Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Literacy Readiness

Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Literacy Readiness
by
Student’s name
An Applied Dissertation Concept Paper Submitted to the
XXX School of Education and Human Services
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Doctor of Education
University
2010
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Abstract
Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Literacy Readiness. Belen N. Mina,
2010: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Fischler School of Education
and Human Services. ERIC Descriptors: Preschool Curriculum, School Readiness,
Language Acquisition, Literacy Skills, Early Childhood Education.
Early literacy development and readiness are recognized to be significant in preparing the
student to accomplish academic success. The importance of early education in the
learning and development of the child establishes a need to evaluate the curriculum
implemented. Preschools commonly implement different teaching instructions and
provide different materials without assessing whether the application of these methods
will address the individual needs of the preschoolers. The inability of preschool students
to acquire the necessary literacy skills in reading will prevent them to achieve academic
success in the elementary grade levels. This is mostly brought about by inappropriate
teaching methods in the preschool classrooms.
The purpose of this applied dissertation study will be to evaluate the efficiency of the
Creative Curriculum (CC) approach in developing early literacy development and
readiness among preschoolers. This experimental program is designed to improve the
reading and writing skills of students within preschool age experiences. The hypothesis
of the study will be the group of students that will undergo the CC program will do
significantly better in the assessment test than the group that will experience traditional
teaching. The findings of the study will determine if this program can improve the
reading and writing skills of the preschool and kindergarten students.
The study will be conducted in a government nonprofit Child and Youth Program facility
in the State of Florida. There will be approximately 24 pre-school students that will be
participants. These students will undergo pretests and post-tests to determine the
effectiveness of the program through a validated pre-school reading and writing
assessment tool that was designed by the authors of the CC program.
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Table of Contents
Page
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem................................................................................................ 1
Background and Justification.......................................................................................... 2
Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 2: Literature Review.............................................................................................. 9
Introduction..................................................................................................................... 9
School Readiness .......................................................................................................... 11
Progressive Education................................................................................................... 15
The Age for Literacy Development .............................................................................. 17
Teaching Literacy Skills ............................................................................................... 21
The Need to Assess....................................................................................................... 33
Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 37
Introduction................................................................................................................... 38
Methodology................................................................................................................. 38
Design ........................................................................................................................... 39
Research Questions....................................................................................................... 40
Participants.................................................................................................................... 40
Instruments.................................................................................................................... 40
Data Analysis................................................................................................................ 41
Procedures..................................................................................................................... 42
Limitations .................................................................................................................... 42
References......................................................................................................................... 43
Tables
Table 1 Typical Standards and Learning Experiences: Concepts of Print........................ 27
Table 2 Typical Standards and Learning Experiences: Phonemic Awareness................. 28
Table 3 Typical Standards and Learning Experiences: Alphabet Knowledge ................. 30
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Reading readiness skills are necessary for preschool children to initiate the
learning-to-read process (Matthews, Klaassens, and Walter,1999). These capabilities are
classified as: (a) pre-reading, (b) emergent literacy, and (c) early literacy. Reading
literacy skills that are developed in the preschool grades are the foundation of a student’s
literacy throughout his/her school years. Research has shown that preschools provide
various teaching materials to their students without deciding whether the application of
the materials will meet particular preschool students’ needs. Preschool students who do
not acquire the necessary literacy skills in reading may struggle to achieve academically
in elementary grades (Berg and Stegelman, 2003).
Since each child has different learning curve at the time they enter preschool,
there is a need for students to be exposed to differentiated learning instructions wherein
various strategies can cater to the different needs of the preschool students (Beaty, 2008).
There have been different research-based teaching strategies that incorporate brain
research; technology and media-influenced instruction that will help young children
develop literacy skills (Jalongo, 2008). Moreover, majority of preschool-age children
entering kindergarten have experienced at least one of the theories on how children learn,
such as environmental theory, which asserts children learn from their environment by
copying and imitating peers on their performances. These theories have been developed
by Johaan Heinrich Pestalozzi, John Locke, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, Friedrich Froebel,
Albert Bandura, Burrhus Frederic, Maria Montessori, Albert Bandura and Lev Vygotsky.
Environmental theory posits that children learn from their environment, and this is
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evident when children imitate their parents or adults when they are taught the alphabet,
counting, and writing. Further, environmental theory asserts that children learn through
real life experiences, like scribbling, drawing, and pretending to read books.
