Effect of an Arabic Program of Direct Instruction for Phonological Awareness on Phonological Awareness Abilities.

Abstract

Reading in Arabic is a vital skill for academic success and progress in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) elementary schools and beyond. However, there is substantial evidence to suggest that a significant number of UAE children in lower elementary grades experience difficulties in reading school-related materials. Research in reading has clearly documented that the lack of phonological awareness skills is a major contributor to reading difficulties. The aims of the present study were to (a) identify phonological awareness deficits among UAE’s struggling firstgrade readers, (b) provide intervention in the area of phonological awareness deficits through direct training, (c) determine whether phonological awareness direct training significantly increases phonological awareness abilities, and (d) determine the effect of gender on the reading intervention. The results of this study indicate that a direct training intervention program in the UAE positively impacted struggling first-grade readers’ phonological awareness abilities. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 110124 Acknowledgments This research was supported by a grant from the College of Education, United Arab Emirates University Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei Part of the Elementary Education Commons, and the Language and Literacy Education Commons Recommended Citation Elhoweris, D., Alsheikh, N., Al Mekhlafi, A., Alhosani, N., & Alzyoudi, M. (2018) Effect of an Arabic Program of Direct Instruction for Phonological Awareness on Phonological Awareness Abilities. Exceptionality Education International, 27, 110-124. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei/vol27/iss2/6 This Article Open Access after 1 year is brought to you by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Exceptionality Education International by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact jspecht@uwo.ca. Effect of an Arabic Program of Direct Instruction for Phonological Awareness on Phonological Awareness Abilities Cover Page Footnote Acknowledgments This research was supported by a grant from the College of Education, United Arab Emirates University This article open access after 1 year is available in Exceptionality Education International: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei/ vol27/iss2/6 Exceptionality Education International 2017, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 110–124 ISSN 1918-5227 110 Effect of an Arabic Program of Direct Instruction for Phonological Awareness on Phonological Awareness Abilities Hala Elhoweris, Negmeldin Alsheikh, Abdurrahman Al Mekhlafi, Najwa Alhosani, and Mohammed Alzyoudi United Arab Emirates University