Metalinguistic awareness and early reading: a longitudinal study

This study originates from two 'ecologically valid' educational experiences. First, there is Van Damme's activity as a teacher-researcher in the RUG Laboratory of Education's experimental primary school. Since 1980 she has been responsible for the reading and writing program of the children of the 1st and 2nd grade (aged 6 - 8). Second, there is the preschool reading acquisition experience in which a father (M.Spoelders) and his son joined efforts to make the 'miracle of literacy acquisition' happen(Spoelders & Van Damme, 1982). Both experiences convinced the writers of this paper that the phenomenon of developmental metalinguistics should be in the focus of their future educational and scientific endeavours.This study originates from two 'ecologically valid' educational experiences. First, there is Van Damme's activity as a teacher-researcher in the RUG Laboratory of Education's experimental primary school. Since 1980 she has been responsible for the reading and writing program of the children of the 1st and 2nd grade (aged 6 - 8). Second, there is the preschool reading acquisition experience in which a father (M.Spoelders) and his son joined efforts to make the 'miracle of literacy acquisition' happen(Spoelders & Van Damme, 1982). Both experiences convinced the writers of this paper that the phenomenon of developmental metalinguistics should be in the focus of their future educational and scientific endeavours