ABSTRACT
Language development and literacy are intimately related. In particular, the way in which the brain represents the sound-structure of spoken language – phonology – is critical for the future development of literacy. The brain develops phonological ‘representations’ in response to spoken language exposure and learning to speak, and the quality of these phonological representations determines literacy acquisition. Both perceptual and articulatory processes are important in developing a child’s phonological representations. In infancy and early childhood, the representation of phonology relies on prosodic or rhythmic features of language and on perceptual units like syllables. As an alphabet is acquired and visual codes become associated with these pre-existing phonological representations, the brain restructures its language-based representations into so-called ‘phonemic phonology’. However, individual differences in the acquisition of phonemic phonology depend on individual differences in the quality of the phonological representations that were acquired prior to literacy. A specific problem with phonology suggests that a child will have specific learning difficulties with respect to literacy, irrespective of IQ.
