Literacy Outcomes For Children Research Articles

'We manage, but yeah, it's challenging': A mixed-methods study of enablers and barriers to hearing assessments for parents of children in metropolitan and regional Australia.

Early identification and intervention for hearing loss is important for supporting language development. Despite this, parents are required to overcome barriers to access hearing assessments for their children. To identify the enablers and barriers to accessing hearing assessments for Australian children identified by their parents, and to compare between metropolitan, regional and rural areas. This sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was undertaken online and included participants in metropolitan, regional and rural area of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. A total of 56 participants participated in the surveys, and 10 participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants in metropolitan areas were more likely to have services in their area; however, access to hearing assessment was related more to individual circumstances (including health literacy skills) rather than geographical location. Many participants experienced long wait times, reduced flexibility, and a lack of audiologists experienced in working with children. Barriers to hearing assessments (which assist with early identification and intervention for hearing loss) should be addressed so that children have access to clear auditory information to assist with their speech and language development. What is already known on the subject Poor audiological input can lead to poor speech, language and literacy outcomes for children. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge Although previous research indicates that people in regional and remote locations experience difficulty accessing health services within a reasonable timeframe, in this study barriers were experienced regardless of geographical location, and were dependent on individual circumstances. Many parents are unaware of the impact of hearing on speech and language. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Further research might examine how health literacy affects access to hearing assessment. Parents shared several potential solutions to these access barriers which should be considered by service providers.

Does Nonlinguistic Segmentation Predict Literacy in Second Language Education? Statistical Learning in Ivorian Primary Schools

AbstractStatistical learning is a learning mechanism that does not directly depend on knowledge of a language but predicts language and literacy outcomes for children and adults. Research linking statistical learning and literacy has not addressed a common educational context in primary schools worldwide: children who first learn to read in their second language (L2). Several studies have linked statistical learning with childhood literacy in Australia, China, Europe, and the United States, and we preregistered an adaptation for Côte d'Ivoire, where students are educated in French and speak a local language at home. We recruited 117 sixth‐graders from primary schools in several villages and tested for correlations greater than .30 between statistical learning and literacy with 80–90% power. We found no evidence for these correlations between statistical learning and literacy, but visual statistical learning was correlated with L2 phonological awareness, a crucial emergent‐literacy skill. This finding underscores the need to include L2 acquisition contexts in literacy research.

Home Literacy Practices for Young Children With Cochlear Implants

This study investigated relationships among home reading practices, shared book reading (SBR) behaviors, and child literacy outcomes in young children with cochlear implants. Parents ( N=18) completed a home reading questionnaire and recorded themselves reading books with their children at home. Shared book reading sessions were coded for interactive reading behaviors. Children’s early language skills and literacy skills were also assessed. We explored variability in these behaviors with regard to demographic characteristics and type of book; these exploratory analyses revealed that parents used more literacy teaching techniques when reading the wordless picture book and that parent interaction and engagement and literacy teaching techniques were more frequent with younger children than with older children. While many families frequently used interactive reading behaviors, our analysis did not find significant relationships between the parent behaviors and children’s literacy scores. However, there was an interaction between the amount of reading and cochlear implant experience such that more cochlear implant experience was associated with better reading outcomes only for the group of children who received more reading time. In a sample of young children with cochlear implants, reading time, cochlear implant experience, and child language skills were better predictors of reading outcomes than parents’ frequency of SBR behaviors alone.

Impact of Catch-up Clubs in Conflict-Affected Myanmar: A Community-Led Remedial Learning Model

Myanmar faces a protracted learning crisis where the COVID-19 pandemic was compounded by a coup in February 2021, which furthered school closures. Save the Children created Catch-up Clubs (CuCs) to support children's remedial learning in a matter of weeks and address barriers to children's successful return to school in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. An innovative model that offers community-led, play-based literacy instruction to children grouped by ability, not age, CuCs assess children's foundational literacy and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), while addressing child protection and economic barriers to education. CuCs were piloted with over 3000 children in upper primary to lower secondary grades across 36 communities in the conflict-affected states of Rakhine and Kayin in Myanmar. This quasi-natural experimental impact evaluation investigated the cause-and-effect relationship between CuCs and children's literacy outcomes and SEL competencies. The study was contextually adapted to consider children affected by conflict, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. The results show that children who participated in CuCs had significantly higher literacy level and SEL competency than children who did not participate. Children participating in CuCs also showed greater self-confidence and educational aspirations to remain in education or continue their schooling to a higher level.

