This mixed methods study evaluated the effectiveness of the Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP) on kindergarten reading readiness using Stufflebeam's (2003) context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model. The program was implemented in a rural school district in 2014 and the program's goal is to provide high-quality…

This article deals with reading as a significant challenge for higher education students. The study aimed to understand students' experiences of challenges in reading during their first three semesters at university and how they handled these challenges. It is a qualitative case study built on in-depth interviews with nine people studying to be…

Reading acquisition is a major focus in schools. For students to be literate in the later grades, it is crucial that foundational skills instruction takes place in the primary grades (K-2). In part, foundational skills needed to become a successful reader include phonological and phonemic awareness (PPA). PPA skills are crucial, and researchers…

Researchers have argued that writing skills have significant implications for developing reading skills. A growing body of research has provided evidence that writing skills, in particular invented spelling, provide unique predictive information regarding future reading skills. This study examined which preschool early writing skills (i.e., name…

The problem addressed in this study was that many urban minority students in a Midwestern state begin school without the requisite emergent literacy skills. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the instructional approaches used by early childhood education (ECE) teachers in an urban community in a selected Midwestern…

The problem addressed in this study pertained to two elementary schools whose kindergarten teachers encountered challenges in meeting phonological awareness and phonics standards. This basic qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of kindergarten teachers regarding effective strategies for enhancing children's phonological awareness and…

The goal of this pilot study was to test a bilingual interactive read-aloud intervention designed to develop the oral language proficiency of three-year-old dual language learners (DLLs). The eight-week intervention--Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Students (COLLTS)--was aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes…

Purpose: Having a clear understanding of the types and amounts of classroom literacy learning opportunities is important for contextualizing children's early literacy performance. In this study, we examine the content, context, and management of literacy learning opportunities in a large, geographically diverse sample in the United States. We also…

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to investigate kindergarten teachers' beliefs about literacy and the relevance of assessments at the kindergarten level, the literacy skills kindergarteners should possess, how these skills are acquired, to what extent their beliefs about literacy influenced their instructional…

Many kindergarten educators grapple with how best to teach reading in play-based kindergarten classrooms. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to ascertain the instructional strengths and needs of kindergarten educators as they teach reading in play-based programs. Fifteen kindergarten teachers participated in an online questionnaire and…

Since 2012, when preparatory grade (PG) became compulsory in Romania for 6-year olds, little understanding has been gained of how children's literacy evolves in PG, although over the same period, Romanian 15-year olds' reading performance has shown no signs of improvement (Noveanu et al., 2023). Children enter school with broadly varying literacy…

Interactive picturebook reading is an easily accessible and enjoyable activity that provides preschoolers with opportunities to practice problem-solving skills. Increasingly, preschool age is considered the ideal time to foster problem-solving skills. This paper examines the effect of interactive picturebook reading on the problem-solving skills…

Simple mean differences summarized in meta-analyses do not always adequately describe sex similarities and differences. We investigated sex similarities and differences in academic achievement test scores during childhood and adolescence multiple ways based on composite and subtest scores from the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (Third…

The article highlights connections between music and movement activities and emergent literacy development among infants and toddlers. I review how music is linked to phonological awareness, oral language, vocabulary, and other related skills that support reading, like executive function. I also highlight the benefits of including…

The present study examined the relations between two aspects of peer experiences in preschool classrooms and children's math and literacy development during kindergarten transition. Based on the theoretical framework of classroom ecology model, peer experiences were represented by classroom social network and teachers' grouping preferences. The…