The effects of an early reading curriculum on language and literacy development of head start children.Abstract. This study examined the effectiveness of the Montana Early Literacy Project (MELP MELP Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (Government of British Columbia, Canada) MELP Mixed-Excitation Linear Predictive Vocoder ) curriculum on literacy and language skills of preschool-age children in Head Start. The MELP model utilizes everyday events and existing routines of classroom and home environments to build literacy and language directly into children's daily experiences. Using a control group design, the researchers analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. skill development in preschool children participating in a classroom, using the MELP model as a supplement to the traditional Head Start curriculum (n=14). Results were compared to children who participated in the traditional Head Start curriculum (n=15). Assessments used were the Emerging Literacy Screening from Building Early Literacy and Language Skills (Paulson, Noble, Jepson, & van den Pol, 2001) and language sampling. Analyses indicated an important difference in the literacy and language shills gained by children in the MELP classroom, particularly in the areas of narrative discourse, vocabulary, phonological awareness Phonological awareness is the conscious sensitivity to the sound structure of language. It includes the ability to auditorily distinguish parts of speech, such as syllables and phonemes. , and print development. Due to the limited sample size, generalization gen·er·al·i·za·tion n. 1. The act or an instance of generalizing. 2. A principle, a statement, or an idea having general application. of the data should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, findings support the use of the Montana Early Literacy Project curriculum in developing the early literacy and language skills in children who may be at risk of experiencing challenges in learning to read and write. ********** Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write and is usually acquired in a relatively predictable manner, beginning at birth and continuing throughout life, assuming that the appropriate exposure and instruction are present (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Early literacy refers to behaviors seen in very young children, typically 2- to 3-year-olds, as they attempt reading and writing acts without the awareness or understanding of letter-sound relationships. Emerging literacy refers to behaviors observed in 4- to 5-year-old children when an awareness and understanding of letter-sound relationships begins to develop. This process builds as children develop their oral language structures, gain an awareness of the sound structure of language, and find meaning in the symbols around them (Braunger, Lewis, & Hagans, 1997; Lonigan, Bloomfield, Anthony, Bacon, Phillips, & Samwel, 1999). Children use strategies from learning oral language to help them make sense of environmental print. In this way, language competent children are able to grasp the processes of reading and writing in a timely manner (Katims & Pierce Pierce may refer to: Places
adj. 1. Expressed or performed with emphasis: responded with an emphatic "no." 2. Forceful and definite in expression or action. 3. demonstrates that children can, and do, learn a great deal about reading during the preschool years in preparation for reading independently (Adams, 1990; Lonigan et al., 1999; Snow et al., 1998; van Kleeck, 1998). The likelihood that a child will succeed in 1st grade depends most of all on how much she or he has already learned about reading before getting there (Adams, 1990). In order to facilitate the development of young learners, who exhibit a wide range of needs and abilities, the question of pre-school curriculum must be addressed. Goffin (2000) acknowledges the dilemma currently faced by early childhood programs as she notes: Driven by public demands for positive child outcomes, the sense of urgency surrounding school reform, and the prevalence of poor-quality child care, early childhood curriculum models are being promoted as a way of ensuring that public dollars are wisely spent and that children enter school ready to learn. (http://askeric.org/plwebcgi/obtain.pl. para 14, retrieved 9-18-02) A number of early childhood curriculum models, generally based on theories of child development, have been in use for several decades. However, previous investigations of the most commonly used models are generally outdated out·dat·ed adj. Out-of-date; old-fashioned. outdated Adjective old-fashioned or obsolete Adj. 1. and fall short of providing a clear picture of the actual practices that are used to link assessment to the curriculum (Pretti-Frontczak, Kowalski, & Brown, 2002). Given that our current national agenda presents a compelling argument for early childhood programs to establish a strong language and literacy environment, research-based teaching/learning models that support early reading principles across the curriculum are necessary. In particular, the demand for curriculum models that provide guidance for the development of print-rich learning environments, oral language activities, and phonological awareness has received considerable attention in response to recent recommendations by the National Reading Panel (2000) and the National Research Council (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998) for evidence-based approaches to early reading instruction. Early and Emerging Literacy Three major areas found to be critically important in the development of early and emerging literacy skills (Braunger, Lewis, Hagans, 1997; Lonigan et al., 1999; Snow et al., 1998; Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998) are: 1) a strong foundation in oral language skills, 2) an awareness of the sound structure of language, and 3) much exposure and experience with print. A strong foundation in oral language skills develops as children gain an understanding of the structures and meaning of language. When children begin to realize that the words they say not only have meanings but also have structures that can be manipulated, they are developing phonological awareness, which is the explicit awareness of word structure--syllables, sounds, etc.--that can be changed depending on the context. As children see and play with written symbols, they develop an awareness of print. Clearly, a strong connection exists between language and literacy development (Braunger et al., 1997), particularly during the early childhood years of birth through age 8 (Schickedanz, 1999). Families, caregivers, and early childhood educators  This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject.Please help recruit one or [ improve this article] yourself. See the talk page for details. all have a significant impact on children's language and emerging literacy skills. Those who work with young children have a critical window of opportunity to offer support in helping them acquire rich language and emerging literacy skills (Moats, 2000). A child's literacy development is affected by the language and literacy experiences shared by family members and teachers, the books and written materials found in the home and at school, and the attitudes of the family and school toward literacy. Children who are provided with numerous and varied opportunities to talk, tell stories, read storybooks, draw, and write are generally successful in learning to read and write (Braunger et al., 1997). Early Identification of At-Risk Readers Children who exhibit difficulty learning oral language are at significant risk for having problems learning to read (Adams, 1990), as are children growing up in poverty (Rush, 1999). Academic success is highly correlated cor·re·late v. cor·re·lat·ed, cor·re·lat·ing, cor·re·lates v.tr. 1. To put or bring into causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relation. 2. to economic status (Brint, 1998; de Marrais & LeCompte, 1999). Hodgkinson (2001) claims that poverty is a universal handicap and states that 20 percent of the children in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. live in poverty. Hart and Risley (1995, 1999) determined that family economics was a significant factor in children's language development, finding that children in low-income families heard less language and said fewer words. Children who are at risk for reading disabilities can be identified before experiencing reading failure in elementary school elementary school: see school. by providing the assessment, curricular strategies, and teacher knowledge that are responsive to early recognition. Catts, Fey, Zhang, and Tomblin (2001) investigated kindergarten kindergarten [Ger.,=garden of children], system of preschool education. Friedrich Froebel designed (1837) the kindergarten to provide an educational situation less formal than that of the elementary school but one in which children's creative play instincts would be predictors of 2nd-grade reading outcomes and identified five key variables in their longitudinal study longitudinal study a chronological study in epidemiology which attempts to establish a relationship between an antecedent cause and a subsequent effect. See also cohort study. . They concluded that children in 2nd grade who were struggling with reading had difficulty with letter identification, sentence structure, phonological awareness, and word recall when they were in kindergarten. Each of these skills related directly to oral language, phonological awareness, and print awareness Print awareness refers to a child's understanding of the nature and uses of print. A child's print awareness is closely associated with his or her word awareness or the ability to recognize words as distinct elements of oral and written communication. . Another predictive variable was the education level achieved by the children's mothers. Bishop and Adams (1990) developed a "critical age" hypothesis, suggesting that young children who experience difficulty acquiring language and who are able to develop age-appropriate language skills before the age of 5 to 5-1/2 have a much greater chance of learning to read and write without experiencing difficulty. Children whose delays in language development persist after the age of 5 to 5-1/2, however, tend to have a much greater chance of also experiencing similar difficulties learning literacy skills. Unfortunately, many early childhood centers may not provide the learning experiences and teaching strategies that empirical evidence suggests clearly supports early literacy development. In a study of 4-year-olds in Head Starts, Title I kindergartens, and child care centers, Layzer, Goodson, and Moss (1993) noted that more than 25 percent of the classrooms did not have a story time and only 10 percent of the