Correlations of auditory discrimination, phonemic awareness and literacy: evidence from a Grade 4 classroom in rural Gauteng

Abstract

Auditory discrimination is integral in developing phonological awareness (PA), a metalinguistic skill required for language and literacy acquisition. This study investigates associations between auditory discrimination, segmenting and blending skills, and literacy outcomes such as reading speed and spelling accuracy in Grade 4 learners who transitioned from Setswana instruction to English as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT). A quantitative, retrospective, descriptive, and correlational design was used. The results indicated significant positive correlations between auditory discrimination skills and literacy skills. A strong positive correlation was found between auditory discrimination, spelling skills (rs = 0.500, p < 0.001), and reading speed (rs = 0.448, p < 0.001). Unlike prior studies, blending and segmentation skills were above age-appropriate levels for English, yet PA skills did not consistently correspond with well-established literacy skills. These outcomes are attributed to differences in phonology and orthographies, limited English exposure, and challenges of transitioning to a new LoLT without explicit support.