Emergent Literacy Intervention for Vulnerable Preschoolers

This study determined the relative efficacy of an experimental explicit emergent literacy intervention program for preschoolers experiencing multiple risk factors. Using an alternating treatment research design, children completed two 6-week waves of intervention in small groups; one wave featured the experimental explicit intervention program, whereas the other featured a comparison program. Emergent literacy assessment was conducted at pretest and at the end of each wave. Results indicated significant widespread gains in emergent literacy knowledge over the entire 12-week intervention program; growth was significantly greater during the experimental explicit intervention program compared to the comparison program. An examination of individual differences and intervention outcome showed oral language skills and literacy orientation to predict emergent literacy performance at the end of the program.

Download Full-text

Fostering Preschoolers' Emergent Literacy: Recommendations for Enhanced Literacy Experiences and Collaborative Instruction

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/pers-sig16-2018-0012 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 167-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Clariebelle Gabas ◽

Leesa Marante ◽

Sonia Q. Cabell

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Oral Language ◽

Literacy Instruction ◽

Language Skills ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Book Reading ◽

Shared Book Reading ◽

Emergent Literacy Skills ◽

Oral Language Skills

Purpose Emergent literacy skills involve both the code-related and oral language skills that serve as the foundation for successful reading and writing development. Code-related skills have been found to be highly predictive of decoding skills for preschool children and continue to exert a strong influence through the early elementary grades. Likewise, early oral language skills make important contributions to later reading comprehension. Accordingly, the preschool period is a critical time for supporting and facilitating growth in children's emergent literacy skills. Speech-language pathologists working in preschool settings can play an integral role in enhancing literacy instruction through their specialized knowledge of linguistic concepts and language development. The following article aims to provide practitioners with evidence-based strategies for supporting the development of preschoolers' emergent literacy skills in the context of shared book reading and making experience books. The article also outlines recommendations for fostering effective collaborations with teachers to provide high-quality classroom experiences for all preschool children. Conclusion Providing preschool children with a print-rich environment along with clear and explicit explanations, scaffolding, and ample opportunities for practice can help to enhance the quality of language and literacy instruction. Although this article specifically focuses on shared book reading and making experience books, it is important to note that the strategies discussed here apply to a variety of activities. Speech-language pathologists are encouraged to actively collaborate with teachers to integrate these strategies into various classroom activities to optimize learning and promote children's emergent literacy skills.

Download Full-text

The Factors Contributing to Teacher Predictions of Spelling Ability, and the Accuracy of Their Assessments

Language and Literacy ◽

10.20360/g22p4h ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 71 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kendall Kolne ◽

Laura Gonnerman ◽

Alexandra Marquis ◽

Phaedra Royle ◽

Susan Rvachew

Keyword(s):

Oral Language ◽

Literacy Practices ◽

Writing Difficulties ◽

Language Background ◽

Spelling Ability ◽

Education Levels ◽

French Speaking ◽

Oral Language Skills ◽

Language Measures ◽

Literacy Performance

In this study, teachers of kindergarten and Grade 1 French-speaking students indicated the likelihood their students would develop later writing difficulties. Results showed that language measures, language background, the education levels of parents, and home literacy practices predicted whether children would be identified as at-risk. Moreover children’s oral language skills accounted for even more of the variance in teacher ratings than other variables. Spelling performance assessed 1-year later from a subset of children indicated that the teacher predictions were accurate. Thus, teachers appear to be an effective source for predicting children’s future literacy performance.

Download Full-text

An Exploratory Study of EmergentLiteracy Intervention for Preschool Childrenwith Language Impairments

Exceptionality Education International ◽

10.5206/eei.v18i1.7614 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

John K McNamara ◽

Sherri-Leigh Vervaeke ◽

Jackie Van Lankveld

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Language Impairments ◽

Literacy Intervention ◽

Language Therapy ◽

Print Awareness ◽

Specific Language Impairments ◽

Delivery Models

This exploratory study measured the efficacy of an emergent literacy intervention program designed to support preschool children who have been identifi ed as having specific language impairments. Specifi cally, the study compares two intervention approaches — an experimental emergent literacy intervention and a traditional intervention based on traditional models of language therapy. It was hypothesized that the explicit emergent literacy approach would result in signifi cant gains in phonological and print awareness skills relative to a less structured traditional intervention approach. Results indicated that children in the emergent literacy intervention experienced greater gains in pre-literacy measures. The results hold important implications for service delivery models aimed at supporting preschool children with language impairments.

Download Full-text

Speech-Language Pathologists Collaborating With Head Start To Improve Children’s Early Language and Literacy Skills: Efficacy and Intensity Effects

Perspectives on Language Learning and Education ◽

10.1044/lle18.2.53 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 53-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maura Jones Moyle ◽

S. Sue Berman

Keyword(s):

Head Start ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Oral Language ◽

Intervention Program ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Control Group ◽

Language And Literacy ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

At Risk Children

The current study examined the efficacy of a speech-language pathologist–designed and implemented emergent literacy program for Head Start preschoolers and the influence of intensity of intervention on children’s gains. Results indicated that children who participated in the intervention program exhibited greater gains than the control group on oral language, phonological awareness, and alphabet/print knowledge. Children who received a higher dosage of intervention made greater gains on vocabulary and oral language compared to the lower intensity group. Speech-language pathologists may be valuable collaborators in promoting emergent literacy skills in at-risk children.

Download Full-text

Ο αναδυόμενος γραμματισμός στην προσχολική εκπαίδευση: Νέα ζητήματα και εκπαιδευτικές προτάσεις

Preschool and Primary Education ◽

10.12681/ppej.9970 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

George Manolitsis

Keyword(s):

Emergent Literacy ◽

Oral Language ◽

Theoretical Perspective ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Literacy Acquisition ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Emergent Reading ◽

Narrative Skills ◽

Literacy Knowledge ◽

Triangular Model

The present study aims to describe a theoretical perspective of emergent literacy, based on a detailed literature review of previous theoretical models, and on contemporary research findings on the structure of emergent literacy. A triangular model is suggested to explain the construct of emergent literacy. A prominent role is given to the continuous interaction of various contextual experiences with the components of emergent literacy. The construct of emergent literacy consists of three major components which are considered critical for literacy acquisition. These major components are the knowledge of literacy concepts, literacy skills and literacy behaviours. The knowledge components include concepts about print and letter knowledge; the literacy skills include oral language (vocabulary, listening comprehension, and narrative skills) and metalinguistic (phonological, syntactic and morphological awareness) skills; literacy behaviour includes emergent reading and emergent writing. According to this triangular model, the components of literacy knowledge and literacy skills are intercorrelated, while both components influence the emergence of literacy behaviours such as emergent reading and writing. However, beyond the direct links of each major component to each other, there are also indirect links among them through the effects of the experiences children get from the contexts they live in. These experiences originate from home and school contexts. Educational implications for optimal literacy acquisition from an early age are discussed based on the suggestions of this triangular model.

Download Full-text

Effective intervention to support oral language skills in English as an additional language in the early years

TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics ◽

10.35903/teanga.v10i0.67 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Victoria Murphy ◽

J. Karemaker ◽

K. Sylva ◽

G. Kanji ◽

F. Jelley

Keyword(s):

Emergent Literacy ◽

Oral Language ◽

Literacy Development ◽

English Language ◽

Language Skills ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Early Years ◽

Education And Care ◽

Oral Language Skills

Increasingly, children enter Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings with English as an additional language (EAL) and for many of these linguistically diverse children, their knowledge and skills in the English language is less-well developed than native-speaking (NS) peers. Much research over the past few decades has indicated how important early language and emergent literacy development is within ECEC settings, as children’s skills in these domains underpins later literacy development and academic achievement. Furthermore, many children from linguistically diverse backgrounds tend to have less well-developed vocabulary knowledge and struggle with aspects of literacy later on. In this paper we present the findings of a Professional Development (PD) intervention study aimed at helping teachers to develop and implement effective strategies that support oral language skills in both EAL and NS pupils. We discuss these findings in relation to two other oral language interventions where the focus was on working directly with pupils. We argue that whereas evidence suggests interventions working directly with pupils can be more effective on improved child language outcomes, we need to focus more energy on developing good PD for Early Years Practitioners to support them in their critical roles in children’s educational development.

Download Full-text