Do all children know the letter-sounds at the start of second grade?

The effects of summer break, native language, gender, and initial letter knowledge

Abstract

Letter-sound knowledge is crucial for decoding, the act of transforming written words into speech, which is an essential skill in learning to read. According to the Simple View of Reading, reading consists of decoding and language comprehension. Without letter-sound knowledge, decoding is practically impossible, making it an essential part of early reading instruction. Therefore, monitoring progress and ensuring all students achieve letter-sound fluency is vital. Letter-sound knowledge or fluency has not been the topic of much research in Iceland and no studies on students’ progress in these vital foundational skills for reading have been published. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of specific letter sounds of students at the end of first grade and start of second grade. The study is part of a larger longitudinal research project on early reading instruction conducted by the research team of Dr. Anna-Lind Pétursdóttir, supported by the Icelandic Research Fund grant nr. 207216-051. In this study, students’ letter-sound knowledge was examined with regard to gender, language background, and risk status based on letter-sound knowledge at the start of elementary school. Additionally, it aimed to assess whether, and to what extent, there was a summer effect on letter-sound knowledge; that is, if there was attrition from the end of first grade to the start of second grade. Participants were students in first grade at the start of the study, from seven public elementary schools in Iceland’s greater capital area. In total, 291 students participated: 135 boys and 156 girls. Participants were split into groups as having either Icelandic as their first language (n = 239) or Icelandic as an additional language (n = 52). Additionally, students who were considered to be at risk of reading difficulties based on initial letter-sound knowledge (n = 57) were compared to their non-risk peers.

Data collection took place in each of the schools where students’ letter-sound knowledge was individually assessed with a test of letter-sound fluency, consisting of a sheet with the Icelandic alphabet in random order, 14 vocals and 18 consonants, as well as three diphthongs. Results showed considerable variation in letter-sound knowledge amongst students, ranging from one to 35 letter sounds at the end of first grade and from four to 35 letter sounds at the start of second grade. Many children lacked knowledge of common letter-sounds, and there was not one letter-sound that was known by all the students at the start of second grade. Students with Icelandic as an additional language and at-risk students had significantly less letter-sound knowledge at the start of second grade compared to their peers. However, no gender differences were found in letter-sound knowledge. Letter-sound knowledge of students did not regress during the summer break, as no significant differences were found between average knowledge at the end of first grade and start of second grade.

Findings underscore the importance of assessing letter-sound knowledge at the beginning of second grade, so that unknown letter-sounds can be taught. Making sure all students know all letter-sounds is essential for reading success, as knowledge of each letter-sound is required for fluent decoding and functional reading comprehension. These findings give an important overview of the extent to which students can produce sounds of individual letters at the end of first grade and start of second grade, which can be useful for planning effective early reading instruction and providing focused support to groups at risk of reading difficulties. Hopefully, these findings can assist in tailoring early reading instruction even better to the diverse needs of students in Iceland, so that everyone can achieve sufficient reading skills to be successful in school