Can speech sound ability predict literacy skills in Cantonese-speaking preschoolers?

Abstract

The present study examined the association of early speech sound ability of Cantonese-speaking preschoolers on their later literacy outcomes. Nineteen children who participated in a previous study on validation of a parent questionnaire of speech were assessed on their literacy skills one year later (Time 2). Thirteen of them had a history of speech sound disorder (SSD) and 6 did not. All of them showed age-appropriate language skills at the second time point and they received no prior speech therapy. Speech sound abilities at both time points were measured in terms of the percentage of initial consonants correct (PICC) using a standardized speech assessment. Literacy skills were measured in terms of word reading scores using a standardized literacy screening for preschoolers. PICC in the first time point (Time 1) was significantly correlated with word reading. However, the contribution of PICC at Time 1 became nonsignificant when PICC at Time 2 was taken into account. The findings appeared to support Multiple Deficit View which claimed that the reading outcome depended on the interplay between phonological deficit and other factors such as language ability. Future study directions were discussed.