Implementing Speech Perception and Phonological Awareness Intervention for Children With Speech Sound Disorders.

Children with speech sound disorders have more difficulties producing speech sounds accurately than same-age peers. In addition, they often have difficulties with speech perception, and weaker phonological awareness skills than their peers and are at risk for negative long-term academic and socio-emotional outcomes. In this tutorial, we describe ways in which clinicians can target speech perception and/or phonological awareness within the context of speech production practice. First, we briefly describe the speech perception and phonological awareness skills of children with speech sound disorders and summarize previous intervention studies that targeted speech production and speech perception and/or phonological awareness skills. Next, we demonstrate how clinicians may incorporate speech perception and phonological awareness intervention in speech therapy through example instructional objectives and activities and include a case study. Incorporating speech perception and phonological awareness into speech production intervention may improve speech and literacy outcomes for children with speech sound disorders.

The effect of classroom acoustic conditions on literacy outcomes for children in primary school: A review

Literacy skills are essential for success in today’s society. However, classrooms often have suboptimal acoustic conditions for learning. The goal of this review was to synthesize research assessing the effect of different classroom acoustic conditions on children’s literacy. A comprehensive search of four online databases was conducted in August 2021. The search term was classroom AND (noise OR reverberation OR acoustics) AND (reading OR spelling OR writing OR literacy). Eighteen papers were deemed relevant for the review plus an additional seven from their references. The types of acoustic conditions that have been assessed, the types of measures used to assess literacy, and the effect of the acoustic conditions on children’s reading, writing, and spelling outcomes are discussed. Suggestions for the classroom acoustic conditions needed to ensure appropriate literacy development and areas for future research are also considered.

Meta‐analysis examining the effects of electronic storybooks on language and literacy outcomes for children in grades Pre‐K to grade 2

AbstractBackgroundThe array of availability of diverse digital reading applications, the mixed results emerging from small‐scale experimental studies, as well as the long‐standing tradition and range of known positive developmental outcomes gained from adult‐child storybook reading warrant an investigation into electronic storybooks (e‐books) by performing a meta‐analysis, which includes recent studies.ObjectivesThe overall purpose of this meta‐analysis is to examine the impact of e‐book reading on language and literacy development of young children when compared with traditional reading of print books with or without adult scaffolding in a structured and controlled environment.MethodsThis meta‐analysis includes experimental studies published between 2008 and 2021 with a target population of 3–8 year‐olds (n = 2.317).Results and conclusionsAnalyses indicated a small positive effect for e‐books when compared with print books on language and literacy development [g = 0.25; 95% CI = (0.09, 0.42)]. A moderate positive effect was found for vocabulary learning, [g = 0.40; 95% CI = (0.10, 0.69)], especially in relation to expressive vocabulary [g = 0.54; 95% CI = (0.08, 1.00)]. In addition, we found a significant positive correlation between multimedia e‐books and the development of code‐related skills. However, no significant differences were found between e‐book and print book reading in relation to story comprehension.ImplicationsFindings showed that digital features combined with adult scaffolding produced significant positive effects when compared with traditional print book reading with adult support. The findings have practical ramifications, since they can help researchers and educators identify which digital features have the greatest influence on improving children's language and literacy skills when engaging with e‐books.

