Literacy Skills In Preschool Children Research Articles

Executive function in Chilean preschool children: Do short-term memory, working memory, and response inhibition contribute differentially to early academic skills?

A large body of literature demonstrates that different cognitive components related to executive function (EF), such as short-term memory, working memory, and response inhibition, are linked to early academic skills in preschool children. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on the unique contributions of these components to distinctive early numeracy and literacy skills in preschool children. Moreover, most studies have not considered the covariance between these early academic skills in preschool-aged children. The present study examined whether there are differential contributions of visual–spatial and verbal short-term memory, working memory, and response inhibition to specific early numeracy and literacy skills in preschool-aged children, taking into account the covariance among these outcomes. Several seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) analyses were conducted with 419 Chilean preschool-aged children (M = 53.9 months; SD = 4.22). The results show that both response inhibition and verbal short-term memory uniquely predicted all academic outcomes; working memory predicted all early academic skills (with the exception of verbal counting); and visual–spatial short-term memory predicted all numeracy skills and receptive vocabulary. When comparing the marginal effects of the EFs on the outcomes, response inhibition more strongly predicted applied problems than did working memory. Both visual–spatial short-term memory and response inhibition had a greater effect on explaining applied problems, compared to early decoding skills. Implications for teachers and interventions are discussed.

Peningkatan Kemampuan Literasi Awal Anak Prasekolah Melalui Program Stimulasi

Stimulation program is a treatment by providing literacy packages containing guidebooks literacy activities, media literacy in children and socialization for mothers. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the stimulation program to improve literacy skills in preschoolers. The proposed hypothesis that stimulation literacy program effective in improving early literacy skills in preschool children. This research method using a quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control group. Subjects were 30 children aged 3-5 years were divided into an experimental group and a control group. Based on the analysis by the non-parametric statistical test Mann-Whitney U, it was known that there were differences increase early literacy skills in the experimental group and control group. Qualitative analysis showed an increase in the literacy skills by observing changes in the measurement results. Results from this study is important as a new study in finding alternative methods of stimulating preschool children.

Emergent Literacy Skills in Preschool Children With Hearing Loss Who Use Spoken Language: Initial Findings From the Early Language and Literacy Acquisition (ELLA) Study.

The purpose of this study was to compare change in emergent literacy skills of preschool children with and without hearing loss over a 6-month period. Participants included 19 children with hearing loss and 14 children with normal hearing. Children with hearing loss used amplification and spoken language. Participants completed measures of oral language, phonological processing, and print knowledge twice at a 6-month interval. A series of repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to compare change across groups. Main effects of time were observed for all variables except phonological recoding. Main effects of group were observed for vocabulary, morphosyntax, phonological memory, and concepts of print. Interaction effects were observed for phonological awareness and concepts of print. Children with hearing loss performed more poorly than children with normal hearing on measures of oral language, phonological memory, and conceptual print knowledge. Two interaction effects were present. For phonological awareness and concepts of print, children with hearing loss demonstrated less positive change than children with normal hearing. Although children with hearing loss generally demonstrated a positive growth in emergent literacy skills, their initial performance was lower than that of children with normal hearing, and rates of change were not sufficient to catch up to the peers over time.

The effect of the visual awareness education programme on the visual literacy of children aged 5-6

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the “Visual Awareness Education Programme” developed to support the visual literacy skills of preschool children. The study group comprised 40 children (20 children in the experimental group and 20 children in the control group) attending preschool in the 2014–2015 school year. The pre-test post-test experimental model was used in the study. The “Visual Literacy Inventory for Preschool Children” and the “Children’s Visual Literacy Rating Inventory for Parents” were used to determine visual literacy level of children. Study results revealed significant differences in favour of the experimental group children in the sub-dimensions and the post-test scores of the “Visual Literacy Inventory for Preschool Children” and the post-test scores of the “Children’s Visual Literacy Rating Inventory for Parents”.

Story Based Activities Enhance Literacy Skills in Preschool Children

Story Based Activities Enhance Literacy Skills in Preschool Children

The Emergent Literacy Skills of Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A high percentage of school-age students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have reading comprehension difficulties leading to academic disadvantage. These difficulties may be related to differences in children's emergent literacy development in the preschool years. In this study, we examined the relationship between emergent literacy skills, broader cognitive and language ability, autism severity, and home literacy environment factors in 57 preschoolers with ASD. The children showed strengths in code-related emergent literacy skills such as alphabet knowledge, but significant difficulties with meaning-related emergent literacy skills. There was a significant relationship between meaning-related skills, autism severity, general oral language skills, and nonverbal cognition. Identification of these meaning-related precursors will guide the targets for early intervention to help ensure reading success for students with ASD.

