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Learning to read in Arabic: the long and winding road

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Abstract

We examined the relative contribution of visual abilities, accessibility of letter names, and phonological awareness, to text reading speed and accuracy of Arabic in first, third, and fifth grades. The results revealed that for all levels of skill, phonological awareness contributes significantly to reading accuracy, to the same degree. For reading speed, letter naming speed is crucial in first and fifth grade, whereas phonological awareness is crucial in third grade. These patterns differ from those found of readers of other scripts and are interpreted in the context of diglossia, and the visual aspects of the Arabic orthography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, University of Haifa, 31905, Haifa, Israel

    Hanan Asaad & Zohar Eviatar

Authors
  1. Hanan Asaad
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  2. Zohar Eviatar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zohar Eviatar.

Appendices

Appendix A: Transliterations and translations of the phonological tests lists

Segmenting words into phonemes

Spoken Arabic

Gloss

Dam

Blood

Rama:

Throw

Nese

Forget

‘enab

Grapes

Bare:d

Mail

Jandab

Grasshopper

Farfu:r

Young

Mandale:na

Clementine

Blending phonemes into words

Spoken Arabic

Gloss

Dura

Corn

Seta

Rain

Same:r

(name)

‘asfu:r

Bird

Barme:l

Barrel

Mafate:ḥ

Keys

Za’tar

Thyme

‘ankabu:t

Spider

Deletion syllable task

Instructions: I will say a word, then I will take away part of it, and you will tell me what is left

Gloss

Say

Delete

Spread

našar

Na

(name)

Mas’u:d

Mas

Wounded

Majru:ḥ

Maj

Train

qeṭa:r

qi

Replete

Šaba:n

Aan

Squirrel

Senja:b

Jab

Tree

šajara

Ja

Judge

ḥakam

Ka

Window

šubak

Ba

Ship

Safe:ne

Fee

Squeezers

Ma’a:ser

Aa

Walled

Masu:ra

Soo

Fatty

Dasam

Sa

Magic

seḥer

He

Deletion phoneme task

Instructions: I will say a word, then I will take away part of it, and you will tell me what is left

Gloss

Say

Delete

Sleeve

Kum

K

Camel

Jamal

J

Dog

Kaleb

K

Body

Jesem

J

Throw

Kab

K

(Name)

Same:r

S

(Name)

Sa:jed

J

Ceremony

ḥafel

H

Exhalation

Zafe:r

F

Elephant

Fe:l

L

Hot

ḥam

M

Day

Nha:r

H

Holiday

‘e:d

A

Empty

Fa:de

F

Cucumber

Xya:ra

X

Bells

Jra:s

J

Appendix B: Reading tests

Text for first grade

figure h

Text for third grade

figure i

Text for fifth grade

figure j

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Asaad, H., Eviatar, Z. Learning to read in Arabic: the long and winding road. Read Writ 27, 649–664 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-013-9469-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-013-9469-9

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