The link between auditory temporal processing and knowledge of the phonological coding system in learning to read Chinese

This paper investigates the importance of the phonological coding system (PCS) by examining the possible moderation effect of knowledge of the PCS on the predictiveness of auditory temporal processing (ATP) for Chinese character reading. Eighty typically developing Chinese children in the first and second grades in Taiwan were recruited, and various cognitive and literacy ability tasks were administered. The results revealed that knowledge of the PCS served as a significant moderator of the association between ATP and Chinese character reading, that is, the significant prediction from ATP to Chinese character reading was observed only in those with high knowledge of the PCS but not those with low knowledge of the PCS. Additionally, we further demonstrated diverse ability levels in phonological processing as it contributes to Chinese character reading among individuals with higher and lower knowledge of the PCS. Specifically, ATP as well as phonological awareness significantly predicted Chinese character reading for those with high knowledge of the PCS, while only verbal short-term memory served as a significant predictor of Chinese character reading for those with low knowledge of the PCS. Our results show that individuals with different levels of knowledge of the PCS may demonstrate different ability levels in phonological processing in their Chinese character reading, which suggests that the need for teaching approaches suited to students with diverse learning experiences should be acknowledged. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.