to take place this academic year. It will be delivered to students as a group, similar to a classroom setting. The experimental groups will receive a six-session, thirty-minutes each, intervention including pre- and post-testing to measure changes in MA skills and reading comprehension. The intervention is designed to allow children to analyze and manipulate parts of language in interactive and playful activities. Based on previous studies, it is predicted that students who will receive MA instruction are expected to improve in overall reading comprehension skills. It is anticipated that participants will show increased accuracy in identifying and explaining multiple meanings of words and sentence structures. Additionally, students will likely decode the meanings of newly-created words with more accuracy than before instruction.