Transcript Predictor Variable Pre-test child performance: The assessment of

Animated Alphabet ™ : Evidence for Effectiveness?
In 2001, President Bush prescribed
a new direction for early learning
with No Child Left Behind
legislature. The emphasis on ready
to learn skills and increased
accountability for early primary
grades is unparalleled.
Unfortunately, evidence of
success for specific curriculum
use is limited.
Diane M Plunkett, MS.ed., Eva Horn, Ph.D., Dr. Susan Palmer, Ph.D., Kandace Fleming, Ph.D.
2007 CEC Conference, Louisville, KY
Through the “Animated Alphabet™
students:
1) Learn to access prior knowledge
to predict and comprehend events
in a story.
2) Develop an intuitive knowledge of
story structure and sequence.
3) Develop listening and participation
skills.
4) Learn to recognize, isolate, and
produce the sounds of English.
5) Develop print awareness by
tracking words to songs
6) Develop the ability to recognize,
manipulate, and blend sounds
and letters (Stone,J.,2005)
Animated Literacy™ while extremely
popular, offers little rigorous evidence for
effectiveness. The research reported here
aims to add to the literature of effective
evidence based programs
What is known about literacy skill attainment
is that what is learned in preschool
provides a significant foundation for
reading and writing skills (Sulzby & Teale,
1986; Whitehrust & Lonigan, 1998)
Additionally, young children need a rich
variety of experiences and exposure to
stories, learning from adults, active
participation in book discussion, and a basic
understanding that print has meaning (Hart
& Risley, 1999; Neuman & Celano, 2001;
Purcell & Gatea, 1996; Whitehurst &
Lonigan, 1998)
Research Question:
In preschool settings does Animated Literacy™ promote
early literacy skills attainment significantly than an
unstructured curriculum?
Results
Measure
Participants in this study were 4 yr. old children at-risk for early school
problems. These children were enrolled in Head Start, state PreK and
private preschool classrooms in two states (Kansas and Maryland). A total
of 200 children participated in the study. These intact classrooms were
self-identified as implementing or not implementing the Animated Literacy
™ curriculum. The data set were obtained from a larger randomized
experimental research project.*
White
(Non-Hispanic
142
Black
Asian
35
Other
1
21
Male
109
Female
Unreported
86
Significant
WJ 13 ª
F(1,168) =11.17, p=0.0010**
F(1,168) =12.65, p=0.0005*
Yes
Yes
Alliteration
F(1,21.4)= 8.41,p=0.0085**
F(1,85.2)= 8.66,p=0.0042*
Yes
Yes
Rhyming
F(1,106) =5.25,p=0.0239*
Yes
5
9 Classrooms used the Animated Literacy™ curriculum -Implementation
9 Classrooms did not use Animated Literacy ™ curriculum - Control
Methods
a = multiplied by 10
p<0.05
Results
A random coefficients regression analysis of covariance was
conducted us SAS Proc mixed to account for nesting of children
within classrooms. Post-test child performances were the criterion
variable and pre-test child performance to control for child
differences..
There is evidence to suggest the classroom use of Animated
Alphabet ™ increases a child’s acquisition of literacy skills.
Criterion Variable: Research staff collected child performance data
on children at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the
year.
**The specific skills that show a marked increase are those that are
measured by the Woodcock-Johnson (subset 13), the Indicators for
Growth and Development (Alliteration and Rhyming)
Dependent Variable
Picture Peabody Vocabulary Test
Woodcock Johnson Subtests 1 & 13
*The most significant gain in acquisition is for children who enter
the classroom scoring lower than the central mean.
Children that scored at the central mean and those that scored at
one standard deviation above the mean at pretest showed no
difference in literacy acquisition skills than the control group.
Individual Growth and Development Indicator
(Rhyming and Alliteration)
Predictor Variable
Pre-test child performance: The assessment of child
performance in the fall was used as a pre-test “co-variate”.
*Data subset of larger research project.
http://css.crlt.indiana.edu/index.html