Which of the following statements about metalinguistic awareness during the middle school years is correct?

• A. Metalinguistic awareness remains unchanged during the middle school years.
• B. Metalinguistic awareness declines during the middle school years.
• C. Metalinguistic awareness typically improves during the middle school years.
• D. Metalinguistic awareness is fully developed before the middle school years.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of metalinguistic awareness, which refers to the ability to think about and analyze language as an abstract system, including understanding word meanings, sentence structure, and the use of language in different contexts.
2. Step 2: Recognize that metalinguistic awareness develops progressively as children grow, influenced by cognitive maturation and increased exposure to complex language tasks.
3. Step 3: Consider developmental research findings that show improvements in metalinguistic skills during the middle school years, as students engage more deeply with language through reading, writing, and critical thinking activities.
4. Step 4: Evaluate each statement by comparing it to the developmental trajectory of metalinguistic awareness: it does not remain unchanged or decline, nor is it fully developed before middle school.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement 'Metalinguistic awareness typically improves during the middle school years' aligns with psychological research on language development during this period.