Preschool Writing Project: July 2017 – June 2021
An Examination of Response to Intervention in the Early Writing Skills of At-Risk Preschoolers
U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences
R305A170529 https://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/details.asp?ID=1991
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Who participated?
Children who attended Head Start centers in two local counties participated in the project. They enrolled two years prior to entering kindergarten and participated for up to 3 years.
What are we investigating?
The primary purpose of this project was to establish a stronger scientific foundation for educational practice within early literacy by utilizing recent advances in cognitive science and neuroscience to examine:
(1) the impact of an established evidence-based intervention (Phonological Awareness+Letter Knowledge: PA+LK) on the developmental trajectories of writing skills in preschool children at-risk for early learning problems;
(2) whether improvements in selected cognitive abilities (i.e., fine-motor, language-based functions), but not others (i.e., executive functions) mediate the effects of treatment on writing outcomes; and,
(3) whether treatment is moderated by child (cognitive ability) or contextual (home and classroom literacy environment) factors.
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Summary
We provided instruction using the evidence-based lesson plans from the PA+LK approach, beginning at age 3, with preschoolers who were deemed typically developing or at-risk for challenges with literacy. The children at risk were randomly assigned to either a no-treatment group or a treatment group. The treatment group participated in evidence-based lessons targeted to improve emergent early literacy skills, for two consecutive years. The sessions focused on phonological awareness, developing letter knowledge, and print skills. The non-treatment groups participated in book-based reading and activities.
If you would like to receive information contact:
Lara-Jeane_Costa@med.unc.edu
Phone: 919-966-4844
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