Abstract:
Research points clearly to the need for all concerned stakeholders to adopt a
preventative approach while intervening with children who are at-risk for future reading
disabilities. Research has indicated also that a particular sub-group of children at-risk for
reading impairments include preschool children with language impairments (Catts, 1993).
Preschool children with language impairments may have difficulties with emergent
literacy skills - important prerequisite skills necessary for successful formal reading.
Only in the past decade have researchers begun to study the effects of emergent literacy
intervention on preschool children with language impairments. As such, the current study
continues this investigation of how to effectively implement an emergent literacy therapy
aimed at supporting preschool children with language impairments. In addition to this,
the current study explores emergent literacy intervention within an applied clinical
setting. The setting, presents a host of methodological and theoretical challenges -
challenges that will advance the field of understanding children within naturalistic
settings.
This exploratory study included thirty-eight participants who were recruited from
Speech Services Niagara, a local preschool speech and language program. Using a
between-group pre- and posttest design, this study compared two intervention approaches
- an experimental emergent literacy intervention and a traditional language intervention.
The experimental intervention was adopted from Read It Again! (Justice, McGinty,
Beckman, & Kilday, 2006) and the traditional language intervention was based on the
traditional models of language therapy typically used in preschool speech and language
models across Ontario.
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Results indicated that the emergent literacy intervention was superior to the
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traditional language therapy in improving the children's alphabet knowledge, print and
word awareness and phonological awareness. Moreover, results revealed that children
with more severe language impairments require greater support and more explicit
instruction than children with moderate language impairments. Another important finding
indicated that the effects of the preschool emergent literacy intervention used in this
study may not be sustainable as children enter grade one. The implications of this study
point to the need to support preschool children with language impairments with intensive
emergent literacy intervention that extends beyond preschool into formal educational
settings.
