Promoting Early Literacy Through Professional Development For Childcare Providers

Abstract

This study investigated the potential benefits of offering childcare providers professional development to promote preliteracy skills in young children. It was hypothesized that direct instruction to providers, through rigorous training and mentorship, would increase children's opportunities for reading success and thus, enhance their preliteracy skills. The BUILDING BLOCKS for Literacy program followed recommendations made by the National Research Council, which included shared book reading, phonological awareness, and relationships between speech and print. Sixty-seven providers from 44 settings were trained and mentored over six months. Preliteracy skills of 88 children from those settings were assessed before and after the training. A control group of children was also assessed during the same time frame. Results demonstrated that target children showed significantly greater preliteracy gains than did controls. More importantly, a larger proportion of target children rose from below to above a level considered at risk for reading failure. Implications and recommendations are discussed.