ERIC Number: EJ1461733
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0922-4777
EISSN: EISSN-1573-0905
Available Date: 2024-02-22
Punctuation: A Missing Link between Awareness of Prosody and Reading Comprehension
Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, v38 n2 p353-372 2025
There is growing theoretical and empirical consensus for a role of awareness of suprasegmental phonology, also known as prosody, or the rhythmic elements of speech, in reading comprehension. Here we explore a potential mechanism by which this relation functions: awareness of how punctuation reflects prosody, for instance appreciating that a period or comma often marks a pause. Children who are more aware of prosody might be better able to use punctuation as a guide to what text should sound like, which could enable understanding text meaning. We tested 151 English-speaking students in Grades 3-5 to explore whether the relation between awareness of prosody and reading comprehension is mediated by awareness of how punctuation reflects prosody. After controlling for age, punctuation knowledge, word reading, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and nonverbal ability, there were direct relations between awareness of prosody and reading comprehension, as well as indirect effects via awareness of how punctuation reflects prosody. These results suggest a role for punctuation in applying awareness of prosody to reading comprehension; we interpret this as a potential mechanism by which awareness of prosody supports reading comprehension, a finding that can both refine current models of reading comprehension and inspire the design of effective instruction.
Descriptors: Intonation, Suprasegmentals, Elementary School Students, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Punctuation, Reading Comprehension, Age Differences, Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary Skills, Nonverbal Ability, Teaching Methods, Instructional Design
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Dalhousie University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Halifax, Canada; 2University of Alberta, Educational Psychology Department, Edmonton, Canada