These assertions influence teaching practices that are meant to develop emergent
reading and writing literacy skills in schools (Roopnarine & Johnson, 2005). Henderson,
Berla, and National Committee for Citizens in Education (1994) confirmed that learned
experiences in reading and writing the alphabet in preschool have a powerful influence
on students’ school achievements. They gain higher test scores at schools (U. S.,
Department of Education, 1994), and are more likely to earn their diplomas in higher
education. Teachers have to decide how to implement research-based teaching strategies
to support effective emergent reading and writing literacy skills and establish curriculum
achievements before children enter kindergarten (McGee and Richgels, 2007). This study
will evaluate the effectiveness of the Creative Curriculum Approach for Early Childhood
(CCEC) (Dodge, Colker, and Herman 2002) in support of the Voluntary Prekindergarten
(VPK) Education emergent reading program.
Background and Justification
This proposed applied dissertation will take place in a government nonprofit
Child and Youth Program (CYP) facility that has 180 students ranging in age from six
weeks to five years. Ninety-five of these students are in the preschool program and will
be immersed in either a Creative Curriculum (CC) teaching strategies or traditional
teaching protocol for one school quarter. The mission of the CC approach is to improve
the quality of early childhood literacy programs. The CC teaching approach uses
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innovative curriculum tools of the highest quality and teacher professional development
that is appropriate, practical, and responsive to the children’s needs.
The state of Florida requires all students entering kindergarten to be assessed
using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) within the first 30
days of a school year (Florida, 2009). Kindergarten students’ scores on the DIBELS
within the last few years have shown that almost half of the new kindergarten students
have not fully or did not partially acquire literacy from their curriculum instruction in
preschool (Florida Information, 2009).
The CYP is based on the National Association of Education for Young Children
(NAEYC) standards’ guidelines on development (NAEYC, 2005) and utilizes the
Creative Curriculum teaching tools. This NAEYC-accredited early childhood program is
funded by the government, and strictly follows the United States Department of
Agriculture’s policy on health and food administration (OPNAV 1700E, 2008). It is
located in a suburban area and is committed to providing high-quality educational
opportunities that inspires all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills
necessary to succeed in a culturally-diverse and technologically-sophisticated world
(Florida Information, 2009).
The faculty and staff members of the preschool are committed to the task of
providing a high-quality education for each student. Students are afforded the opportunity
to develop academically, socially, and physically “while striving to become a productive
and integral part of the society” (Florida Information, 2009). Current statistics in the city
in Florida where the school is located show that there are 356,284 (48%) male and
379,333 (52%) females. The ethnicity is comprised of 64% Caucasians, 29% African
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Americans, 3% Asians, and 4% categorized as Other. This district is the nineteenth
largest school district in the nation. It has approximately 130,000 students, with
approximately 8,000 educators at 105 elementary schools, 28 middle schools, 17 high
schools, three exceptional students’ centers, two academies of technology, and five
alternative schools (Florida Information, 2009).
The CYP is a participant in a VPK program that is subsidized by the state of
Florida. On January 2, 2005, Governor Bush signed a House Bill making VPK free to all
children who turn four years old by September 1 of the current school year (State of
Florida, 2009). It creates a preschool curriculum designed to prepare children to enter
kindergarten. Parents residing in the state of Florida are encouraged to enroll their
children in a VPK program (State of Florida, 2009). The purpose of VPK is to assist
children in enhancing their reading and writing skills and developing the skills they need
to become good readers and writers in the academic areas of curricula in the grade school
classrooms in their later years of study (Neumann and Cunningham, 2009).
VPK includes quality literacy standards, teachers’ accountability, age-appropriate
activities, genuine instruction periods, manageable classrooms, and qualified teachers
(Office of Early Learning, 2007). Qualified teachers are those who hold at least one of
the following recognized credentials that allow them to work with young children: an
associate’s degree in early childhood development or a bachelor’s degree in early
childhood or in primary grade education (Office of Early Learning, 2007). The VPK
program is comprised of 540 hours of teaching instruction in a school year, or the
summer prior to the school year. The summer VPK class has 300 hours of instruction,
and requires teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, or in
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early childhood development (Office of Early Learning, 2007). The hours and days of
instruction depend on provider preferences (Office of Early Learning, 2007).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the Creative Curriculum
approach. To determine if the CC approach is effective, between group differences will
be assessed after controlling for pre-test score differences. The study posits that students
in the CC program (intervention group) will do significantly better on outcome exams in
reading and writing than students in the traditional teaching class (control group).
