Abstract:

The present study reports on the development and standardization of a test of phonological processing in Arabic, a language that has been less researched in terms of reading processes potentially due to a limited number of standardized tools. The test includes measures of phonological awareness, phonological memory and rapid naming, and ameasure of non-word reading to link with (phonological) decoding skills in reading. Primary and middle school versions of the test showed good levels of reliability and variability in children’s performance within and across grades, suggesting that the test can reliably differentiate children with differing levels of phonological skills across the target population.Findings are discussed in relation to Arabic language and literacy, theories of phonological processing and issues related to the teaching of the Arabic orthography.

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