Predicting Patterns of Early Literacy Achievement: A Longitudinal Study of Transition from Home To School Author Young, Janelle Patricia Published 2004 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Cognition, Language and Special Education DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/1354 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367304 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Predicting the Patterns of Early Literacy Achievement: A Longitudinal Study of Transition from Home to School VOLUME 1 Janelle Patricia Young DipTch; BEd; MEdSt A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Faculty of Education, School of Cognition, Language and Special Education, Griffith University, Brisbane. July 2003 ABSTRACT This is a longitudinal study of patterns of children's early literacy development with a view to predicting literacy achievement after one year of schooling. The study fits within an emergent/social constructivist theoretical framework that acknowledges a child as an active learner who constructs meaning from signs and symbols in the company of other more experienced language users. Commencing in the final month of preschool, the literacy achievement of 114 young Australian students was mapped throughout Year 1. Data were gathered from measures of literacy achievement with the students, surveys with parents and surveys and checklists with teachers. Cross-time comparisons were possible as data were gathered three times from the students and teachers and twice from parents. Parents’ perceptions of their children’s personal characteristics, ongoing literacy development and family home literacy practices were examined in relation to children’s measures of literacy achievement. Their perceptions were found to be accurate. Parents supported children’s literacy growth at home in both the prior- to-school period and throughout Year 1. Teachers reflected on children’s characteristics as members of their classes and on their knowledge of children’s preparation for literacy. Generally, their predictions of literacy success were based on unsustainable connections with children’s ability to concentrate, follow directions and stay on task. Abstract i Children demonstrated a broad range of understandings about literacy in the prior-to-school period and teachers failed to acknowledge the extent of these. Children’s prior-to–school understandings relating to the alphabet, environmental print, concepts about print and phonological awareness all predicted later literacy achievements. Alphabetic knowledge and environment print were found to be the strongest predictors. Results showed few significant school, age, home or gender effects. However, children’s prior-to-school understandings of literacy were shown to predict later literacy achievement. Those with the greater level of knowledge prior-to-school generally maintained that advantage when later literacy achievements were measured. Abstract ii TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME ONE ABSTRACT i CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3 1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS 4 1.2.1 Theory 6 1.2.2 Methodology 7 1.2.3 Practice 7 1.2.4 Policy 11 1.3 PREVIEW OF THE PROJECT 13 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 19 2.1 INTRODUCTION 19 2.2 THEORETICAL MODELS AND PRACTICES IN THE EARLY YEARS 20 2.2.1 Maturational Perspective 22 2.2.2 Developmental and Nativist Perspectives 24 2.2.3 Psycholinguistic Perspective 25 2.2.4 Connectionist Perspective 28 2.2.5 Emergent Perspective 29 2.2.6 Social Constructivist Theory 32 2.2.7 Critical Theory 33 2.3 CURRENT LITERACY POLICIES AND RESEARCH 36 2.3.1 Current Literacy Practices in Parts of the Developed World 36 2.3.1.1 Australia 36 2.3.1.2 United States 44 2.3.1.3 United Kingdom 52 2.3.1.4 New Zealand 54 2.3.2 Literacy Practices in the English-speaking World: Similarities and 56 Differences 2.4 RESEARCH ON LITERACY IN THE EARLY YEARS 58 2.4.1 Emergent and Early Literacy Development 58 2.4.1.1 The Influence of Clay 59 2.4.1.2 Influences on Emergent and Early Literacy Development 63 2.4.1.3 Literacy Development in the Prior-to-School Period 80 2.