Teachers Learning Ladders to Literacy

Abstract

Researchers in reading acquisition over the past several years have routinely recommended that teachers in the primary grades increase the amount of instruction in phonological awareness and the alphabetic principle; however, most research with this focus has occurred in clinical settings. This study discusses the involvement of kindergarten teachers in developing practical application of the knowledge base in real classroom situations that included children with a wide range of ability. The project investigated two intensity levels of professional development, and focused on the efficacy of the activities for promoting children's early reading progress. Children whose teachers learned to implement phonological and print awareness activities performed better than children in control classes on phonological and literacy measures, with those in classes of teachers with more intensive professional development achieving the highest literacy outcomes.