In this study, we examined the longitudinal relations between frequency and features of reading experiences within the preschool classroom to children's language and literacy outcomes in kindergarten and 1st grade. Frequency refers to the number of shared reading sessions conducted each week as measured by teachers' written reading logs recorded across the academic year. Features refers to teachers' extratextual talk about literal, inferential, or print or phonological topics as assessed by analysis of 6 videotaped readings of narrative and informational texts collected across the preschool year. Participants were 28 preschool teachers and 178 children. The children were largely at risk and randomly selected from among those in each classroom to complete longitudinal assessments. In preschool, results showed that the frequency of classroom shared reading was positively and significantly related to children's receptive vocabulary growth, as was the inclusion of extratextual conversations around the text; only extratextual conversations related to children's preschool literacy growth. There was no evidence of differential influences of these experiences for children; that is, the relationship between frequency or features and children's language and literacy development was not moderated by children's initial skill level. Longitudinally, extratextual talk during preschool shared reading remained associated with children's vocabulary skills through kindergarten, with trends toward significance extending to 1st grade literacy skills. The frequency of preschool shared reading was not a significant predictor of longitudinal outcomes.

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Relatively little is known regarding preschool teachers' use of specific scaffolds, including those high support scaffolds (e.g., co-participating, eliciting, reducing choices) that may be important for children who are struggling to acquire language and literacy concepts. The goal of this study was to characterize preschool teachers' use of six types of scaffolds (generalizing, reasoning, predicting, co-participating, reducing choices, eliciting; see O'Connor et al. in Ladders to literacy, Paul H. Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD, 2005) within the whole group read aloud session. Two specific questions were addressed: (1) To what extent do preschool teachers use high and low support scaffolds during whole group read aloud sessions? and (2) To what extent does preschool teachers' perceived frequency of use of specific scaffolds correspond to their actual use of scaffolds? Videotaped classroom observations were carried out for five preschool teachers conducting whole group read alouds in their classrooms; frequency of use for six types of scaffolds was coded using systematic observation procedures. Results indicated that teachers showed a preference for three types of scaffolds, all of which were low support, and that the three types of high support scaffolds occurred at very low rates. Additionally, results showed a substantial discrepancy between teachers' perceived frequency of use of specific types of scaffolds relative to their actual use. Together, findings suggest that preschool teachers may benefit from professional development focused on using a range of scaffolds, to include high support scaffolds beneficial to children who may need high levels of support to participate in read alouds.

Purpose To compare early literacy of 4- and 5-year-old uncorrected hyperopic children with that of emmetropic children. Design Cross-sectional. Subjects Children attending preschool or kindergarten who had not previously worn refractive correction. Methods Cycloplegic refraction was used to identify hyperopia (≥3.0D to ≤6.0D in most hyperopic meridian of at least one eye, astigmatism≤1.5D, anisometropia≤1.0D) or emmetropia (hyperopia ≤1.0D; astigmatism, anisometropia, and myopia<1.0D). Threshold visual acuity and cover testing ruled out amblyopia or strabismus. Accommodative response, binocular near visual acuity (VA), and near stereoacuity were measured. Main Outcome Measures Trained examiners administered the Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL), composed of Print Knowledge, Definitional Vocabulary, and Phonological Awareness subtests. Results Four hundred ninety-two children (244 hyperopes and 248 emmetropes) participated (mean age 58 months; mean±SD of the most hyperopic meridian +3.78D±0.81 in hyperopes and +0.51D±0.48 in emmetropes). After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, and parent/caregiver’s education, the mean difference between hyperopes and emmetropes was −4.3 (p=0.01) for TOPEL overall, −2.4 (p=0.007) for Print Knowledge, −1.6 (p=0.07) for Definitional Vocabulary, and −0.3 (p=0.39) for Phonological Awareness. Greater deficits in TOPEL scores were observed in hyperopic children with ≥4.0D than emmetropes (−6.8, p=0.01 for total score; −4.0, p=0.003 for print knowledge). The largest deficits in TOPEL scores were observed in hyperopic children with binocular near VA of 20/40 or worse (−8.5, p=0.002 for total score; −4.5, p=0.001 for Print Knowledge; −3.1, p=0.04 for Definitional Vocabulary) or near stereoacuity of 240 seconds of arc or worse (−8.6, p<0.001 for total score; −5.3, p<0.001 for Print Knowledge) as compared to emmetropic children. Conclusions Uncorrected hyperopia ≥ 4.0D or hyperopia ≥3.0 to ≤6.0D associated with reduced binocular near VA (20/40 or worse) or reduced near stereoacuity (240 seconds of arc or worse) in 4- to 5-year-old children enrolled in preschool or kindergarten is associated with significantly worse performance on a test of early literacy.

