This study investigated the relationship between metalinguistic skills (phonological and syntactical awareness) and the ability at reading and spelling. The study involved three groups of subjects: 20 third- and fourth-grade children with reading and spelling problems (group 1); 20 first-grade children with the same reading and spelling skill level of those in group 1 (group 2); 20 third- and fourth-grade children the same age as those in group 1 (group 3). Group 1 was expected to show lower scores on metalinguistic skills, when compared with the other groups. The hypothesis was confirmed only in what regards to phonological awareness scores. Regarding to syntactical awareness, no significant difference was observed between groups 1 and 2, whose scores were lower than those in group 3. The results of this study have shown that reading and spelling problems are predominantly linked to phonological mediation problems.
literacy development; metalinguistic skills; phonological awareness; syntactic awareness; reading and spelling problems
