Download This thesis analyzes the topic of learning to read in children with Down syndrome and, in particular, the issue of phonological awareness, considered a fundamental prerequisite in typically developing subjects.
The book traces the evolution of the state of the art on this topic, which has been debated since 1993, when Cossu, Rossini, and Marshall published an article arguing that individuals with Down syndrome could learn to read even in the absence of phonological awareness. Both studies supporting their thesis and studies arguing the opposite have been reported, reiterating the need to consider the cognitive limitations of individuals with Down syndrome and their consequent difficulty understanding instructions in "explicit" phonological awareness tasks.
Through the analysis of three different intervention models for improving reading skills in Down syndrome, possible ways of structuring and adapting reading training that are particularly specific to this population are demonstrated.
Finally, a collection of the main recommendations that emerged from the studies examined is presented, aimed at both teachers and therapists, regarding vocabulary expansion, the differences between the global learning method and the syllabic method and the criteria for choosing one or the other, as well as the most useful metaphonological activities to promote learning to read in children with Down syndrome.