PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF SUPPORTING EARLY LITERACY

This study aims to investigate preschool and primary school preservice teachers’ knowledge and awareness of early literacy skills. Basic qualitative research approach was applied and data were collected through interview forms. A total of 158 preservice teachers (78 preschool preservice teachers and 80 primary school preservice teachers) attending the faculty of education at a state university in Turkey participated in the study. Data obtained from the participants were content analyzed. The results revealed that preservice teachers studying at both departments are familiar with early literacy skills while they have limited knowledge of its content and sub-skills. It is also found that most of the preschool preservice teachers define early literacy as letter recognition and pronunciation, school readiness and learning how to read and write at an early age; and primary school preservice teachers as learning how to read and write at an early age. Since preservice teachers representing both groups have misconceptions about the concept of early literacy, it would be appropriate to organize courses that offer examples of classroom practices concerning early literacy skills for preservice teachers attending the undergraduate program

A preliminary evaluation of a manualised intervention to improve early literacy skills in children with Developmental Language Disorder

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) commonly present with oral language weaknesses which disrupt the development of literacy and impede related academic progress. While there is evidence to support the delivery of manualised Tier 2 interventions with this population, little is known about the effects of Tier 1 interventions. A retrospective cohort comparison was used to evaluate whether there was an observable effect of a manualised Tier 1 intervention compared to ‘business-as-usual’ on early literacy skills for children with DLD. Participants were 140 children attending a specialised education program with equivalent oral language skills and alphabetic knowledge at baseline. After 18 months formal literacy intervention, both groups were assessed on measures of early literacy skills. The differences between group means on all measures favoured the manualised intervention group, and they performed significantly better on a measure of nonword reading fluency. The findings indicate that a manualised Tier 1 intervention may be advantageous for children with DLD in developing proficiency in phonological recoding. This research contributes to the sparse evidence-base supporting the implementation of Tier 1 interventions for at risk populations, and findings warrant future research using experimental designs with tighter controls.

Comparative Effects of Computer-Based Reading Programs on the Early Literacy Skills of At-Risk Students

Students displaying reading difficulties/disabilities at the end of third grade are unlikely to succeed in content areas and graduate from high school. One alternative to meeting the learning needs of students is to provide explicit instructional support in basic literacy skills through computer-based reading programs via after-school programs. This study examined the effects of two computer-based reading programs on the reading skills of 71 randomly assigned at-risk students using a pre–post-test design. Furthermore, tutor and students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness and desirability of the programs were examined. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the programs on the Word Use Fluency measure and both computer-based programs were effective in facilitating the growth of basic early literacy skills of students at-risk for reading failure. A description of the computer programs, results, implications, and limitations of the study are discussed.

“Want to hear my story?” Developing Latino children’s written narratives through culturally relevant family photographs

Research supports the importance of developing early literacy skills through culturally relevant activities and school/home partnerships as essential ingredients in high quality early learning environments (Bentley & Souto-Manning, 2019; Gay, 2000). Educators, however, frequently dismiss the significance of honoring a child’s first language, family, and culture when developing early literacy skills (Purcell-Gates, Melzi, Najafi, & Orellana, 2011). Integrating children’s linguistic and cultural understandings, however, is valuable and meaningful for their academic success and overall development (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore children’s narratives as a culturally relevant practice that promotes early writing. Using student data from a prekindergarten dual language classroom, we found that using family pictures from home provided multiple iterations of children’s stories and demonstrated how Latino families’ cultural experiences are significant for the development of children’s emergent writing development. Implications for practice are discussed.

Early Literacy Skills and Later Reading and Writing Performance Across Countries: The Effects of Orthographic Consistency and Preschool Curriculum

Background Studies have reported a strong association between children's early literacy skills at preschool and their reading and writing skills at primary school. However, it is unclear whether this association is affected by language and curriculum practices. Objective The study investigates (i) whether early literacy skills are influenced by orthographic consistency and by preschool curriculum, and (ii) how early skills are related to later literacy skills across countries. Method Three countries, Italy (n = 73), Romania (n = 65), and Belgium (n = 109) were involved in the study, for a total of 247 children. Language and early literacy in preschool were assessed using a novel assessment tool (the ‘Talk’). Early visual-phonological and manual aspects integration were investigated using rapid automatized naming and grapho-motor tasks. The children’s reading and writing skills nine months later were assessed using standardized tests. Results Results showed higher early literacy scores for the groups of children speaking languages with more transparent orthographic systems and for the group taking part in preschool activities designed to enhance literacy acquisition. Later reading and writing skills were predicted by early competences, albeit with differences across countries. Conclusions Findings suggest that literacy acquisition trajectories are not only associated with early skills but are also influenced by language characteristics and curriculum practices. The study also presents preliminary findings relative to the ‘Talk’, an assessment tool that may have important implications for early identification and intervention of language and literacy difficulties, as well as for improving cross-country curriculum practices.