teacher's time was spent in individual language interaction. The development of emerging literacy skills in young children is too important to allow a "wait and see" approach. To facilitate the development of literacy skills, children need to acquire oral language skills, develop phonological awareness skills, and have many, varied exposures and experiences with print. Identifying children's strengths and needs in language and emerging literacy skill development allows educators to plan early and appropriate interventions (Marvin & Wright, 1997). Current research overwhelmingly supports the importance of facilitating early and emerging literacy skills in preschool-age children as a critical foundation for literacy development. Montana Early Literacy Project The Montana Early Literacy Project (MELP) offers a curricular approach or model that emphasizes early reading activities for preschool children. The purpose of the model is to build early literacy and language skills in young children, especially those with disabilities, by developing partnerships with families, schools, and community members and by using developmentally appropriate services that are individually and culturally sensitive. The model recognizes and expands upon everyday events and existing routines of classroom and home environments to build literacy and language directly into children's daily experiences. Additionally, the model provides teaching and support staff with the knowledge necessary to implement these comprehensive services. The MELP model incorporates five key components: Component 1 identifies procedures using developmentally appropriate thematic the·mat·ic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or being a theme: a scene of thematic importance. 2. units with specific strategies, interventions, and activities that embed em·bed also im·bed v. em·bed·ded, em·bed·ding, em·beds v.tr. 1. To fix firmly in a surrounding mass: embed a post in concrete; fossils embedded in shale. literacy and language throughout children's existing routines during the school day. Component 2 provides a method to identify early literacy and language needs of individual students and to design Individualized Education Program In the United States an Individualized Education Program, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In Canada an equivalent document is called an Individual Education Plan. (IEP IEP In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Irish Punt. Notes: The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. ) goals and objectives that meet children's needs. Component 3 provides strategies to foster family participation in literacy and language activities, both at home and at school. Component 4 addresses means of providing inclusive, respectful re·spect·ful adj. Showing or marked by proper respect. re·spect  ful·ly adv. ,
and culturally responsive literacy services that celebrate individual
differences of children and their families. It also focuses on the
understanding and appreciation of the cultural practices, beliefs, and
traditions of Native Americans in Montana. Component 5 provides
teachers, support staff, and families with the knowledge and skills
necessary to implement the model.
The MELP model was developed for fostering emerging literacy and language skills in young children with diverse abilities at two demonstration sites: COTEACH Preschool, located on The University of Montana-Missoula The University of Montana is a state university located in Missoula, Montana, USA. The school was founded in 1893. It is the largest campus in the five-campus University of Montana System. campus, and Cherry Valley Cherry Valley can refer to several places: Places in the United States:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the MELP model on improving the early and emerging literacy skills of young children who are at risk of developing reading difficulties. The primary research question was: What effect does the Montana Early Literacy Project curriculum have on the language and literacy development of children in Head Start? Method Participants Children, randomly assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. to three Head Start classrooms, participated in this study in either a combined Montana Early Literacy Project and traditional curriculum classroom or a traditional curriculum only classroom. All children in the study were reported to be at risk for developing challenges with academic success, given the low social economic status criteria for participation in the Head Start program. The MELP curriculum group began with 18 children participating in the Head Start classroom and concluded with 14 children. One child moved during the middle of the study, and three children did not complete all of the testing. This group was composed of seven girls and seven boys, and the average chronological age chron·o·log·i·cal age n. Abbr. CA The number of years a person has lived, used especially in psychometrics as a standard against which certain variables, such as behavior and intelligence, are measured. was four years, two months during the pretest pre·test n. 1. a. A preliminary test administered to determine a student's baseline knowledge or preparedness for an educational experience or course of study. b. A test taken for practice. 