Effects of Clinician-Guided Emergent Literacy Intervention Using Interactive Tablet Technology for Preschool Children With Cochlear Implants

The purpose of this study was to investigate if intervention based on a mobile application would improve the print knowledge and vocabulary of preschool children with and without hearing loss. This was a multiple baseline study that included four preschool children. Two of the children had hearing loss and utilized cochlear implants, while the other two had normal hearing. Clinicians utilized a mobile application to facilitate print knowledge (i.e., sound-symbol relationships) and to acquire new vocabulary. By the end of the study, all four children demonstrated improved familiarity with the targeted letter sounds and improved knowledge of the vocabulary words that were utilized during the study. The results of this study indicate that the mobile application, in combination with clinician scaffolding, was an effective tool for facilitating early literacy skills in preschool children. Prior print knowledge and vocabulary development appeared to be stronger indicators of response to treatment than hearing status.

Foundations of mathematics and literacy: The role of executive functioning components

The current study investigated the relations between the three cognitive processes that comprise executive functioning (EF)—response inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility—and individual components of mathematics and literacy skills in preschool children. Participants were 125 preschool children ranging in age from 3.12 to 5.26years (M=4.17years, SD=0.58). Approximately 53.2% were female, and the sample was predominantly Caucasian (69.8%). Results suggest that the components of EF may be differentially related to the specific components of early mathematics and literacy. For mathematics, response inhibition was broadly related to most components. Working memory was related to more advanced mathematics skills that involve comparison or combination of numbers and quantities. Cognitive flexibility was related to more conceptual or abstract mathematics skills. For early literacy, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility were related to print knowledge, and working memory was related only to phonological awareness. None of the EF components was related to vocabulary. These findings provide initial evidence for better understanding the ways in which EF components and academic skills are related and measured. Furthermore, the findings provide a foundation for further study of the components of each domain using a broader and more diverse array of measures.

Sixty Minutes of Physical Activity per Day Included Within Preschool Academic Lessons Improves Early Literacy.

The effects of increases in physical activity (PA) on early literacy skills in preschool children are not known. Fifty-four African-American preschool children from a low socioeconomic urban Head Start participated over 8 months. A 2-group, quasi-experimental design was used with one preschool site participating in the PA intervention and a second site participating as the control site. The PA program was designed to promote 300 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous PA academic lessons. Academic achievement related to early literacy and phonological awareness in the areas of rhyming and alliteration were assessed at baseline, 4 and 8 months. Over 8 months, rhyming significantly (p < .01) improved in the PA group (173 ± 12%) compared with the controls (28 ± 8%) resulting in between group differences at 8 months (p < .01). Alliteration significantly (p < .01) improved in the PA group (52 ± 16%) compared with controls (13 ± 5%), resulting in between group differences at 8 months (p < .01). As minutes of exposure to moderate to vigorous PA increased, the change in picture naming (R(2) = .35, p < .05), alliteration (R(2) = .38, p < .05), and rhyming (R(2) = .42, p < .05), increased. A teacher-directed PA program is effective at increasing PA and improving early literacy.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on Emergent Literacy Skills of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

A wealth of research has been conducted into emergent literacy (i.e., precursors to formal reading) skills and development in typically developing (TD) children. However, despite research suggesting children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of reading challenges, limited research exists on their emergent literacy. Thus, we aimed to systematically review emergent literacy research with this population. Database searches from 1995 to 2015 yielded three articles that met inclusion criteria. Results suggested both strengths and challenges in emergent literacy skills in children with ASD. Significant links between emergent literacy skills and both oral language and nonverbal cognition were also found. The findings highlight the need for further research; future directions and implications are discussed.