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Interventions to Improve Handwriting and Spelling in Children with Specific Learning Disabilities

ABSTRACT Handwriting and spelling deficits are common struggles experienced by children with specific learning disabilities (SLD), but there is little evidence on interventions that target these areas for children with SLD. To systematically review the research investigating the effectiveness of handwriting and spelling interventions for children with SLD. A systematic review was conducted that included studies focusing on handwriting and/or spelling interventions for children with SLD. A Black and Downs checklist was completed for each included article to evaluate validity and reliability. Effect sizes were calculated of results for a unitless comparison. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria: six examined handwriting exclusively, three spelling, and two combined spelling and handwriting. The interventions were grouped into categories of tablet-based, sensorimotor, and/or self-management interventions. Themes of occupation-as-ends versus occupation-as-means were also noted. Those interventions that promoted self-management and used occupation-as-means were found to be most effective. Utilizing the handwriting and spelling within treatment as well as encouraging a child’s autonomy and participation are valuable strategies for occupational therapist to use in improving literacy outcomes for children with SLD.

Parent perceptions regarding literacy instruction for students with intellectual disability.

Parents offer a unique perspective as they may view literacy instruction through the lens of its direct impact on their child's daily life. Further, they are likely to provide insight into the interactions between the perceived effectiveness of instruction and their expectations for their child's success. The purposes of the current investigation were to explore perceptions of parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) related to their child's literacy instruction in schools and understand parental expectations for their child's literacy performance. In the current investigation, we surveyed 211 parents of children with ID in one state within the USA to identify their perceptions related to their child's literacy outcomes and instruction. The survey instrument contained 25 items including 9 multiple-choice, 12 multiple-selection, 2 open-response and 2 rank order items. Data indicated significant differences across grade bands related to the type of skills students engage in learning, the importance of specific literacy skills and the challenges or barriers for students to engage in literacy instruction. The overwhelming majority of parents reported their child learning to read as very important and believe there is a difference in life outcomes between children who can read written words and those who cannot. Parents of elementary school children report barriers of disruptive behaviour, the inability of children to remain seated and distractibility more so than parents of secondary students. Parents of high school students reported a lack of instructional time more often than parents of middle and elementary school. While parents across grade bands reported the importance of literacy skills for students with ID and instruction in reading comprehension, listening comprehension and vocabulary, some differences were noted. Only half the parents reported an increased focus on literacy instruction, including on essential skills (e.g. decoding), in the earlier grades. Problem behaviour and motivation served as barriers to literacy for elementary students, and a lack of instructional time served as a barrier to writing for high school students.

Rethinking Emergent Literacy in Children With Hearing Loss

Long-term literacy outcomes for children with hearing loss, particularly those with severe-to-profound deafness who are fitted with cochlear implants (CIs) lag behind those of children with normal hearing (NH). The causes for these long-term deficits are not fully clear, though differences in auditory access between children who use CIs and those with NH may be a partial cause. This paper briefly reviews the emergent literacy model as proposed by Whitehurst and Lonigan (1998). We then examine the development of each of Whitehurst and Lonigan’s identified factors in children who use CIs and how the extant knowledge of language and literacy development in children who use CIs may bear on the emergent literacy model. We then propose to modify the model for children who use CIs based on their unique developmental trajectories, influenced at least in part by their unique auditory access. We conclude with future directions for further development of an evidence-based emergent literacy model for children who use CIs and how this model could be used to inform intervention.

‘What does an O say when there's no E at the end?’ Parents' reading‐related knowledge and feedback during child‐to‐parent reading

