ERIC Number: EJ786430
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jan-18
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0738-0569
EISSN: N/A
Using ICT to Foster (Pre) Reading and Writing Skills in Young Children
Voogt, Joke; McKenney, Susan
Computers in the Schools, v24 n3-4 p83-94 Jan 2008
This study examines how technology can support the development of emergent reading and writing skills in four- to five-year-old children. The research was conducted with PictoPal, an intervention which features a software package that uses images and text in three main activity areas: reading, writing, and authentic applications. This article reports on the effects of the PictoPal intervention on pupil literacy and communication skills. Two small-scale studies were conducted. Observation results from the first study showed that children are able to work independently with the program after a few instruction sessions. The second study showed a statistically significant learning effect of experimental versus control group scores after two months of using PictoPal in the classroom under the guidance of a parent volunteer. Further research is needed to arrive at a better understanding of these learning gains with a larger group of pupils.
Descriptors: Intervention, Educational Technology, Writing Skills, Communication Skills, Reading Instruction, Computer Uses in Education, Reading Skills, Young Children, Computer Software, Emergent Literacy, Interpersonal Communication, Program Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A