Short- and long-term effects of training phonological awareness in kindergarten: evidence from two German studies

Two training studies replicated and extended a Scandinavian study by Lundberg, Frost, and Petersen (1988). In Study 1, a 6-month metalinguistic training program was given to kindergartners (mean age: 5 years 7 months) who were later compared to a control group in the regular kindergarten program. Tests of phonological awareness and other metalinguistic and cognitive variables were given before and after training; a metalinguistic transfer test was given after training. Reading and spelling skills were assessed at the end of Grades 1 and 2, respectively. The training program was improved and monitored more closely in Study 2. Both studies revealed short- and long-term effects, consistent with Lundberg et al. (1988) and extending findings from Anglo-American and Scandinavian populations to German children.