BackgroundAlthough a large body of research has investigated teachers' reading‐related knowledge and associated pedagogical practices, comparatively little is known about these factors in parents. Therefore, the present study examined the association between parental reading‐related knowledge and feedback during child‐to‐parent reading.MethodsSeventy parents completed a reading‐related knowledge questionnaire (phonological segmentation, knowledge of written syllable patterns, identification of regular and irregular word spellings) while their 6 and 7‐year‐old children were administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test–Fourth Edition. Based on children's Wide Range Achievement Test–Fourth Edition reading performances, they were assigned one of five adapted passages from the Gray Oral Reading Test–Fifth Edition to read aloud to their parents; parents were asked to help as they normally would. Reading sessions were videotaped; the content was transcribed and coded for evidence of verbal and nonverbal parental feedback (evaluative feedback: praise and criticism; miscue feedback: graphophonemic, context cues, try again, terminal and ignoring miscues).ResultsConsistent with the teacher and parent literature, reading‐related knowledge was positively associated with children's reading scores. Parents' reading‐related knowledge additionally accounted for unique variance in praise and graphophonemic feedback during child‐to‐parent reading beyond the variance already explained by children's reading scores.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that even after accounting for children's reading abilities, reading‐related knowledge contributes to a positive affective atmosphere for teaching key literacy skills to young readers. Implications are discussed in terms of enhancing parents' reading‐related knowledge and associated practices in hopes of positively contributing to children's literacy outcomes.

Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial of the Motheread/Fatheread Early Literacy Intervention: Evidence of Impact in a Rural Community

ABSTRACTResearch Findings. A randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of Motheread/Fatheread Colorado (MFC), an early childhood literacy intervention, on parent reading behaviors and their preschool-aged children’s literacy skills. Parents in the experimental condition participated in MFC; control parents did not. Dependent variables included measures of parental behavior supportive of reading in the home, and parent- and teacher-reported child literacy outcomes. Parents in the intervention group reported spending significantly more time reading with their children and a significantly greater use of interactive reading skills than parents in the control condition. Children in the intervention group scored significantly higher than children in the control group on parent-reported language and reading skills immediately following the intervention. There was no significant difference in immediate post-intervention teacher reports of child literacy skills. However, up to 15-months after program completion, children in the intervention condition had greater gains in teacher-reported language skills than children in the control condition. Results suggest that MFC is a promising intervention for changing the home literacy environment and children’s literacy outcomes. Practice/Policy. Motheread/Fatheread may be a good fit for organizations interested in implementing interventions aimed at improving home literacy for preschool-aged children.

Early Literacy Predictors and Second-Grade Outcomes in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing.

This study contrasted the early literacy outcomes of children who are hard of hearing (CHH) with children with normal hearing (CNH). At age 5, prereading skills of oral language, phonological processing, and print knowledge were examined in CHH (N=180) and CNH (N=80). The CHH had poorer oral language and phonological processing abilities than the CNH but comparable knowledge of print. At age 8, measures of word reading, and reading comprehension yielded no differences between CHH (N=108) and CNH (N=62) except for reading comprehension for the moderately severe CHH. Reading achievement in CHH was found to exceed predictions based on prereading performance. This resilience was associated with gains in oral language during the early school years.

Teacher–child interaction quality, attitudes toward reading, and literacy achievement of Chinese preschool children: Mediation and moderation analysis

This study explores how classroom teaching quality and preschoolers' attitudes toward reading contribute to their literacy achievement in the Chinese context. A moderated mediation model is hypothesized where teacher-child interaction quality predicts children's literacy outcomes via their reading attitudes, but the strength of this whole mediation process is moderated by the level of teacher-child interaction quality. A sample of 567 Chinese kindergarteners from 29 classrooms was recruited to test the hypothesized model using a longitudinal design. The results support our assumptions: teacher's emotional support had a positive effect on children's reading attitudes, which in turn had a positive effect on their reading and vocabulary learning outcomes. Three domains of teacher-child interaction quality at the baseline together were associated with children's Chinese reading through later classroom organization. Moreover, children with better reading attitudes benefited more from higher instructional support and then gained more vocabulary learning achievement. Implication for preschool teaching training and professional development are included.

Promoting low-income preschoolers’ school readiness through a text messaging intervention

ABSTRACTThe aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of a language-rich math content text message intervention as a way to promote child literacy outcomes for children enrolled in 15 Head Start ...