The teachers involved in the CC program allow children to play with other
children while providing fun instructional games. The program was developed in order to
satisfy guidelines established by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act. The NCLB law
was signed into effect on January 8, 2002 by George W. Bush, and went into effect
nationwide at the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year. To ensure no child is left
behind, the Senate and House Representatives in congress integrated the NCLB Title 1
“Improving the Academic Achievements of the Disadvantaged.”
The Creative Curriculum Assessment System will be used in recording,
explicating, and planning curriculum improvements. This is similar to NAEYC and the
National Association of Early Childhood Specialists (NASECS) (Dodge, Colker, and
Heroman, 2002). This tool meets the U. S. Department of Education’s Office Special
Education Program’s (OSEP) standards for VPK assessment.
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Definition of Terms
This section will provide the contextual definition of the significant terms that
will be used in this study:
Creative Curriculum (CC). This term refers to research-based teaching instruction
the offers students different avenues to develop their reading literacy skills in preschool,
which will serve as the foundation for their school success. This instruction is described
to be flexible to meet the children’s needs and interests. This term refers to a curriculum
that is described to give professional development tools for teachers in different formats,
such as video-learning, E-learning and other interactive tools (DeVries, Heldebrant,
Edmiaston, and Sales, 2002). In this study, the Creative Curriculum program will be
evaluated in the manner by which it can develop preschool literacy readiness.
Early Childhood Education. According to Weigel and Martin (2006), this term
refers to the stage wherein the foundation for literacy and school success is laid down.
This term describes the education that children experience during the early years of their
student life.
Language Acquisition. This term refers to the process by which children develop
communication skills (Singer, 1999). It refers to the development of speech, wherein in
the child is able to understand and communication through language.
Literacy Skills. According to Bennett-Armistead, Moses and Snow (2005) literacy
skills referred to the ability of an individual to listen, speak, read and write. Early
childhood educators provide children with activities that enable young students to
develop these abilities, which included reading aloud, writing centers, dramatic play
sessions and simple conversations with the child.
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No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This term refers to a legislation that was enacted
by former President George W. Bush in 2002, which is designed to guarantee that no
child is left behind. It is a legislation intended to close the performance gap between
advantaged and disadvantage students. The latter group refers to those from racial
minority groups, students with disability, and those that have low socio-economic
backgrounds.
Volunteer Pre-Kindergarten (VPK). This term refers to a mandate of legislation
that is intended to prepare every four-year-old in the state of Florida for kindergarten and
to provide the groundwork for his or her educational success (Agency for Workforce
Innovation, 2010). This is intended to improve the child’s school readiness, which
includes achieving high literacy standards.
School Readiness. As promoted by the National Educational Goals panel, school
readiness is described as level by which a child is able to cope and succeed in grade
school, which five areas of child development and learning. These areas include physical
health and motor development, socio-emotional development, cognition and general
knowledge development, literacy development, as well as the child’s capacity for
learning (Cassidy, Mims, Rucker and Boone, 2003). This term refers to the ability of the
child to benefit from school, in the context of this study to develop literacy skills.
Summary
The problem of the study is based on the risks that preschool students faced if
they are unable to develop foundational reading skills before they transition into grade
school. This chapter introduced the background and purpose of the study. It discussed
about the significance of evaluating the CC program, not only because of the mandate of
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the NCLB Act, but also because of the importance of early childhood education. The
chapter also provided the significant terms that would be used throughout this study. The
next chapter will provide a review of related literature, wherein discussions about school
readiness, language development, progressive education, and the Creative Curriculum
program were provided in order to present the backbone for evaluating the creative
curriculum for ensuring preschool literacy readiness.
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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
Hess and Petrilli (2006) describe NCLB, as one of the most influential pieces of
federal legislation for education in American History. The legislation is designed to
ensure that American students will be proficient in core subjects such as mathematics,
reading and science by the year 2014. This act provides the standards for measuring
student performance and making sure quality teachers are teaching the students. It
focuses on preschool students who eventually will need to acquire academic standards in
their elementary and secondary grades (Cristmann, 2009). The National Assessment
evaluation of Title 1 indicates that there is a three-to-four year gap in reading and writing
levels among the same groups in elementary academic areas. One purpose of Title 1 is to
fill the gap in academic achievements, and that begins with success in VPK’s researchbased foundations in early literacy.
According to Domitrovich, Bradshaw, Greenberg, Embry, Poduska, and Ialongo,
(2010), school-based programs can positively impact a wide range of social, emotional
and behavior outcomes for the students. The current state of accountability for the
schools prevents schools from trying out new methods and they are restricted to activities
that were a part of the core curriculum alone. Nearly two years ago, t