Align early literacy instruction with the specific skill domains educators seek to support, favoring small-group language delivery¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 quant-synthesis), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review recommends that early childhood educators use its findings to improve the alignment between instructional focus and target skill domains, and to identify evidence-based curricula, lesson packages, practices, and technology programs. It states the findings "can help early childhood educators improve the alignment between the focus of their instruction and the skill domains they seek to support among students." Educators can compare current practices against the 38 effective interventions listed by outcome domain.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Instruction should intentionally target the specific early literacy domain educators seek to improve, since instruction in a domain is likely to increase performance in that domain.

Constraints¶

• Instruction in print knowledge and early writing was effective only when provided in combination with instruction in other domains.
• Some interventions are unlikely to yield sizable effects on standardized outcome measures.

Target Learners¶

• Preschool children ages 36-71 months not yet in kindergarten, primarily native English speakers

Target Learning Goals¶

• Language, phonological awareness, print knowledge, decoding, and early writing skills supporting kindergarten readiness

Claims¶

• Among language-only interventions, instructional practices and one-on-one or small-group delivery produced significantly larger language gains than curricula and large-group or whole-class delivery [+W]
• Instruction in language, phonological awareness, and decoding improved performance in the taught domain, while interventions teaching print knowledge or early writing exclusively did not [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Sarah Herrera, Beth M. Phillips, Yi-Chieh Newton, Jennifer L. Dombek, and James A. Hernandez. (2021). Effectiveness of Early Literacy Instruction: Summary of 20 Years of Research. Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast, REL 2021-084. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs