Bridging audiology and emergent literacy: SLP students' application of LING 6 sounds in early childhood education

Abstract

This study investigates how online pre-master's speech-language pathology (SLP) students incorporate the LING 6 sounds (/mm/, /ah/, /s/, /sh/, /ee/, /oo/) into emergent literacy activities aimed at enhancing early childhood language acquisition and phonemic awareness. Twelve students in an introductory audiology course participated in pre- and post-surveys to assess their understanding and confidence in using these sounds to enhance early literacy development. The results showed a significant increase in both knowledge and confidence after students designed and presented multisensory literacy activities integrating auditory discrimination and phonemic awareness. While students effectively utilized multisensory strategies to reinforce auditory skills, they encountered challenges in adapting activities to the varying language development stages of children and managing classroom dynamics, which underscores the complexity of applying auditory training to support language development across developmental levels. These findings highlight the importance of experiential learning in bridging audiology and literacy development within SLP education. The study emphasizes the potential of integrating auditory training into early childhood education, with significant implications for children at risk for language delays or reading disorders. Recommendations include enhancing SLP curricula to focus on the practical application of auditory training, multisensory teaching strategies, and classroom management. The study also calls for future research exploring the long-term effects of integrating auditory training into early literacy development and its broader impact on children’s literacy outcomes, particularly for those with hearing impairments or language delays.