2. and four years, nine months during the posttest post·test n. A test given after a lesson or a period of instruction to determine what the students have learned. . Two children in the group received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act  Some statements may be disputed, incorrect, , biased or otherwise objectionable. The traditional curriculum group began with 32 children enrolled in the two Head Start classrooms using the standard curriculum at the beginning of the study. Eleven children moved during the middle of the study, and six children were unable to complete the testing. Fifteen children were included at the end of the study. Of this group, eight were girls and seven were boys, with an average chronological age of four years, three months during the pretest and four years, ten months during the posttest. Two children were receiving special education services under IDEA (1990), and one child was learning English as a second language. Table 1 presents the sample characteristics for the children participating in the study. Procedure and Measures The study included the collection of assessment data on early and emerging literacy and language skill development using a pretest/posttest experimental-control group design (Campbell & Stanley, 1963). The children were randomly assigned to each classroom before the beginning of the school year. For the purposes of this research, the education coordinator for the area Head Start selected three classrooms of equal size and session length, within the same center under her supervision to participate in the study. The three teachers each had college backgrounds in early childhood education, had been teaching in Head Start for more than seven years, and had participated in required on-site Head Start early literacy trainings. Two classrooms, located in the main Head Start building and using the traditional Head Start curriculum, served as the control group. One classroom, located on the premises of a local elementary school and using the MELP model curriculum in addition to the traditional curriculum, served as the comparison group. High Scope was the traditional curriculum used in each classroom and all the teachers were trained in its implementation. The control classroom teachers each had Associate of Arts Associate of arts and Associate of science are two-year undergraduate degrees offered by many community colleges or junior colleges in the United States. Such degrees transfer to four-year institutions which offer full bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. (A.A.) degrees in Early Childhood Education. The comparison classroom (MELP) teacher held a B.A. in Elementary Education elementary education or primary education Traditionally, the first stage of formal education, beginning at age 5–7 and ending at age 11–13. and was also trained in the MELP model. Although the subjects were randomly assigned to the three classrooms, giving some control over subject differences, results of this study should be considered with caution, as the individual teachers' educational backgrounds indicate variations in classroom management and social climate that also may be attributed to students' gains. Pretest data were obtained in September at the beginning of the school year, and posttest data were gathered in May at the end of the school year. The Emerging Literacy Screening in Building Early Literacy and Language Skills (Paulson et al., 2001) was used to measure early literacy and language skill development. Assessments were conducted individually in a quiet room near the Head Start classrooms by project staff who were specifically trained in measurement administration. The Emerging Literacy Screening (Paulson et al., 2001) includes developmentally sequenced skills in three foundation areas of literacy development: language use, phonological awareness, and print development. Skills measured in the Language Use section include basic concepts, narratives, speech intelligibility Noun 1. speech intelligibility - the intelligibility of speech (usually measured in the presence of noise or distortion) intelligibility - the quality of language that is comprehensible , sentence structure, and use of rhythmic rhyth·mic also rhyth·mi·cal adj. Of, relating to, or having rhythm; recurring with measured regularity. rhyth mi·cal·ly adv. language. The Phonological Awareness section measured
rhyme rhyme or rime, the most prominent of the literary artifices used in versification. Although it was used in ancient East Asian poetry, rhyme was practically unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans. matching and production, blending of syllables and sounds from
words, and segmenting words into syllables and sounds. The Print
Development section measured book and symbol awareness, written name and
letter recognition, writing development, and knowledge of the alphabet alphabet [Gr. alpha-beta, like Eng. ABC], system of writing, theoretically having a one-for-one relation between character (or letter) and phoneme (see phonetics). Few alphabets have achieved the ideal exactness. song. The results provide a raw score and a percent correct score for
each of the three sections as well as a total composite raw score and
percent correct score.
