The Untapped Potential of Preschool Classroom Volunteers in Language–Literacy Instruction: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Purpose This pretest–posttest study examined the effects of a professional development training on five volunteer instructors' (VIs) utilization of language and literacy facilitation strategies within interactive shared book readings with low-income preschool children. The training specifically targeted the VIs' use of wh -questions, expansions, and references to story grammar elements (SGEs) with use of a corresponding visual aid. Method VIs participated in a 3-hr training composed of lecture, video models, role playing, four opportunities to explicitly practice the target strategies, and four opportunities to receive immediate feedback from the investigators. The VIs led storybook readings that were video-recorded for comparison prior to and after the training sessions (two pretraining, two posttraining). The investigators analyzed the VIs' language and literacy strategy usage in the readings. The investigators compared the raw number of wh -questions asked, expansions of child responses or comments, the number of references (out of 20) to SGEs, and use of the visual aid pre- and posttraining. Results After the training, four of the five VIs increased the number of wh -questions asked during readings, and one VI maintained a large number of questions asked, compared to pretraining readings. All VIs provided an increased number of references to SGEs (character, setting, problem, fixing problem, solution) in a variety of capacities (name, definition, book-specific element, visual aid use) to reinforce narrative concepts. VIs had inconsistent increases in expansions of child responses or comments posttraining. Conclusion Results revealed the VIs generally increased their facilitation of language and literacy strategies after participating in a professional development training, suggesting utilization of volunteers as instructors may be a valuable area to explore, especially in low-income environments where children may be at risk for language and literacy delays. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12070824