Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Ziolkowski, Robyn Alane
URN	etd-11152004-174112
Title	Effects of an Emergent Literacy Intervention for Children with Language Impairments from Low Income Environments
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Communication, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Howard Goldstein Committee Chair Joseph Torgesen Committee Member Lisa Scott Trautman Committee Member Stephanie Al Otaiba Committee Member
Keywords	Literacy Intervention Children with Language Impai Emergent Literacy Intervention Children At-Risk Emergent Literacy Intervention
Date of Defense	2004-11-05
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract National Research Council statistics indicate that 40% to 75% of preschoolers with early language impairment develop later reading difficulties (RD). Children exhibiting decreased language abilities need ample opportunities to acquire the early foundations of literacy before entrance into formal education. This study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of an explicit phonological and print awareness intervention embedded within repeated (i.e., three times per week) shared book reading with preschool children from low income backgrounds with and without language impairments. A multiple baseline design across behaviors demonstrate that embedded phonological awareness practice was related to changes in emergent literacy skills in preschool children at risk for RD. Specifically, rhyme intervention resulted in improvements in weekly rhyme production and rhyme identification tasks. Initial sound intervention resulted in improvements in alliteration and initial sound fluency tasks. Replications were demonstrated within and across all 23 participants (10 considered at risk and 13 considered high risk). Additionally, this study examined novel word-learning abilities in the same cohort of preschool children at risk for RD. Children with and without language impairments demonstrated the ability to learn novel words after incidental exposure. Words exposure was carefully controlled to contrast one vs four exposures during repeated shared book reading without adult highlighting or discussion. An alternating treatments design indicated there were no differences in the amount of words learned when exposed one-time vs. four-times per reading. In addition, an examination of the levels and degrees of word learning based on book-specific receptive, expressive, and decontextualized vocabulary assessments revealed significant pre-post differences in word learning on all measures. Children with language impairments demonstrated the ability to learn novel words incidentally after three repeated shared book readings, but children with higher language abilities learned more words. Gains on standardized measures of receptive and expressive vocabulary were also demonstrated. Findings confirm that embedding an explicit phonological and print awareness intervention into the context of repeated storybook reading results in gains in emergent literacy skills for children at risk for RD. Further, children with and without language impairments can increase their level of vocabulary knowledge by simply listening to stories containing novel words even with relatively few exposures.
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