In order to further evaluate the impact of the MELP curriculum on children's expressive language development, individual spontaneous language samples were collected from each of the participants. Sampling occurred in October, prior to the introduction of the MELP curriculum, and again in April. Language samples were obtained using a set of softbound soft·bound adj. Not bound between hard covers: softbound books. wordless picture books by Mercer mer·cer n. Chiefly British A dealer in textiles, especially silks. [Middle English, from Old French mercier, trader, from merz, merchandise, from Latin merx and Marianna Mayer (1967, 1971, 1974, 1975). Individual children were seated at a small table in their classroom, and the researcher prompted them to "Look at the book and tell me what is happening." Children were encouraged to describe the activities in two of the books for the fail sample and two similar books for the spring sample. The researchers prompted children to "Look at that!" and "Tell me what else is going on." However, the children were allowed to guide the speed and duration of each session. Sessions ranged from 10 to 20 minutes, and all utterances were audiotaped for transcription transcription /trans·crip·tion/ (-krip´shun) the synthesis of RNA using a DNA template catalyzed by RNA polymerase; the base sequences of the RNA and DNA are complementary. tran·scrip·tion n. and further analysis. Language samples from each child were transcribed and entered into the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts, Research Version 7.0 (SALT) computer program. SALT is a software package developed by the Language Analysis Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison “University of Wisconsin” redirects here. For other uses, see University of Wisconsin (disambiguation). A public, land-grant institution, UW-Madison offers a wide spectrum of liberal arts studies, professional programs, and student activities. (Miller & Chapman, 1992). Using SALT and guided by a specific transcription protocol, researchers obtained an analysis of language performance at the word, morpheme morpheme: see grammar. morpheme In linguistics, the smallest grammatical unit of speech. It may be an entire word (cat) or an element of a word (re- and -ed in reappeared). , utterance ut·ter·ance 1 n. 1. a. The act of uttering; vocal expression. b. The power of speaking; speech: as long as I have utterance. c. , and discourse level for each child. Data from fall and spring were grouped into three categories for analysis of expressive language growth: 1) Total Utterances, 2) Mean Length of Utterance Mean Length of Utterance (or MLU) is a measure of linguistic productivity in children. It is traditionally calculated by collecting 100 utterances spoken by a child and dividing the number of morphemes by the number of utterances. (MLU MLU Mean Length of Utterance MLU Mid-Life Update MLU Mirror Lock Up MLU Mid-Life Upgrade MLU Monroe, LA, USA (Airport Code) MLU Memory Look-Up MLU Multiple Logical Unit MLU Memory Lookup ), and 3) Different Word Roots (vocabulary growth). MLU in morphemes corresponds to chronological age as well as to stages of linguistic development and is considered to be a valid index of language development when the MLU is between 1.0 and 4.5 morphemes (Bailey & Wolery, 1989). The null hypothesis null hypothesis, n theoretical assumption that a given therapy will have results not statistically different from another treatment. null hypothesis, n of this study assumed there would be no important or statistically reliable difference between the adjusted average posttest scores of the Head Start classes using the traditional curriculum and the classroom using the MELP model curriculum. An important difference was defined as 10 percentage points on the adjusted mean scores of the Emerging Literacy Screening. Statistical reliability was set at = .05. An expected developmental increase in MLU from pretest to posttest was predicted to be approximately .6, using the following equation: age (in months) + MLU (Miller, 1981). An analysis of covariance Covariance A measure of the degree to which returns on two risky assets move in tandem. A positive covariance means that asset returns move together. A negative covariance means returns vary inversely. (ANCOVA ANCOVA Analysis of Covariance ), used to account for initial differences between samples, was calculated for the Emerging Literacy Screening and each of the language sample categories. Results At conclusion of the study, 14 children participated in the Head Start classroom, using the MELP Model and the traditional curriculum. Fifteen children in the two Head Start classrooms using the traditional curriculum only served as the control group (n = 29). For the results of the Emerging Literacy Screening, homogeneity Homogeneity The degree to which items are similar. of variance was established between the sample groups, which were relatively the same size. The F-test conducted for the homogeneity of regression regression, in psychology: see defense mechanism. regression In statistics, a process for determining a line or curve that best represents the general trend of a data set. resulted in an F-value of .36 and a p-value of .55, indicating that the two samples had common slopes. Therefore, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was run. The ANCOVA resulted in an F-ratio of 20.85 and a p-value of < 0.0001, indicating a statistically reliable difference between the groups for this experiment. On the Emerging Literacy Screening, the MELP group received a pretest mean percent correct score of 41.4%, an unadjusted posttest mean score of 71.7%, and an adjusted posttest mean score of 68.2%. This resulted in an adjusted increase of 26.8 percentage points. The traditional group received a mean score of 33.7% on the pretest score, an unadjusted mean score of 48.8%, and an adjusted mean score of 52.0% on the posttest, an adjusted increase of 18.3 percentage points. An important difference was set at 10 percentage points a priori a priori In epistemology, knowledge that is independent of all particular experiences, as opposed to a posteriori (or empirical) knowledge, which derives from experience. for the results of the Emerging Literacy Screening. The class using the MELP model curriculum displayed an adjusted gain of 27.0 percentage points. The traditional group displayed an adjusted increase of 18.3 points. The MELP group outscored the class using the traditional curriculum by 22.2 (unadjusted) and 16.2 (adjusted) percentage points. Homogeneity of variance again was established between the sample groups for the results of each of the three language sample categories. The F-test conducted for the homogeneity of regression resulted in an F-value of 1.73 and a p-value of .20 for the Total Utterance category, an F-value of .02 and a p-value of .89 for the Mean Length of Utterance category, and an F-value of 2.0 and a p-value of .17 for Different Root Words, indicating that the two samples had common slopes. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) resulted in an F-ratio of 13.0 and a p-value of < 0.001 for Total Utterances, an F-ratio of .37 and a p-value of .55 for Mean Length of Utterance, and a F-Ratio of 19.0 and a p-value of.0002 for Different Root Words. An important difference was established between the traditional and comparison groups for the Total Utterance and Different Root Word categories, but not for the Mean Length of Utterance category. The class using the MELP model curriculum demonstrated higher levels of language use in each of the three categories than the class using the traditional curriculum in Total Utterances by 22.3 (unadjusted) and 26.5 (adjusted), in Mean Length of Utterance by .3 (unadjusted) and .2 (adjusted), and for Different Root Words by 29.9 (unadjusted) and 34.5 (adjusted). In all three of the language sample areas, the children in the MELP curriculum classroom made greater gains than those using the traditional curriculum. Children in the MELP classroom demonstrated an adjusted increase of 38.8 total utterances compared to the traditional group with an adjusted increase of 5.3. Adjusted growth in MLU for the MELP classroom was .4 words per utterance and .3 for the traditional group, indicating slower growth in linguistic development, particularly in the development of grammatical rules Noun 1. grammatical rule - a linguistic rule for the syntax of grammatical utterances rule of grammar linguistic rule, rule - (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice . The mean length of utterance on the pretest for both groups was determined to be within Brown's Early Stage IV, which corresponds to the 42-46 month age range, indicating an average range delay approximating four to nine months. This mild to moderate delay in language skills is typical among Head Start classrooms nationwide, and clearly emphasizes the need for a literacy-rich curriculum. The adjusted vocabulary growth, as indicated by children's gains in Different Root Words, increased by 56.6 words for the MELP group and by 16.1 words for the traditional group. Individual children in the traditional group evidenced substantial decreases in 14 instances across all three language areas, an alarming outcome considering these children already evidenced language delays. When reviewing individual children's growth in the MELP classroom, minimal decreases were noted in four instances and only in the area of MLU. The results from each section of the Emerging Literacy Screening provided an interesting comparison. Pretest levels between the MELP and traditional groups were fairly consistent across all assessment measures, including language sampling. The test total score averages were similar. The pretest scores of the language use section had a higher level of skill attainment than the print development and phonological awareness scores. The results of the posttest indicated growth for both groups in language development. The MELP group increased by 21 percentage points, and the traditional group increased by 12 percentage points. The MELP group showed an increase in the mean score of 40 percentage points, while the traditional group showed an increase of 24 points in print development. For phonological awareness, the MELP group began at 29 and rose to 63, an increase of 34 points. The traditional group began at 18 points and gained 11 percentage points. Table 4 presents the subtest scores of the Emerging Literacy Screening for both groups. Discussion The Montana Early Literacy Project developed a model that provides early childhood educators with the needed supports to expand upon everyday events in existing routines in classrooms and homes to build language, literacy, and early reading activities directly into children's daily experiences, thereby creating language- and print-rich environments. The results of this study determined that the model was successful in developing language and literacy skills in young children who are at risk of experiencing challenges learning to read and write. Children who participated in the classroom using the model demonstrated important increases in the foundation skills of language, phonological awareness, and print development. At the conclusion of the study, they used more spontaneous language with richer vocabulary. They were developing a sense of the structure of language by rhyming rhyme also rime n. 1. Correspondence of terminal sounds of words or of lines of verse. 