Promoting phonological awareness in pre-primary education: possibilities of the ‘awakening to languages’ approach

Abstract

This article aims at evaluating and understanding the effects of an awakening to languages (AtL) programme, carried out with a group of 21 Portuguese children aged three to six, in the development of phonological awareness (PA). Using mixed-methods research, data was gathered from video recordings of seven AtL sessions and PA tests for an experimental and a control group. Post-test results reveal that the experimental group increased their PA significantly, whereas the phonological abilities of the control group remained unaltered. Content analysis of the sessions supported these results, indicating that the experimental group was keen to observe, manipulate, and reflect upon languages and sounds. Findings suggest that exploring and working with linguistic diversity early on may develop metalinguistic skills conducive to literacy and language learning.