Preschoolers’ Emergent Literacy Predicts Attitudes Toward and

Perceptions of Reading

By: Kirsten T. Craft and Dr. Olivia K. Lima

Introductionhttp://00.edu-cdn.com/files/static/preschool-reading/12ways.jpg

Background

• Preschoolers do not come into the classroom as

blank slates

• In home exposure to learning does matter (Fernald,

Marchman & Weisleder, 2013)

• Lower emergent literacy skills (Bowman, Donovan & Burns,

2001)

• Long term negative impacts

• Explained by relationship between perceived ability

and engagement (Fantuzzo, Perry & McDermott, 2004)

• Preschool interventions cited as a solution (Logian, 2006)

• Motivation (Schweinie, 2011)

Objectives and Hypotheses

• Objectives

• How do attitudes relate to ability?

• How do preschoolers define reading?

• Hypotheses

• Positive attitudes would be associated with high

emergent literacy. Negative attitudes would be

associated with low emergent literacy.

• Preschoolers would rely on books and text to

define reading.

Methodhttp://www.njfamily.com/NJ-Family/June-2012/Summer-Reading-101/Preschooler-Reading-500.jpg

Participants

• Participants

• 14 Preschoolers

• Gender

• 9 Males

• 5 Females

• Age

• Mean 4.43 years

• Demographics

• Similar to Sioux Falls

Materials

• Materials

• Survey questions

and scales

• Artist illustrations

• The Get Ready to

Read Revised (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 2010)

• (M=18.3, SD=3.7)

Illustrated by Esther Rainbow

Reading vs. Not Reading

Illustrated by Esther Rainbow

The Get Ready to Read

(Whitehurst & Lonigan, 2010)

The Get Ready to Read

(Whitehurst & Lonigan, 2010)

Procedure

• Part One – Day One

• Shown illustrations and asked what they thought

the child was doing

• Open ended questions

• Likert scales used to assess attitudes

• Part Two – Day Two

• Get Ready to Read revised

• Both parts were introduced to children as games

Resultshttp://fortcollinsreadaloud.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/reading-to-child.jpg

Objective One• Objective

• How do attitudes relate to ability?

• Hypothesis

• Positive attitudes would be associated with high emergent literacy

and negative attitudes would be associated with low emergent

literacy.

• Results

• Negative attitudes (M=4) were associated with with high emergent

emergent literacy and more positive attitudes (M=4.43) were

associated with low emergent literacy.

• Preschoolers with high emergent literacy skills reported that they

knew less about reading (M= 3.14) than preschoolers with below

average emergent literacy skills (M=4.14).

• It did not reach significance (P=.21)

Graphic Visuals

How Much Do You Know How Much Do You Like

Above Average Below Average0

1

2

3

4

5

Series1

Above Average Below Average0

1

2

3

4

5

Series1

Objective Two• Objective

• How do preschoolers define reading

• Hypothesis

• Preschoolers would rely on books and text to define reading.

• Results

• More limited interpretation of reading than adult comparison

• Reliance on books

• Adults included more complex interpretations

Other Interesting Findings

• Do you know how to read?

• No clear relationship between emergent literacy and self reported

ability to read

• “Yeah because I am four”

• “No because I am too little”

• “Yeah because I learned it”

• Is learning how to read important?

• Preschoolers with high emergent literacy skills were more likely to

report intrinsic motivations towards reading.

• Intrinsic “Yeah it helps you learn”

• Extrinsic “Yeah so you can do it when your teacher tells you to”

• Uncertain “Yeah cause I do not know”

Discussionhttp://www.kinderpillar.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/preschoolers-reading.jpg

Explanation of Results• Objective One

• Preschoolers with high emergent literacy may have a more realistic

understanding of what reading is.

• Like it less

• Report knowing less

• Objective Two

• Preschoolers may not have had advanced exposure to literacy

• Other Findings

• Preschoolers may have different interpretations of what “knowing

how to read” is

• Preschoolers with high emergent literacy may have been taught

differently

Macro Level Application• Preschool Interventions

• No link between perceived ability and actual

ability

• Link between motivation type and actual ability

• Classroom changes

• Preschool is a good time

• Focus on motivational drives

Micro Level Application• At home

• Focus on showing preschoolers why reading is

important (Wingle, Martin & Bennett, 2006)

• Do not worry if a preschooler reports not knowing

much about a subject area

• Work to expose preschoolers to more complex

forms of literacy

Thank Youhttp://montclairhistorical.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/preschool-girl-smiling.jpg

http://montclairhistorical.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/preschool-girl-smiling.jpg

Work Cited…