Shayne B. Piasta

Developing Early Literacy Skills: A Meta‐Analysis of Alphabet Learning and Instruction

Alphabet knowledge is a hallmark of early literacy and facilitating its development has become a primary objective of pre-school instruction and intervention. However, little agreement exists about how to promote the development of alphabet knowledge effectively. A meta-analysis of the effects of instruction on alphabet outcomes demonstrated that instructional impacts differed by type of alphabet outcome examined and content of instruction provided. School-based instruction yielded larger effects than home-based instruction; small-group instruction yielded larger effects than individual tutoring programs. We found minimal evidence of transfer of alphabet instruction to early phonological, reading, or spelling skills. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The ISI Classroom Observation System: Examining the Literacy Instruction Provided to Individual Students

The Individualizing Student Instruction (ISI) classroom observation and coding system is designed to provide a detailed picture of the classroom environment at the level of the individual student. Using a multidimensional conceptualization of the classroom environment, foundational elements (teacher warmth and responsiveness to students, classroom management) and instructional elements (teacher-child interactions, context, and content) are described. The authors have used the ISI system to document that children who share the same classroom have very different learning opportunities, that instruction occurs through interactions among teachers and students, and that the effect of this instruction depends on children’s language and literacy skills. This means that what is effective for one child may be ineffective for another with different skills. With improving classroom observation systems, the dynamics of the complex classroom environment as it affects student learning can be better understood.

Learning Letter Names and Sounds: Effects of Instruction, Letter Type, and Phonological Processing Skill

Preschool-age children (N=58) were randomly assigned to receive instruction in letter names and sounds, letter sounds only, or numbers (control). Multilevel modeling was used to examine letter name and sound learning as a function of instructional condition and characteristics of both letters and children. Specifically, learning was examined in light of letter name structure, whether letter names included cues to their respective sounds, and childrens phonological processing skills. Consistent with past research, children receiving letter name and sound instruction were most likely to learn the sounds of letters whose names included cues to their sounds regardless of phonological processing skills. Only children with higher phonological skills showed a similar effect in the control condition. Practical implications are discussed.

The Dimensionality of Language Ability in Young Children

The purpose of this study was to empirically examine the dimensionality of language ability for young children (4-8 years) from prekindergarten to third grade (n = 915), theorizing that measures of vocabulary and grammar ability will represent a unitary trait across these ages, and to determine whether discourse skills represent an additional source of variance in language ability. Results demonstrated emergent dimensionality of language across development with distinct factors of vocabulary, grammar, and discourse skills by third grade, confirming that discourse skills are an important source of variance in childrens language ability and represent an important additional dimension to be accounted for in studying growth in language skills over the course of childhood.

IRTs of the ABCs: Children's Letter Name Acquisition.

We examined the developmental sequence of letter name knowledge acquisition by children from 2 to five years of age. Data from 2 samples representing diverse regions, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds (ns = 1074 and 500) were analyzed using item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning techniques. Results from factor analyses indicated that letter name knowledge represented a unidimensional skill; IRT results yielded significant differences between letters in both difficulty and discrimination. Results also indicated an approximate developmental sequence in letter name learning for the simplest and most challenging to learn letters--but with no clear sequence between these extremes. Findings also suggested that children were most likely to first learn their first initial. We discuss implications for assessment and instruction.

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.

Emergent Literacy Intervention for Prekindergarteners at Risk for Reading Failure Years 2 and 3 of a Multiyear Study

This research examined the effectiveness of an emergent literacy intervention for prekindergarten children at risk for reading failure, to replicate and improve on significant findings from Year 1 of the study. Data are reported for 266 children in 72 child care and preschool sites in Year 2 of the study and for 374 children at 102 sites in Year 3. The intervention consisted of eighteen 30-min lessons delivered twice weekly to small groups of children. Lessons targeted critical emergent literacy skills through explicit, developmentally appropriate activities for prekindergarteners. Hierarchical linear models were used to nest children within center and measure treatment effects on phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and vocabulary skills. Results indicated significant treatment effects on multiple measures in Years 2 and 3. This study replicated and strengthened findings from Year 1 in demonstrating a positive impact of this intervention for prekindergarteners at risk for reading failure.This research examined the effectiveness of an emergent literacy intervention for prekindergarten children at risk for reading failure, to replicate and improve on significant findings from year 1 of the study. Data are reported for 266 children in 72 child care and preschool sites in year 2 of the study and for 374 children at 102 sites in year 3. The intervention consisted of eighteen 30-min lessons delivered twice weekly to small groups of children. Lessons targeted critical emergent literacy skills through explicit, developmentally appropriate activities for prekindergartners. Hierarchical linear models were used to nest children within center and measure treatment effects on phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and vocabulary skills. Results indicated significant treatment effects on multiple measures in years 2 and 3. This study replicated and strengthened findings from year 1 in demonstrating a positive impact of this intervention for prekindergarteners at risk for reading failure.

Learning to Read

Publisher Summary Reading refers to understanding a message from a writer. Doing so requires decoding the script the message has been written in. Most scripts are informative about both the meaning and pronunciation of the words used to convey the message. Much of what is known about learning to read is about learning to read alphabetic scripts in general, and English in particular. In addition, the major findings from the literature on learning to read other scripts are more similar to the findings regarding learning to read English than one would expect, based on how different scripts appear to be. The development of reading skill, and the characteristics of individuals who fail to learn to read well, are remarkably similar across European languages. When the world view is broadened to include Asian languages, some differences are found in the relative importance of key underlying skills in learning to read, but the fact that some individuals fail to learn to read appears to be universal regardless of the nature of the written language to be mastered.

Measuring Young Children’s Alphabet Knowledge: Development and Validation of Brief Letter-Sound Knowledge Assessments

Early childhood teachers are increasingly encouraged to support children’s development of letter-sound abilities. Assessment of letter-sound knowledge is key in planning for effective instruction, yet the letter-sound knowledge assessments currently available and suitable for preschool-age children demonstrate significant limitations. The purpose of the current study was to use item response theory to create short-form letter-sound assessments that are psychometrically sound, quick and easy to administer, and appropriate for researcher and practitioner use. Letter-sound knowledge data from 940 children attending preschool centers were analyzed. Item response theory analyses indicated that a two-parameter logistic model best fit the data. Further analyses yielded a series of parallel six- and eight-letter forms with adequate test information, reliability, and theta recovery. Implications for assessment and instruction are discussed.

Library-Based Summer Reading Clubs: Who Participates and Why?

This article reports on a research study designed to identify who participates in library-based summer reading clubs (SRCs) and why they elect to do so. To address this aim, questionnaires were completed by caregivers of 246 children upon enrollment to the SRC of a metropolitan library as well as 480 youth; the questionnaire was designed to learn more about enrollees with respect to basic demographics, home environment, and motivational attributes. Results of this study suggested that those who enroll in SRCs are relatively diverse with respect to race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status; however, enrollees also tend to be motivated toward reading and to be capable readers. Implications for broadening community members’ participation in SRCs are discussed.