Evaluation of Curricular Approaches to Enhance Preschool Early Literacy Skills

Two curricula designed to enhance the early literacy skills of 4-year-old preschool children were evaluated against a third, comparison condition. Thirty-five Head Start preschool classrooms were assigned randomly to incorporate one of two early literacy curricular approaches, Let's Begin with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of literacy research 2007-12, Vol.39 (4), p.471-501
Main Authors: Fischel, Janet E., Bracken, Stacey Storch, Fuchs-Eisenberg, Ariela, Spira, Elana G., Katz, Samantha, Shaller, Gary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Childhood
Classrooms
Curricula
Curriculum development
Early literacy
Educational evaluation
Head Start project
Literacy
Low income groups
Minority languages
Preschool children
Preschool education
Reading instruction
Skills
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Summary:Two curricula designed to enhance the early literacy skills of 4-year-old preschool children were evaluated against a third, comparison condition. Thirty-five Head Start preschool classrooms were assigned randomly to incorporate one of two early literacy curricular approaches, Let's Begin with the Letter People® or Waterford Early Reading Program® Level 1, into their current curriculum, the High/Scope® Educational Approach, or to use the High/Scope method alone. Results indicated that children in the literacy intervention classrooms demonstrated significantly stronger outcomes in the areas of emergent writing, book and print knowledge, and general reading readiness skills. Minority language status also played a significant role in outcome, regardless of intervention condition. Implications for early childhood literacy interventions, especially important for children of low-income families, are discussed.
ISSN:1086-296X
1554-8430
DOI:10.1080/10862960701675333