Phonological processing skills influence text-reading fluency in Russian-speaking adolescents.
Tatiana Eremicheva1,2, Yana Nikonova2, Svetlana Alexeeva2
1Center for Language and Brain, HSE University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Plos One
|December 5, 2025
Summary
Phonological processing skills are important for reading, but this study found they only slightly impact adolescent text reading fluency. For adolescents, managing cognitive load may be more critical than basic phonological skills for complex reading tasks.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Phonological processing (PP) is vital for reading acquisition.
- Research on PP predominantly focuses on children, leaving adolescent PP skills underexplored.
- Adolescent reading development requires further investigation into underlying cognitive skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess phonological processing skills in Russian-speaking adolescents.
- To establish percentile-based thresholds for identifying potential PP difficulties in this age group.
- To analyze the influence of PP skills on reading fluency in words, pseudowords, and text.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Changing Sound in Pseudoword test from the Russian Test of Phonological Processing (RuToPP).
- Included 161 Russian-speaking adolescents aged 14-18 years.
- Calculated percentile-based thresholds and analyzed correlations with reading fluency measures.
Main Results:
- Phonological processing skills demonstrated a small but significant effect on text reading fluency.
- No significant impact of PP skills was found on word or pseudoword reading fluency.
- Established percentile-based thresholds for risk assessment of PP difficulties in adolescents.
Conclusions:
- While PP skills are important, their direct impact on adolescent text reading fluency is limited.
- General cognitive load management appears more critical for complex reading tasks in adolescents than basic PP skills.
- Further research is needed to understand the nuances of adolescent reading development and cognitive load.
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