Criterion-Related Validity of Interpretations of Children's Performance on Emergent Literacy Tasks

Researchers in emergent literacy have described an array of reading and writing behaviors and concepts exhibited by children prior to entry into formal instruction in school. Although these descriptions suggest that children's early literacy behaviors are legitimate aspects of literacy development which ultimately develop into conventional reading and writing, the validity of these assumptions has not been examined. The present paper reports the findings from two studies in which the emergent literacy behaviors of 5-year-olds were described and correlated with scores on a standardized reading readiness test in kindergarten and scores on a reading achievement test in third grade. In Study 1, 39 children from two kindergarten classrooms from one school district were presented with four emergent literacy tasks and the Metropolitan Readiness Test. In Study 2, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills was administered to 34 children from Study 1. Results showed a wide range of behaviors across emergent literacy tasks in Study 1. Further, significant correlations were found between all four emergent literacy tasks and the readiness test in kindergarten, as well as between all five measures of early literacy development in kindergarten and literacy achievement in third grade. These findings present two forms of criterion-related evidence to support the validity of literacy-related interpretations arising from these emergent literacy tasks.

A Study of Teaching Reading Skills to the Young Child Using Microcomputer Assisted Instruction

The major purpose of this study was to determine if the five-year-old child could be taught reading skills through the computer. Fourteen children attending a preschool for low income families received specific reading skills instruction exclusively on the microcomputer. The curriculum used at the preschool was designed to eliminate any drill and practice on isolated reading skills. The study was a pretest/posttest single group design. All subjects were administered the Metropolitan Readiness Test and the results were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance ( p < .01). A secondary purpose was to determine if the children could learn basic computer literacy skills without direct instruction and drill. Through an analysis of the observation notes it was determined that the computer literacy skills were learned by the children while involved in the academic skills instructional program.

Curriculum-based assessment: An alternative approach for screening young gifted children in rural areas

The present study evaluated the criterion validity of a curriculum-based assessment (CBA) used in the identification of gifted children. Scores on the CBA were compared to scores on standardized test measures (Metropolitan Readiness Test and the Metropolitan Achievement Test) to determine which procedure better identified gifted students. Predictive validity of the two procedures were comparable; however, the practical advantages of the CBA are important considerations for students, teachers, and administrators in rural school districts where funds and trained personnel may be limited.

An Investigation of the Dial as a Pre-Kindergarten Screening Instrument

This study investigated the validity of the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) for the prediction of school success. Fifty-three kindergarten children ranging in age from 55 months to 71 months were pre-screened with the DIAL five months prior to school entrance and then administered the Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT), Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), and a Progress Report form during the end of the academic year. Canonical correlations and stepwise multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the DIAL Communications subtest was the most valid single predictor of school success as determined by the composite MRT. The DIAL Concepts subtest was the only significant predictor of Progress Report composite score. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of preschool screening programs and the use of the DIAL.

Effect of Conceptual Tempo on Kindergarten Reading Readiness

The present study examined the relationship between cognitive style and reading readiness in 104 kindergarteners prior to and after exposure to a treatment designed to modify conceptual impulsivity. Correlations were also obtained between errors and latencies on the Matching Familiar Figures Test and performance on the Metropolitan Readiness Test. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant differences between impulsive and reflective children on the Metropolitan. Errors on the Matching Familiar Figures Test negatively correlated with performance on the Metropolitan while response latency was positively correlated. No treatment effect was evidenced on either dependent measure although selected pre- vs posttest differences were observed. The results were discussed in terms of the existing literature and educational implications.