Jaclyn M. Dynia

Print-Focused Read-Alouds in Early Childhood Special Education Programs

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of print-focused read-alouds, implemented by early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers alone or in conjunction with caregivers, on the print knowledge of children with language impairment (LI). Using random assignment to conditions, children with LI were exposed, over an academic year of preschool, to one of three conditions specifying the way in which teachers and caregivers were to read storybooks with them. Based on a print-knowledge composite, children whose teachers used print-focused read-alouds had significantly better print knowledge (d = .21) in spring of the year compared to children whose teachers used their typical reading practices. When teachers and caregivers implemented print-focused read-alouds simultaneously, children’s Spring print knowledge was modestly higher (d = .11) than that of children whose teachers and parents used their typical reading practices, but the effect was not statistically significant. Examination of intervention moderators showed that children with lower levels of nonverbal cognition benefited substantially from exposure to the intervention. Educational implications are discussed.

Impact of Professional Development on Preschool Teachers' Print References during Shared Read Alouds: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis.

Abstract This large-scale, experimental study aimed to (a) describe the extent to which teachers of preschool children at risk for reading difficulties make references to print during whole-class, shared-book read alouds and (b) empirically test the extent to which participation in professional development influences teachers’ frequency of references to print during shared read alouds across the academic year. Eighty-five preschool teachers working in targeted-enrollment preschool programs were randomly assigned to receive professional development aimed at increasing their use of print referencing or to a comparison condition involving alternative training; all teachers implemented a shared read aloud program in their classrooms. Implementation was documented via twice-monthly videotaping of shared read aloud sessions. Videos were coded for the frequency of print references and analyzed using latent growth curves. Despite considerable variability in teachers’ use of print referencing, findings showed sustained, meaningful changes in teachers’ use of print referencing with results favoring those who experienced the experimental professional development. Implications concerning effective professional development for supporting preschool childrens emergent literacy skills are discussed.

Comparing Emergent-Literacy Skills and Home-Literacy Environment of Children with Autism and Their Peers.

The purpose of the current study was to characterize and compare the emergent-literacy skills, print interest, and home-literacy environment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to their peers, as well as to examine the association between children’s emergent-literacy skills and their home-literacy environment. Results indicated that children with ASD had significantly higher alphabet knowledge and significantly lower print-concept knowledge when controlling for language ability compared with their peers. Children with ASD also had significantly lower print interest than their typical peers. Moreover, print interest and frequency of storybook reading were related to children’s alphabet knowledge. Clinical implications and areas for future research are discussed.

Comparing Children with ASD and Their Peers' Growth in Print Knowledge.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle with reading. An increased focus on emergent literacy skills—particularly print knowledge—might improve later reading outcomes. We analyzed longitudinal measures of print knowledge (i.e., alphabet knowledge and print-concept knowledge) for 35 preschoolers with ASD relative to a sample of 35 typically developing peers. Through multilevel growth curve analysis, we found that relative to their peers, children with ASD had comparable alphabet knowledge, lower print-concept knowledge, and acquired both skills at a similar rate. These findings suggest that children with ASD are unlikely to acquire print-concept knowledge commensurate to their peers without an increased emphasis on high-quality instruction that targets this skill.

Shared-Reading Volume in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms.

This study describes book reading practices occurring in early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms in comparison to early childhood education (ECE) classrooms. Reading logs submitted by 19 ECSE teachers and 13 ECE teachers over one academic year included all books read in whole class settings; these logs were analyzed to assess the volume of book reading taking place and the types of books read. On average, ECSE teachers report reading less than one book per day and for less than seven minutes per day and ECSE teachers utilize far more narrative books than any other genre. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

An empirical investigation of the dimensionality of the physical literacy environment in early childhood classrooms

This study investigated the dimensionality of the physical literacy environment of early childhood education classrooms. Data on the classroom physical literacy environment were collected from 245 classrooms using the Classroom Literacy Observation Profile. A combination of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis was used to identify five separate dimensions of the physical literacy environment; including (a) variety and use of books, (b) variety and use of writing centre materials, (c) variety and use of technology, (d) variety of environmental print and (e) variety and use of other literacy-related materials. Overall, these five dimensions demonstrated reasonable reliability and validity. Implications for investigating the physical literacy environment and future directions for research are discussed.

Teachers’ Literal and Inferential Talk in Early Childhood and Special Education Classrooms

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study examined preschool teachers’ literal talk (LT) and inferential talk (IT) during shared book readings in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms. We aimed to characterize and compare teachers’ LT and IT in these 2 classroom contexts and determine whether differences in LT and IT are predicted by classroom type, teachers’ educational background, or children’s average language skills. We examined the shared book reading activities of 52 teachers (26 ECE classrooms, 26 ECSE classrooms). Results revealed that ECSE teachers used significantly more LT and showed more variability in their LT and IT than ECE teachers. ECSE classroom type predicted teachers’ use of LT when we controlled for teacher education and children’s language skills, whereas teacher education predicted teachers’ use of IT when we controlled for classroom type and children’s language skills. Practice or Policy: These findings have implications for best practice guidelines and policies, particularly for ECSE environments.

Caregiver Implementation of a Home-Based Reading Program WithTheir Children With Disabilities: Patterns of Adherence

The overall purpose of this study was to examine caregivers’ adherence to a storybook-reading intervention using latent class analysis (LCA). This study also examined whether adherence was related to child and family characteristics including children’s language ability, caregiver education, and whether the child has a disability. Caregivers of children with language impairment (N = 695) were provided with a book per week and were encouraged to read the book twice a week. Results of the LCA indicated that there were four profiles of caregivers’ adherence: sporadic, late dropout, completers, and early dropout. Completers were so-named because they adhered to study activities for the duration, completed the study as designed. These caregivers represented one third of participants, whereas dropouts (both early and late) represented the majority of caregivers (51%). This study found no reliable differences in the adherence patterns for caregivers of children with a disability and their typically developing peers. However, children who had better language skills also had significantly higher probability of continued caregiver adherence. Implications for educational research are discussed.

Impact of Library-Based Summer Reading Clubs on Primary-Grade Children’s Literacy Activities and Achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the literacy activities and achievements of primary-grade children participating in summer reading clubs (SRC) and determine whether participation in SRC impacted primary-grade children’s literacy activities and achievements. To address these research aims, 90 second- and third-grade children were randomly assigned to either a treatment (Marathon) or control (Sprint) group. Children and their caregivers completed questionnaires on children’s literacy activities, and children’s achievements were measured using direct assessment of their decoding and reading comprehension skills. Results of this study suggested that primary-grade children who elect to participate in SRC engage in frequent literacy activities and are average decoders and comprehenders. Participation in SRC does not seem to impact children’s literacy activities or achievements. However, by the end of the summer, all children made significant gains in reading comprehension. Implications including how to increase the effectiveness of SRC are discussed.