ERIC Number: EJ971968
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Feb
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1058-0360
EISSN: N/A
Facilitating Emergent Literacy: Efficacy of a Model that Partners Speech-Language Pathologists and Educators
Girolametto, Luigi; Weitzman, Elaine; Greenberg, Janice
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, v21 n1 p47-63 Feb 2012
Purpose: This study examined the efficacy of a professional development program for early childhood educators that facilitated emergent literacy skills in preschoolers. The program, led by a speech-language pathologist, focused on teaching alphabet knowledge, print concepts, sound awareness, and decontextualized oral language within naturally occurring classroom interactions. Method: Twenty educators were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Educators each recruited 3 to 4 children from their classrooms to participate. The experimental group participated in 18 hr of group training and 3 individual coaching sessions with a speech-language pathologist. The effects of intervention were examined in 30 min of videotaped interaction, including storybook reading and a post-story writing activity. Results: At posttest, educators in the experimental group used a higher rate of utterances that included print/sound references and decontextualized language than the control group. Similarly, the children in the experimental group used a significantly higher rate of utterances that included print/sound references and decontextualized language compared to the control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that professional development provided by a speech-language pathologist can yield short-term changes in the facilitation of emergent literacy skills in early childhood settings. Future research is needed to determine the impact of this program on the children's long-term development of conventional literacy skills. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Oral Language, Speech Language Pathology, Emergent Literacy, Urban Schools, Child Care Centers, Video Technology, Preschool Teachers, Preschool Children, Coaching (Performance), Inservice Teacher Education, Intervention, Story Reading, Skill Development, Teacher Workshops, Transcripts (Written Records), Coding, Fidelity, Outcome Measures, Comparative Analysis, Writing Exercises, Beginning Writing, Pupil Personnel Services, Pupil Personnel Workers, Regular and Special Education Relationship, Pretests Posttests, Experimental Groups, Control Groups
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-571-0457; e-mail: subscribe@asha.org; Web site: http://ajslp.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A