Haskins Publications

Number	593
Year	1986
Drawer	10
Entry Date	11/17/1999
Authors	Mann, V.
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Publication	Cognition, 24, 65-92.
url	http://www.haskins.yale.edu/Reprints/HL0593.pdf
Abstract	Conducted a cross-cultural study of 216 Japanese children, 39 children who attended Japanese schools but had learned to read in another language, and 40 American children. Using counting tests and deletion tests, Exps I and III revealed that in contrast to US 1st graders, most of whom were aware of both syllables and phonemes, almost all 1st graders in Japan were aware of mora (phonological units roughly equivalent to syllables) but relatively few were aware of phonemes. Exps II and IV administered the same counting and deletion tests to Japanese children in the later elementary grades. Data reveal that many Japanese children became aware of phonemes by the time they were in the 4th grade, whether or not they had received instruction in alphabetic transcription. Discussion focuses on the effects of alphabet and syllabary use and on other factors that may promote phonological awareness.
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