This master’s thesis examines the development of phonological awareness and executive functions in preschool children and pupils in the first and second grades of primary school, as well as the relationship between these two developmental domains. The aim of the study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of phonological awareness and executive functions in preschool children and first- and second-grade pupils, to examine the relationship between these two domains, and to analyse the role of age, gender, and the presence of early signs of dyslexia. Particular emphasis was placed on determining whether individual components of executive functioning help explain differences in the development of phonological awareness. The theoretical framework of the thesis is grounded in contemporary developmental-cognitive and neuropsychological models, which conceptualise phonological awareness as a key pre-literacy skill essential for successful early literacy acquisition, and executive functions as a multidimensional construct of cognitive-regulatory processes that enable attentional control, planning, behavioural regulation, and adaptation to environmental demands. Particular attention is devoted to developmental models of phonological awareness and models of executive functions, especially the work of Dawson and Guare, as well as to understanding the role of individual components of executive functioning, particularly working memory, inhibition, and cognitive regulation, in the performance of more demanding phonological awareness tasks.
The empirical part of the study employed a quantitative research design. The sample consisted of 60 children, divided according to age group (preschool children, first-grade pupils, and second-grade pupils) and the presence or absence of early signs of dyslexia. Phonological awareness was assessed using a phonological awareness test, and executive functions were evaluated with the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis.
The results indicate that phonological awareness increases significantly with age and school progression, with the most pronounced differences observed at the phonemic level. Executive functions, as assessed by the behavioural CHEXI questionnaire, showed considerable individual variability, whereas no statistically significant differences were found between the age groups. Gender did not emerge as a significant factor in the development of phonological awareness or executive functions, except for the inhibition and emotional regulation component, in which boys exhibited more pronounced difficulties.
The most pronounced differences were observed in relation to the presence of early signs of dyslexia. Children with identified early signs of dyslexia achieved lower scores across all levels of phonological awareness and experienced greater difficulties in executive functioning, particularly in working memory and planning. Correlational analyses revealed statistically significant associations between phonological awareness and executive functions, with the strongest relationships found for working memory-related components. Hierarchical regression analysis further showed that age and the presence of early signs of dyslexia were the strongest predictors of phonological awareness in the studied sample, whereas executive functions did not make significant additional contributions to explaining differences in phonological awareness once these variables had been taken into account.
The findings highlight the importance of thoroughly understanding the development of phonological awareness in relation to broader cognitive-regulatory processes and contribute to a clearer picture of developmental risks during the early stages of literacy acquisition. The results have important implications for educational and special education practice, particularly for the early identification of children at developmental risk and for the development of comprehensive approaches to supporting children during the preschool and early primary school years.
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