Which Variables Better Predict Phonemic Awareness of First Grade Primary School Students?

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Phonemic awareness (PA) is crucial for early literacy development.
• Identifying predictive factors for PA is essential for targeted interventions.
• Previous research has explored various cognitive and environmental influences on PA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine which variables among socioeconomic status (SES), parent-child interaction (PCI) quality, screen time (DST), visual-spatial ability (VSA), and mathematical reasoning (MR) best predict phonemic awareness (PA) in first-grade students.
• To apply machine learning techniques to analyze the relationships between these variables and PA.
• To provide insights into the cognitive and social factors influencing early literacy skills.

Main Methods:

• Correlational research design involving 556 first-grade students.
• Supervised machine learning analysis using Classification and Regression Trees (CART).
• Utilized R software with packages including rpart, rpart.plot, tidyverse, dplyr, ggplot2, and corrplot for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Mathematical reasoning (MR), parent-child interaction (PCI), and visual-spatial ability (VSA) were identified as significant predictors of phonemic awareness (PA).
• Socioeconomic status (SES) and screen time (DST) did not emerge as significant predictors of PA in this sample.
• The CART model effectively differentiated predictors of phonemic awareness.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive abilities (MR, VSA) and quality of interaction (PCI) are key determinants of early phonemic awareness.
• SES and DST appear to have a limited direct role in predicting PA, contrary to some prior assumptions.
• Findings have implications for educational practices, suggesting a focus on cognitive skill development and supportive interaction for enhancing early literacy.