The effect of electronic books on enhancing emergent literacy skills of pre-school children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of e-books on enhancing Jordanian preschool children's emergent literacy skills (experimental group), in comparison to children who were exposed to regular printed books (control group). To achieve the objectives of this study, the total of 92 children were assigned to either experimental group (n = 48) and control group (n = 44). The pre- and post-test data was collected on print awareness, vocabulary, alphabetic knowledge and phonological awareness skills to determine the effectiveness of e-books. The results indicated that children in experimental group performed significantly better than the children in control group. Moreover, significant differences were found according to gender, as the female children exhibited superior emergent literacy skills to the male children. Regarding the different emergent literacy skills, children in the experimental group achieved better improvement in the areas of print awareness and vocabulary. Based on these findings, it is recommended that pre-school institutions incorporate e-books activities into their classrooms.

Development of a 5-Item Parent Questionnaire to Screen Preschool Children for Reading Problems

To develop a brief tool for screening of emergent literacy skills in preschool children (3-5 years old) in pediatric clinics. Parents were given an 8-item questionnaire, and the children were tested with the Get Ready to Read-Revised (GRTR-R) screener. With the GRTR-R score as gold standard, the parent questionnaire was optimized using various combinations of questions and response weights in one half of the sample. The resulting 5-item questionnaire was then validated using the other half of the sample. A total of 203 patients were enrolled. In the validation sample, the 5-item questionnaire had sensitivity and specificity vis-à-vis the GRTR-R of 100% and 78.6% in 5-year-olds (cutoff score of 8) and 78.6% and 68.2% in 4-year-olds (cutoff of 6). The questionnaire did not perform well in 3-year-olds. A very brief parent questionnaire may be useful as a first-line screener for early reading problems.

Promoting early literacy through the professional development of preschool teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a professional learning program on the emergent literacy skills of preschool children. Building Blocks for Literacy® is a program consisting of training supported by mentoring designed to teach early childcare providers how to promote the development of early literacy skills. A previous investigation found positive effects of the program on the pre-literacy skills of children in Vermont. The current study extended their work by replicating the training for Head Start teachers (n = 27) in another state. Teachers were divided into three groups. One group received the training and live mentoring; a second group received training and distance mentoring; and a third group of teachers served as controls. The results indicate that children (n = 97) served by teachers who received the training (n = 18) made higher gains on a measure of early literacy skills than those children (n = 36) served by control teachers. The gains made by children in the treatment groups were consistent for teachers who received either live or distance mentoring. Implications for practice are discussed.

Using Physical Activity to Teach Academic Content: A Study of the Effects on Literacy in Head Start Preschoolers

The potential impact of increased physical activity on early literacy skills in preschool children has not been sufficiently explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6 month, low cost, teacher-directed, academic program that delivered existing literacy lessons using physical activity in Head Start preschools. Preschool Literacy Individual Growth and Development Indicators were used to assess early literacy and phonological awareness in the areas of alliteration and picture naming. The results showed significant increases in physical activity during free play and improvements in early literacy (Picture Naming, Alliteration) compared to a non-exercising control group. In conclusion, the findings suggest that academic lessons taught using physical activity improve early literacy in preschoolers.

Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Emergent Literacy: Different Facets of Inattention Relate Uniquely to Preschoolers' Reading-Related Skills

Although extant studies indicate that there is a strong association between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and reading ability in elementary school children, knowledge regarding the relation between inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors and emergent literacy in preschool children is less established. This study examined the unique and overlapping relations between measures that assess inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity and emergent literacy skills in preschool children. Participants included 204 preschool children (M age = 56 months, 50.9% female, 79.8% European American). Behavioral rating scales were completed by teachers, and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the Test of Preschool Early Literacy were completed by the preschoolers. Across measures, inattention was a unique correlate of emergent literacy skills, whereas hyperactivity/impulsivity was not. Both rating scales and the CPT indices of inattention were uniquely associated with emergent literacy skills. These results suggest that these measures are assessing different manifestations of inattention that are both unique correlates of early reading skills.

Improving Oral Language and Literacy Skills in Preschool Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds: Remembering, Writing, Reading (RWR)

Most reading disabilities can be traced to difficulties acquiring oral language during preschool years due to insufficient linguistic stimulation. The present 2-year project aimed to improve the literacy-related oral language skills of 48 low-income, primarily ELL 4-year-old children in local public preschool by providing for individual conversational experiences with trained university students. Their results were compared to 48 peers at two comparable preschools. Children were tested in the fall and spring on multiple measures. Throughout the year, intervention children met with volunteers each week (26 weeks) for 20 minutes to dictate personal narratives. The control group received the regular public school preschool curriculum only. The improvement of intervention children on multiple measures of oral language ability—notably vocabulary and quality of narrative—was significantly greater than that of their peers.