2. a. A poem or verse having a regular correspondence of sounds, especially at the ends of lines. b. , blending, and segmenting words. They learned many print conventions, and they were writers. The results of this study determined that each member of the class using the MELP model curriculum gained an average of 30 percentage points on the Emerging Literacy Screening in eight months during the Head Start preschool program. Each member of the class using the standard curriculum gained an average of 15 percentage points during the same time period. The children using the MELP model curriculum outscored the other class by 23 unadjusted and 16 adjusted percentage points on posttest scores of early literacy tasks. Statistical reliability was determined to be < .0001, exceeding the established level of reliability at .05. A statistically reliable and important difference was indicated in that the children in Head Start who participated in the MELP model curriculum had higher levels of early literacy skill development than those participating in the traditional curriculum. The children who experienced the MELP curriculum made significant gains in narrative discourse development, as evidenced by the 89 percent increase in Total Utterances from the fall to the spring language sampling. They not only had more to say about the topics presented, they also used a broader vocabulary--a critical precursor precursor /pre·cur·sor/ (pre´kur-ser) something that precedes. In biological processes, a substance from which another, usually more active or mature, substance is formed. In clinical medicine, a sign or symptom that heralds another. to reading comprehension Reading comprehension can be defined as the level of understanding of a passage or text. For normal reading rates (around 200-220 words per minute) an acceptable level of comprehension is above 75%. . Certainly, some of this gain can be attributed to expected developmental growth over the time period between language samplings. However, when compared to the gains made by the children using the traditional curriculum (23 percent), these data indicate a significant curriculum impact. This study demonstrated that young children who participated in a Head Start classroom using the MELP model had higher levels of learning in early and emerging literacy skill development compared to young children who participated in the traditional Head Start curriculum. It should be noted that the generalizability of the study results must be interpreted with caution due to the limited sample size, the amount of student attrition Attrition The reduction in staff and employees in a company through normal means, such as retirement and resignation. This is natural in any business and industry. Notes: , and differences within the classrooms. Clearly, a larger sample size and a broader range of classroom settings are recommended for future studies in order to determine the full efficacy of the MELP model. The researchers also recommend that additional studies be conducted to determine which specific MELP strategies and activities are most effective in developing early literacy skills in preschool-age children. Implications for Practice The results obtained from this study suggested that children from low-income families and those at risk for early reading failure were able to make considerable gains in their early literacy and language skills by participating in a language- and print-rich environment wherein where·in adv. In what way; how: Wherein have we sinned? conj. 1. In which location; where: the country wherein those people live. 2. literacy activities were intentionally in·ten·tion·al adj. 1. Done deliberately; intended: an intentional slight. See Synonyms at voluntary. 2. Having to do with intention. embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. into existing classroom routines and events. These critical skills provide the foundation for learning to read and write. Curricula such as that included in the MELP model and similar efforts in Head Start classrooms are vital for providing optimal opportunities for children who are most at risk for developing challenges with literacy. As early childhood professionals continue to adopt practices that promote early reading skills among young children, it is imperative that evidence-based practices be considered in curriculum design. Children need teachers who will offer a variety of literacy opportunities throughout the day, using curriculum that is meaningful, engaging, and cognitively challenging for a range of abilities and interests. The Montana Early Literacy Project appears to be a viable curricular option for Head Starts and other early childhood centers where early reading skills are facilitated through developmentally appropriate language and literacy activities.
Table 1
Participant Characteristics
MELP Curriculum Traditional
(n=14) Curriculum (n=15)
Gender 7 girls, 7 boys 7 girls, 8 boys
Chronological Age: Pretest 4 years, 2 months 4 years, 3 months
(50 mo.) (51 mo.)
Posttest 4 years, 9 months 4 years, 10 months
(57 mo.) (58 mo.)
