Using Errorless Learning and Discrimination Training to Teach Early Literacy Skills in a Pre-School Setting

Elisa P Belfiore,Phillip J Belfiore

doi:10.22158/ct.v4n4p1

Abstract

This case study investigates the effects of using an intervention package of errorless learning and discrimination trial training to teach a 4-year old preschool student to read Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) words. A single case multiple baseline design across three equal instructional sets was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention package. Each set contained six CVC words incorporating words with each of the five vowels. The results of this study indicate that utilizing both errorless learning and discrimination training to teach a preschool student how to read CVC words was effective. In addition, generalization assessments post-intervention showed an increase in (a) mastering new unknown CVC words, as well as (b) book text reading.

Highlights

The primary goal of early reading instruction is to teach children the print-to-sound decoding process (Wolf, 2016)
The results of this study indicate that utilizing both errorless learning and discrimination training to teach a preschool student how to read CVC words was effective
Once targeted CVC words were mastered at 100%, Dorothy was able to generalize that knowledge to decode (a) novel CVC words and (b) words in an age-level appropriate book

Summary

Introduction

The primary goal of early reading instruction is to teach children the print-to-sound decoding process (Wolf, 2016). Phonemic awareness is more specific, identified as the ability to detect phonemes (individual sounds) in words (National Institute for Literacy, 2008). Phonemic awareness involves the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual phonemes (sounds) in spoken word production, helping students understand that the letters in written words translate to the sounds in spoken words, serving as a precursor to decoding unfamiliar printed words (Wolf, 2016). The purpose of this research was to assess the benefits of using discrimination training combined with errorless learning to teach early literacy decoding and letter blending skills in a pre-school setting. This research will help determine whether children of pre-school age who are demonstrating skills of letter recognition and phonemic awareness are capable of progressing into reading and decoding CVC words

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion