Classroom Volunteers in Early Language Literacy Instruction

What is it about?

This study examined the effects of a professional development training on five volunteer instructors' (VIs) utilization of language and literacy facilitation strategies within interactive shared book readings with low-income preschool children. The training specifically targeted the VIs' use of wh-questions, expansions, and references to story grammar elements (SGEs) with use of a corresponding visual aid. VIs participated in a 3-hr training to learn and practice the target strategies. The VIs led storybook readings that were video-recorded for comparison prior to and after the training sessions (two pretraining, two posttraining). The investigators analyzed the VIs' language and literacy strategy usage in the readings. The investigators compared the raw number of wh-questions asked, expansions of child responses or comments, the number of references to SGEs, and use of the visual aid pre- and posttraining. After the training, four of the five VIs increased the number of wh-questions asked during readings, and one VI maintained a large number of questions asked, compared to pretraining readings. All VIs provided an increased number of references to SGEs. VIs had inconsistent increases in expansions of child responses or comments posttraining.

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Why is it important?

Training and utilizing classroom volunteers as early language and literacy instructors may be a valuable area to explore, especially in low-income environments where children may be at risk for language and literacy delays.