Changing literacy instruction in Kenyan classrooms: Assessing pathways of influence to improved early literacy outcomes in the HALI intervention

This study uses data from the Health and Literacy Intervention (HALI) program evaluation, an in-service teacher training program focused on early grade literacy instruction for class one teachers. We assess how changes in classroom instructional processes impacted by the HALI teacher training were associated with improved early literacy outcomes for children. We find that experimentally induced increases in exposure to print—measured both through changes to time spent reading in class and through print displayed in the classroom—were associated with improvements in students’ reading fluency and reading comprehension. Implications for global education efforts to improve learning outcomes are discussed.

Getting a Read on Ready To Learn Media: A Meta-analytic Review of Effectson Literacy.

Most U.S. preschoolers have consumed media created with funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Ready To Learn (RTL) initiative, which was established to promote school readiness among children ages 2-8. Synthesizing data from 45 evaluations (N=24,624 unique child participants), this meta-analysis examined the effects of RTL media exposure on young children's literacy skills. Results indicate positive effects of RTL media exposure on children's literacy outcomes, especially vocabulary and phonological concepts. These effects are equivalent to about one-and-a-half months of literacy learning above and beyond typical growth. Findings are robust across a variety of research designs and for exposure to both television and new media. These results are discussed in terms of accountability evidence for RTL and larger debates in scholarly understanding of educational media effects.

Improving Phonological Awareness in Parents of Children at Risk of Literacy Difficulties: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Boost Program

Background: Phonological awareness is an important skill underpinning the development of early literacy. Given the central role of parents in supporting the development of children’s early literacy skills, and that poor parental phonological awareness is associated with poorer child literacy outcomes, it is possible that improving parent phonological awareness may aid literacy development for at-risk children. This study is a preliminary evaluation of a program aiming to improve phonological awareness skills of parents in low socioeconomic status communities, and also provide these parents with strategies to support their child’s literacy development. Methods: After completing the program, participants were asked if it had helped them learn about how to assist their child’s reading and spelling, whether they planned on using the resources provided, and if they would be likely to attend a future workshop building on the Boost program. Phonological awareness measures (rhyme, syllable, and phoneme level), and measures of overall confidence in performance on the phonological awareness tasks, were administered both before and after attending the program. Results: Almost all parents indicated that the program helped with learning how to assist their child’s reading and spelling, that they would use the resources provided, and would likely attend a future workshop. Significant increases in pre- to post-program phonological awareness scores were obtained at the rhyme and phoneme level. Conclusion: The program and associated resources appear acceptable to parents in communities with high rates of literacy problems and improved parents’ phonological awareness skills. However, findings are preliminary and further evaluation using more rigorous methodologies and testing whether improvements in parents’ phonological awareness translate into better literacy outcomes for children is needed.

Home literacy environment profiles of children with language impairment: associations with caregiver- and child-specific factors

Numerous studies suggest a positive relationship between the home literacy environment (HLE) and children's language and literacy skills, yet very little research has focused on the HLE of children with language impairment (LI). Children with LI are at risk for reading difficulties; thus, understanding the nature and frequency of their home literacy interactions is warranted. To identify unique HLE profiles within a large sample of children with LI, and to determine relevant caregiver- and child-specific factors that predict children's profile membership. Participants were 195 kindergarten and first-grade children with LI who were receiving school-based language therapy. Caregivers completed a comprehensive questionnaire regarding their child's HLE, and the extent to which their child engaged in shared book reading, were taught about letters, initiated or asked to be read to, and chose to read independently. Caregivers also answered questions regarding the highest level of maternal education, caregiver history of reading difficulties, and caregiver reading habits. Children completed a language and literacy battery in the fall of their academic year. Latent profile analyses indicated a three-profile solution, representing high, average and low frequency of the selected HLE indicators. Multinomial regression further revealed that caregivers' own reading habits influenced children's profile membership, as did child age and language abilities. These results highlight the considerable variability in the frequency of home literacy interactions of children with LI. Future work examining relations between familial reading practices and literacy outcomes for children with LI is warranted.

Parental, Community, and Familial Support Interventions to Improve Children's Literacy in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Parental, Community, and Familial Support Interventions to Improve Children's Literacy in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review