Effects of a syllabic highlight technique in word reading of beginning readers

Abstract

The role of the syllable in written word recognition is an open question in psycholinguistic studies about reading. We analyzed the effects of a syllabic highlight technique on the reading performance of students in the 2nd degree of elementary school. Seventy-two children (mean age of 7,7 years) performed a collective test to identify their reading level (TCLPP). Afterwards, they were distributed in two equivalent groups and individually submitted to an oral words and pseudowords reading test (LPI), written with and without the technique, according to a crossover design. Syllabic highlight technique had significant positive effects on reading performance, particularly for less skilled readers. The repetition of the task enhanced the effectiveness of the technique. The results support the hypothesis that the syllable is an important linguistic unit in word recognition in Brazilian Portuguese. The syllabic highlight can be an effective strategy to construction of material for teaching and remediation of reading difficulties.