Family Reading Behavior and Early Literacy Skills in Preschool Children From Low-Income Backgrounds

This study investigated the family reading behavior of 233 preschool children from low-income backgrounds who were attending Head Start. Parents completed a survey of their family reading behavior, including Child Reading, Parent Reading Interest, and Parent–Child Reading Interaction, and provided demographic data on their educational level, parent and child age, and family size. Children's receptive vocabulary, story and print concepts, letter knowledge, and general emergent literacy skills were assessed in the fall of their preschool year. Analyses focused on the variation in family reading behavior, the relationship between different dimensions of family reading behavior, and the contribution of family reading behavior to early literacy skills. Results indicated that Parent–Child Reading Interaction and Child Reading Interest were significantly related to children's early literacy skills. In addition, multiple regression analyses indicated that Parent–Child Reading Interaction was a small yet significant predictor of children's receptive vocabulary, story and print concepts, and general emergent literacy skills, above and beyond the influence of demographic variables. Child Reading Interest was a significant, albeit small, predictor of letter knowledge above and beyond these demographic controls. Implications of these results for the early literacy education of children of low-income families are discussed.

The impact of HeadsUp! Reading on early childhood educators’ literacy practices and preschool children's literacy skills

This study evaluated the effects of HeadsUp! Reading (HUR), a professional development literacy workshop series, with and without supplementary mentoring on early childhood educators’ (ECEs) practices and its subsequent effect on preschool children's literacy skills. ECEs who served children in high poverty communities participated in a 15-week satellite broadcast training series. Pre- and post-assessments were completed for both the control and intervention groups. Participants in HUR and HUR + mentoring significantly exceeded the control ECEs on the quality of their classroom environments. Children's literacy skills improved more in the HUR classrooms than in control classrooms. Mentoring did not enhance preschool children's literacy skills more than HUR alone. The treatment was equally effective for Spanish- and English-speaking children. Early childhood educator participation in HeadsUp! Reading can enhance the effectiveness of classroom literacy practices and has subsequent benefits on language and literacy skills of preschool children from poverty backgrounds. These findings further support the crucial role of high quality programs for the development of children's literacy skills.

The Use of Computer Assisted Instruction in Preschool Education: Making Teaching Meaningful

Computers are increasingly a part of preschooler’s lives. The purpose of the present paper was to discuss research avenues employing computers as a learning tool and to analyse the results obtained by this method at the preschoolers’ learning level. Specifically this research was to determine if computer assisted instruction (CAI) was a useful tool to enhance cognitive, emotional, linguistic, and literacy skills in preschool children. CAI programmes may never replace the book and the blackboard but one should be aware that they were more accessible by young children, who learn better with pictures and sounds, and the proper use of appropriate programmes could make a considerable difference.

Use of a Parent Questionnaire in Emergent and Early Literacy Assessment of Preschool Children

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the use of a parent questionnaire in the assessment of emergent and early literacy skills of preschool children with language impairments (LI) and their typically developing (TD) peers to determine the relationship between parent report and more formal measures of early literacy, as well as to compare home literacy practices of these two groups of children. Preschool children with LI (n = 17) were referred by area school district speech-language pathologists, and age-matched peers (n = 20) were recruited from local preschools. Examiner-administered measures of early literacy included assessment of rhyme, knowledge of environmental print, knowledge of print conventions, and letter-name and letter-sound knowledge, as well as analyses of narrative abilities. The parent questionnaire included 31 closed questions with responses chosen on a 5-point scale that addressed a number of domains of knowledge: phonological awareness, response to print in the environment, alphabet knowledge, interactions around books, writing, orientation to literacy, and parent practices, in addition to a number of open-ended questions. Results revealed a strong relationship between examiner-administered measures of early literacy and parent report for the children with LI only. Parents of children with LI rated their children more poorly across domains of literacy knowledge than did parents of the comparison group. Finally, a comparison of home literacy practices found differences between the groups in time spent watching television, age parents began reading to the child, and number of books owned by the child. Findings support the use of parent report as a tool in the assessment of emergent and early literacy knowledge and skills for children with LI.