The use of an Icelandic screening phonological and metalinguistic awareness test HLJÓM-2 in Icelandic pre-and elementary schools in the county Árnessýsla in Iceland

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of a metalinguistic awareness screening test HLJÓM-2 within three groups of interest; the parents of the screened children, the preschool teachers who screened the children and the children´s first grade teachers in elementary schools in a defined area (Árnessýsla) in Iceland. The HLJÓM-2 is a research based screening test, developed from investigations carried out in the years 1996–2002 on Icelandic preschool children’s language knowledge and later reading achievements. The test was developed to be used within the Icelandic preschools to identify children at risk of later reading difficulties before formal reading instructions began. The result of the test at age five predicts academic achievement on Icelandic national tests throughout the compulsory school, or to the age of 16 years. Previous researches show that the strongest relationship was between the HLJÓM-2 and the national standardized tests in mathematics in Grade 4 and Icelandic in Grades 4, 7 and 10. Approximately 1000 preschool teachers have attended a short course, received a test certificate and are allowed to use the test. The test is used within the majority of Icelandic preschools. The test was designed for preschool teachers to identify children at risk in their own group. Almost every Icelandic preschooler (4.9 years to 5.11 years) is assessed with the test. In this study, questionnaires were sent to all first grade teachers, all preschool teachers and all parents of first grade primary school children in the district Árnessýsla. Árnessýsla is a large county in the south of Iceland with approximately 8000 inhabitants, 15 preschools and 10 primary schools. The response rate was high or 75% to 95%; parents (75% of 214), preschool teachers (94% of 31) and primary school teachers (95% of 19). The questionnaires were developed to answer questions on the use of the HLJÓM-2, the parents’ knowledge of the test, the identification and the intervention for the children at risk after the screening and the continuity of education between school levels. The results showed that the HLJÓM-2 test was used in 14 out of 15 preschools in Árnesssýsla. Almost all preschool teachers (93%) reported positive experience of using the screening test within their preschools. They used test results to create early intervention strategies on phonological awareness and language knowledge for the oldest children in the preschool age group of 4.9 to 6 years. Almost all (96%) children identified at risk received special intervention within the preschool, either individually or in small groups. The intervention strategies either emphasized increasing the whole language knowledge (51%) or working precisely on phonological awareness (45%). The majority of the parents knew about the test and that their children were supposed to be screened. However, only a third of the parents reported having received an explanation of the test result, either at a special meeting or in a written report. Although collaboration on language intervention and literacy between the two school levels (preschools and compulsory schools) seems to be lacking, the majority of the first grade school teachers reported having received information about the children who were identified at risk within the preschool. The first grade teachers did not know about the intervention strategies used within the preschool and there was lack of formal reporting between the two school levels. The majority of children identified at risk within the preschool did not receive any special reading instructions or support from their first grade teachers, but were given the same reading instructions as all the other children. From the result of this study, it is concluded that it is important to investigate precisely the intervention strategies used within the preschools. It is essential to explore whether the intervention is effective and beneficial for supporting and promoting the children’s language knowledge and helping them to cope with their reading proficiencies. It is of central importance to provide preschool teachers with more intensive training on basic facts and concepts of reading instruction and metalinguistic features, as well as making available consultations from specialists, such as speech and language pathologists. It is necessary to strengthen cooperation between educational levels and with parents and create better continuity in children’s education.