Evaluating the effectiveness of PrepSTART for promoting oral language and emergent literacy skills in disadvantaged preparatory students

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.

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Emergent Literacy Skills in Preschool Children With Hearing Loss Who Use Spoken Language: Initial Findings From the Early Language and Literacy Acquisition (ELLA) Study

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/2017_lshss-17-0023 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 249-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Krystal L. Werfel

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Oral Language ◽

Spoken Language ◽

Normal Hearing ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Print Knowledge ◽

Emergent Literacy Skills ◽

Children With Hearing Loss ◽

Main Effects

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to compare change in emergent literacy skills of preschool children with and without hearing loss over a 6-month period.MethodParticipants included 19 children with hearing loss and 14 children with normal hearing. Children with hearing loss used amplification and spoken language. Participants completed measures of oral language, phonological processing, and print knowledge twice at a 6-month interval. A series of repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to compare change across groups.ResultsMain effects of time were observed for all variables except phonological recoding. Main effects of group were observed for vocabulary, morphosyntax, phonological memory, and concepts of print. Interaction effects were observed for phonological awareness and concepts of print.ConclusionsChildren with hearing loss performed more poorly than children with normal hearing on measures of oral language, phonological memory, and conceptual print knowledge. Two interaction effects were present. For phonological awareness and concepts of print, children with hearing loss demonstrated less positive change than children with normal hearing. Although children with hearing loss generally demonstrated a positive growth in emergent literacy skills, their initial performance was lower than that of children with normal hearing, and rates of change were not sufficient to catch up to the peers over time.

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Oral Language Assessment in the Preschool and Primary Grades: Definitions, Measures, and Theoretical Lens

McGill Journal of Education ◽

10.7202/1077973ar ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 376-396

Author(s):

Denise Hudspith Heppner

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Oral Language ◽

Language Assessment ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Emergent Literacy Skills ◽

Comprehensive Literature Review ◽

Information Center ◽

Assessment Measures ◽

Theoretical Foundations

The overarching goal of this literature review is to improve the understanding of the importance of oral language to critical emergent literacy skills and provide an overview of available assessment measures for use within the classroom. An overview of the components of language (i.e., content, form, and use) is provided. Measures of oral language gleaned from a comprehensive literature review of the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) database are discussed, organized according to the components of language they are assessing. An examination of the theoretical foundations of language acquisition and development provides an orienting framework for educators.

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Effects of a Supplemental Spanish Phonological Awareness Intervention on Latinx Preschoolers' Dual Language Emergent Literacy Skills

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2020_ajslp-20-00029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 1283-1300

Author(s):

Xigrid T. Soto ◽

Andres Crucet-Choi ◽

Howard Goldstein

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Phonological Awareness ◽

Emergent Literacy ◽

Language Learners ◽

Literacy Instruction ◽

Dual Language ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Dual Language Learners ◽

Probe Design ◽

Emergent Literacy Skills

Purpose Preschoolers' phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge (AK) skills are two of the strongest predictors of future reading. Despite evidence that providing at-risk preschoolers with timely emergent literacy interventions can prevent academic difficulties, there is a scarcity of research focusing on Latinx preschoolers who are dual language learners. Despite evidence of benefits of providing Latinxs with Spanish emergent literacy instruction, few studies include preschoolers. This study examined the effects of a supplemental Spanish PA and AK intervention on the dual emergent literacy skills of at-risk Latinx preschoolers. Method A multiple probe design across four units of instruction evaluated the effects of a Spanish supplemental emergent literacy intervention that explicitly facilitated generalizations to English. Four Latinx preschoolers with limited emergent literacy skills in Spanish and English participated in this study. Bilingual researchers delivered scripted lessons targeting PA and AK skills in individual or small groups for 12–17 weeks. Results Children made large gains as each PA skill was introduced into intervention and generalized the PA skills they learned from Spanish to English. They also improved their English initial sound identification skills, a phonemic awareness task, when instruction was delivered in Spanish but with English words. Children made small to moderate gains in their Spanish letter naming and letter–sound correspondence skills and in generalizing this knowledge to English. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary evidence Latinx preschoolers who are dual language learners benefit from emergent literacy instruction that promotes their bilingual and biliterate development.

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