Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carson, Cynthia Janet
Language:English
Published: University of Toledo / OhioLINK 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1333645167
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-toledo13336451672021-08-03T06:08:03Z Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills Carson, Cynthia Janet Education literacy volunteer early childhood preschool preliteracy skills dialogic reading <p>The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a difference between mean measures of preliteracy skills of preschool children who participated in Creating Young Readers, a volunteer based reading program, and a control group who had not. Unpaid community volunteers were trained in a modified dialogic reading technique, focusing on children‟s active engagement, strengthening oral language, vocabulary, rhyming, and alliteration. The volunteers read with each child individually two to three times a week, approximately 20 minutes per session, in the preschool classroom during a standard school year. </p><p>The ten participating preschools primarily served African-American children from single parent, urban, lower income families who received subsidized daycare. Evaluation of the preschoolers' productive vocabulary, rhyming, and alliteration was obtained through the use of Get It, Got It, Go!, a timed, standardized early literacy assessment. These data were collected in fall and spring over three years, and then divided into a control group and two separate years. ANOVA was used to analyze the data. </p><p>Children who worked with a volunteer reader showed an increase in scores from fall to spring in all three areas. Only the changes from fall to spring in picture naming and rhyming means were found to be statistically significant in the three groups. The increase from fall to spring was not statistically significant in alliteration in any year for any of the three groups. Children who participated in the second year of Creating Young Readers were found to have significantly higher mean scores than children in the control group or in the first year. </p><p>This research did not determine causality, only correlation. Readers are cautioned not to over-interpret the results due to possible variables in adherence to data collection protocol, the preschools, their populations, and other unknown factors. Still, the research provides evidence that unpaid community volunteers may positively affect the literacy skills of disadvantaged preschool children. Further longitudinal research is needed to determine if gains are retained over time.</p> 2012-06-26 English text University of Toledo / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1333645167 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1333645167 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Education
literacy
volunteer
early childhood
preschool
preliteracy skills
dialogic reading
spellingShingle Education
literacy
volunteer
early childhood
preschool
preliteracy skills
dialogic reading
Carson, Cynthia Janet
Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills
author Carson, Cynthia Janet
author_facet Carson, Cynthia Janet
author_sort Carson, Cynthia Janet
title Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills
title_short Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills
title_full Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills
title_fullStr Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills
title_full_unstemmed Read with Me! Examining the Effects of a Community Volunteer Reading Program on Preschoolers‟ Literacy Skills
title_sort read with me! examining the effects of a community volunteer reading program on preschoolers‟ literacy skills
publisher University of Toledo / OhioLINK
publishDate 2012
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1333645167
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