Dergi makalesi Açık Erişim

Is Low Maternal Education Level a Risk Factor in Vocabulary and Phonological Awareness?

2020    Ergul, Cevriye; Tulu, Burcu Kilic; Demir, Ergul; Akoglu, Gozde; Okcun-Akcamus, Meral Cilem; Kudret, Zeynep Bahap

This study investigates the development of vocabulary and phonological awareness skills of kindergartners by considering the maternal education levels. A total of 540 Turkish-speaking children participated in the study. The skills were assessed in three points in time: The fall and spring semesters of kindergarten and fall semester of the first grade. The vocabulary skills of children were assessed using the Turkish Expressive and Receptive Language Test and the phonological awareness skills were assessed using the Early Literacy Test. The results revealed that vocabulary and phonological awareness skills of children with various maternal education levels showed a similar rate of change for three semesters. However, the children with lower level of mother education showed poorer performance in the fall semester of kindergarten and continued to perform poorly in the spring of kindergarten and fall of the first grade in comparison to their peers with higher mother education levels.