Children with Disabilities 2 2
English Language Learners 3 1
Table 2
Pre- and Posttest Mean Scores for the Emerging Literacy Screening and
Language Sampling
MELP Group
Pretest Posttest
Unadjusted Adjusted
Emerging Literacy
Screening
Mean % Correct 41.4% 71.7% 68.2%
Scores
Language Sampling
Mean Total 42.0 79.6 81.8
Utterances
Mean Length of 3.5 3.9 3.9
Utterance
Total Different 67.0 121.2 123.6
Root Words
Traditional Group
Pretest Posttest
Unadjusted Adjusted
Emerging Literacy
Screening
Mean % Correct 33.7% 48.8% 52.0%
Scores
Language Sampling
Mean Total 51.0 57.3 55.3
Utterances
Mean Length of 3.4 3.7 3.7
Utterance
Total Different 73.0 91.3 89.1
Root Words
Table 3
ANCOVA Summary of Adjusted Means
Emerging Literacy Screening
Probab-
Source Sum of Squares dF Mean Squares F-Ratio ility
Between 1838.41 1 1838.41 20.86 <0.0001
Error 2291.73 26 88.14
Total 4130.14 27
Language Sampling:
Total
Utterances
Probab-
Source Sum of Squares dF Mean Squares F-Ratio ility
Between 4730.84 1 4730.84 13.06 .001
Error 9420.88 26 362.34
Total 14151.72 27
Mean Length of Utterance
Probab-
Source Sum of Squares dF Mean Squares F-Ratio ility
Between .34 1 .34 .37 .546
Error 23.51 26 .90
Total 23.85 27
Different Root Words
Probab-
Source Sum of Squares dF Mean Squares F-Ratio ility
Between 8518.46 1 8518.46 19.00 .0002
Error 11653.80 26 448.22
Total 20172.27 27
Table 4
Subtest Scores of the Emerging Literacy Screening
MELP Group Traditional Group
Pretest Posttest Pretest Posttest
Print Development 31 71 26 50
Language Use 66 87 59 71
Phonological Awareness 29 63 18 29
Total 41 72 34 49
For more information on the Montana Early Literacy Project, see www.soe.umt.edu/ders/MELP/index.htm. Funding for this study was provided by Grant HO24B60034, from the Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative re·ha·bil·i·tate tr.v. re·ha·bil·i·tat·ed, re·ha·bil·i·tat·ing, re·ha·bil·i·tates 1. To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education. 2. Services of the United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education (also referred to as ED, for Education Department) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. Created by the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88), it began operating in 1980. . Special acknowledgments to Ann Minckler, Mary Bunce n. 1. a sudden unexpected piece of good fortune. Noun 1. bunce - a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money); "the demand for testing has created a boom for those unregulated laboratories where boxes of , Marcy Otten, Gall Goodner, Amy Foster "Amy Foster" is a short story by Joseph Conrad written in 1901. It was first published in the Illustrated London News (December 1901), and was collected in Typhoon and Other Stories (1903). Wolferman, Clark Schlegel, Joan Kuehn, Chris Lande, Gale Bertoglio, Scot Anderson, Rebecca Anderson, and Jock 1. jock - A programmer who is characterised by large and somewhat brute-force programs. 2. jock - When modified by another noun, describes a specialist in some particular computing area. Schorger for their assistance. References Adams, M.J. (1990). Beginning to read, thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press. Bailey, D., & Wolery, M. (1989). Assessing infants and preschoolers with handicaps. 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See Synonyms at tear1. 2. and its implications for reading instruction. NIH "Not invented here." See digispeak. NIH - The United States National Institutes of Health. Publication No. 00-4769. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health. Paulson, L. H., Noble, L. A., Jepson, S, & van den Pol (2001). Building early literacy and language skills. Longmont, CO: Sopris West. Pretti-Frontczak, K., Kowalski, K., & Brown, R. (2002). Preschool teachers' use of assessments and curricula: A statewide examination. Exceptional Children, 69(1), 109-123. Rush, K. L. (1999), Caregiver-child interactions and early literacy development of preschool children from low-income environments. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 19(1), 3-14. Schickedanz, J. (1999). Much more than the ABCs: The early stages of reading and writing. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest nonprofit association in the United States representing early childhood education teachers, experts, and advocates in center-based and family day care. . Snow, C. E., Burns, M., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. van Kleeck, A. (1998). Preliteracy domains and stages: Laying the foundations for beginning reading. Journal of Children's Communicative com·mu·ni·ca·tive adj. 1. Inclined to communicate readily; talkative. 2. Of or relating to communication. com·mu Development, 20(1), 33-51. Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (1998). Child development and emergent literacy. Child Development, 69(3), 848-872. Lucy Hart Paulson Karen L. Kelly Stacia Jepson Rick van den Pol Rhea rhea, in zoology rhea (rē`ə), common name for a South American bird of the family Rheidae, which is related to the ostrich. Weighing from 44 to 55 lb (20–25 kg) and standing up to 60 in. Ashmore Merle merle a pattern of coat color pigmentation with dark, irregular blotches on a lighter background. Seen in some Collies and Welsh corgis. In shorthaired dogs, e.g. Great Danes and Dachshunds, the similar pattern is called dapple. Farrier farrier a person skilled in the techniques of making, fitting and remodeling horseshoes, including hot and cold fitting, orthopedic shoeing. Shannon Guilfoyle The University of Montana-Missoula |
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