The purpose of the present study was to conduct a comprehensive study of book genres used in preschool classrooms. Text titles gathered from the reading logs of 84 preschool teachers were analyzed and coded for genre (narrative, expository, or mixed). Expository or mixed texts were then further examined according to topics covered. Analyses indicated that (a) narrative texts dominated the genre of text being utilized in preschool classroom read‐alouds, representing 82.3% of texts read, (b) among the 125 texts identified as expository or mixed genres, the topic of living creatures was the most common focus, and (c) informational texts on the topics of transportation and geography were read very infrequently. These findings suggest that informational texts are seldom read in preschool classrooms and that when children are exposed to them, the topics addressed do not reflect a wide range of information about the social and natural world. إن غرض هذه الدراسة القائمة بين يديك هو إجراء دراسة بشأن أنواع الكتب المستخدمة في غرف صفوف الروضة. وقد تم جمع عناوين النصوص من سجلات القراءة المدونة على أيدي 84 معلماً في الروضة التي تم تحليلها وتصنيفها إلى أصناف (السرد والشرح والخليط بينهما) وثم تم فحص النصوص الشرحية والمخلطة بشكل أعمق حسب المواضيع المغطية. وأشار التحليل إلى أن (أ) النصوص الشرحية سادت على النوع الأدبي المستخدم في غرفة صف الروضة بالنسبة للقراءة الجهرية في الصف وهي بلغت %82.3 من النصوص المقرؤة و(ب) بين النصوص المقرؤة 125 منها اندرجت تحت صنف الشرح أو الخليط وجدير بالذكر أن موضوع المخلوقات الحية كان الأكثر شائعاً و(ج) النصوص المعلوماتية بشأن موضوعي وسائل النقل والجغرافية لم تُقرأ إلا قليلاً جداً. وتقترح هذه النتائج أن النصوص المعلوماتية لا تُقرأ في غرف صفوف الروضة إلا قليلاً وأن عند تعرض الأولاد إليها لا تعكس المواضيع المتناولة نطاقاً واسعاً من المعلومات حول العالم الاجتماعي والطبيعي. 本研究旨在对幼儿园教室用书的体裁类别进行全面研究。研究者从84名幼儿园教师的教学日志中，收集阅读文本的标题，进行分析，并根据其体裁类别（叙事、说明或混合）加以编码。如属说明文或混合文的，研究者就会根据其涵盖的文本标题作进一步的考查。分析结果显示：1)幼儿园教室大多使用叙事文来施教朗读，其使用率是所有文本阅读的82.3%；2)被确认为说明文或混合文体裁的125个文本中，最常见的课题都是以生物为主；3)阅读有关交通运输及地理课题的信息性文本却很少。这些研究结果显示，信息性的文本很少在幼儿园阅读教室使用，若幼儿园学生有机会接触到信息性文本时，其课题相当狭窄，并不足以反映有关社会及自然界包罗甚广的信息。 Cette étude avait pour but de conduire une étude complète du genre des livres utilisés dans des classes préscolaires. Les titres des textes ont été réunis à partir de la lecture des journaux de bord de 84 enseignants préscolaires et codés selon le genre (narratif, documentaire, ou mixte). Les textes documentaires ou mixtes ont ensuite été examinés en fonction de leur thème. Les analyses ont montré que a) les textes narratifs sont le genre dominant des textes utilisés dans les lectures à haute voix des jardins d'enfants, soit 82.3% des textes lus, b) parmi les 125 textes identifiés comme documentaires ou mixtes, le thème des êtres vivants est le sujet le plus courant, et c) les textes portant sur la question des transports et de la géographie sont très peu lus. Ces résultats indiquent qu'on lit rarement des textes documentaires dans les classes préscolaires et que, quand on les présente aux enfants, les thèmes abordés ne présentent pas un vaste...

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Despite scientific advances that have informed our understanding of reading acquisition and development, a profound gap exists between empirical findings and the implementation of evidence‐based practices in the assessment and instruction of reading in school settings. The debate regarding the practical implications of the science of reading (SOR) and its implementation in authentic school settings is palpable. As researchers, practitioners, policymakers, parents, and other educational stakeholders engage in this latest version of the debate on how best to teach young learners to read, a familiar, almost cyclical, narrative has emerged. As an interdisciplinary group of researchers who study diverse facets of reading development, assessment, and instruction, it is troubling how little the current and past debates have focused on processes that could ensure that the instructional experience students receive in classrooms is informed by existing science. Specifically, the authors contend that the persistent gap between the SOR and its school‐based implementation exists because the field has yet to invest in the appropriate methodologies and processes to develop an effective model of translational science. The authors argue not only that much can be learned from previous iterations of this debate but also that advances in translational science provide a framework for how to address the SOR debate differently and more productively in the current climate. Thus, the authors propose a road map for translational science for the SOR, acknowledging the breadth of work done in translational science in other fields and recognizing and describing the added complexities in the emerging field of translational science in educational settings.