Teaching Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences Using a Direct Mapping Approach for At-Risk Second Language Learners: A...

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Second Language Acquisition
• Literacy Development

Background:

• Effective reading instruction is crucial for second language (L2) learners.
• Identifying and supporting at-risk L2 readers is a key educational challenge.
• Grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) are foundational for decoding skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a Direct Mapping of Grapheme (DMG) intervention compared to a control intervention for L2 at-risk readers.
• To investigate the interaction between intervention type and phonological awareness (PA) on reading outcomes.
• To determine if explicitly linking GPCs to authentic text reading enhances L2 reading development.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-one Chinese Grade 1 and 2 students identified as at-risk L2 readers were randomly assigned to either a DMG intervention or a taught control group.
• Both interventions were small-group reading programs, differing only in the systematic daily linkage of taught GPCs to shared reading of words in authentic text.
• Participants were assessed on word reading, word attack, spelling, and sentence comprehension.

Main Results:

• Significant interaction effects favoring the DMG intervention were found for word reading, spelling, and sentence comprehension.
• These positive effects were particularly pronounced for L2 readers with stronger phonological awareness (PA).
• No significant main effects of intervention condition were observed on the tested outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The daily Direct Mapping of Grapheme (DMG) intervention effectively promotes reading development in at-risk English L2 readers.
• Explicitly connecting taught Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences (GPCs) to shared book reading enhances decoding and comprehension skills.
• Interventions that leverage existing phonological skills appear most beneficial for L2 reading acquisition.