ERIC Number: EJ1458707
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jan
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1368-2822
EISSN: EISSN-1460-6984
Trajectories of Language Development, Cognitive Flexibility and Phoneme Awareness Knowledge in Early Childhood
International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, v60 n1 e13139 2025
Background: Early childhood is a critical period of language development. Yet less is known about how language growth relates to the development of phoneme awareness and cognitive flexibility during this period. Aims: To examine the longitudinal associations between growth in phonological awareness and cognitive flexibility from 4 to 5 years in relation to three patterns of child language development: early, intermediate and late. Methods & Procedures: A sample of 439 four-year-old children were recruited and underwent repeated language, phonological awareness and cognitive flexibility testing to age 5. Children were classified into three language development groups based on their listening comprehension: early, intermediate and late. Group-based trajectory modelling was then used to examine the relations between cognitive flexibility and phonological awareness over time in relation to language outcome. Outcomes & Results: Early language developers were characterized by higher levels and greater improvement in language and phonological awareness skills between 4 and 5 years. Late language developers exhibited slower growth in expressive language development (in addition to lower receptive language at age 4). Intermediate and late language developers showed steeper growth in cognitive flexibility over the study. Conclusions & Implications: Findings affirm the interconnected nature of phoneme awareness, cognitive and language skill development in early childhood. Results suggest the importance of targeting skills across literacy and executive functioning/regulatory domains for children with language difficulties.
Descriptors: Phonemic Awareness, Learning Trajectories, Early Childhood Education, Language Acquisition, Cognitive Processes, Preschool Children, Student Improvement, Skill Development, Executive Function, Literacy
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A