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS RESTATED 110 CHAPTER THREE: METHOD 113 3.1 SUBJECTS 113 3.1.1 Students 113 3.1.2 Parents 117 Table of Contents 3.1.2.1 Mothers 118 3.1.2.2 Mothers in Preschool A 121 3.1.2.3 Mothers in Preschool B 122 3.1.2.4 Mothers in Preschool C 122 3.1.2.5 Fathers 123 3.1.2.6 Fathers in Preschool A 127 3.1.2.7 Fathers in Preschool B 128 3.1.2.8 Fathers in Preschool C 129 3.1.3 Year 1 Teachers 130 3.2 SETTINGS 130 3.3 CONTENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF ASSESSMENT 132 INSTRUMENTS 3.3.1 Literacy Assessment Tasks: The Preschool Period 132 3.3.1.1 Environmental Print Awareness 132 3.3.1.2 Story Comprehension 133 3.3.1.3 Student Writing Own Name and Recognising Letter 135 Names 3.3.1.4. Robinson’s Test of Writing Vocabulary 135 3.3.1.5 Letter Knowledge and Identification 135 3.3.1.6 Concepts About Print Test: Version Sand 135 3.3.1.7 Canberra Word test 138 3.3.1.8 Print Knowledge Task 139 3.3.1.9 Sutherland Phonological Awareness Test 140 3.3.2 Literacy Assessment Tasks: May/June Year 1 141 3.3.2.1 Student Writes Own Name (retest) 142 3.3.2.2 Robinson’s Test of Writing Vocabulary (retest) 142 3.3.2.3 Letter Knowledge and Identification (partial retest) 142 3.3.2.4 Concepts About Print Sand (retest) 142 3.3.2.5 Canberra Word Test (retest) 142 3.3.2.6 Story Comprehension 142 3.3.2.7 Print Knowledge Task (retest) 143 3.3.2.8 Sutherland Phonological Awareness Tasks (retest) 143 3.3.3 Literacy Assessment Tasks: November Year 1 143 3.3.3.1 Ohio Word Test 143 3.3.3.2 Dictation and Spelling Test 144 3.3.3.3 Concepts About Print Test: Version Stones 144 3.3.3.4 Sutherland Phonological Awareness Tasks 144 3.3.3.5 Miscue Analysis 146 3.3.4 Surveys 147 3.3.4.1 Parent Surveys 1 and 2 147 3.3.4.2 Teacher Survey 147 3.3.5 Checklists 148 3.3.5.1 Teacher Checklists 1 and 2 148 3.4 METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 148 3.5 REPORTING RESULTS 151 Table of Contents CHAPTER FOUR: DESCRIBING AND CORRELATING PRESCHOOL 153 DATA 4.1 PARENT SURVEY 1 154 4.1.1 Parents’ Perceptions: Children’s Personal Characteristics and 155 Interests 4.1.2 Parents’ Perceptions of Home Literacy Practices 158 4.1.2.1.Reading to Preschool Students 158 4.1.2.2 Texts Read to Preschool Students 160 4.1.2.3 Books at Home and Use of Local Libraries 160 4.1.2.4 Preschool Children’s Writing at Home 162 4.1.3 Summary 163 4.2 LITERACY ASSESSMENT TASKS: PRESCHOOL PERIOD 165 4.2.1 Environmental Print Awareness 166 4.2.1.1 Task1: Recognition of Food Products 166 4.2.1.2 Task 2: Recognition of Product Names 167 4.2.1.3 Task 3: Recognition of the Cut-Out Labels 168 4.2.1.4 Task 4: Recognition of Words on Cards 168 4.2.1.5 Analysing Environmental Print 169 4.2.1.6 Summary 170 4.2.2 Story Comprehension 171 4.2.2.1 Comprehension Score For My Grandma 171 4.2.2.2 Comprehension Score For Oscar Got the Blame 171 4.2.2.3 Literal Comprehension Across the Two Stories 172 4.2.2.4 Inferential Comprehension Across the Two stories 173 4.2.2.5 Summary 173 4.2.3 Writing Names and Naming Letters 174 4.2.3.1 Summary 176 4.2.4 Robinson’s Test of Writing Vocabulary 177 4.2.4.1 Summary 179 4.2.5 Letter Knowledge and Identification 180 4.2.5.1 Summary 182 4.2.6 Concepts About Print Test (CAP) 183 4.2.6.1 Summary 186 4.2.7 Canberra Word Test 186 4.2.7.1 Summary 188 4.2.8 Print Knowledge Using the Rhyme, Humpty Dumpty 188 4.2.8.1 Summary 189 4.2.9 Sutherland Phonological Awareness 190 4.2.9.1 Summary 192 4.2.10 Students’ Perceptions of Reading Practices at Home 194 4.2.10.1 Summary 195 4.3 TEACHER CHECKLIST 1 196 4.3.1 Adjustment to School and Work Habits 197 4.3.1.1 Summary 198 4.3.2 Literacy Progress and Handwriting 199 4.3.2.1 Summary 202 Table of Contents 4.4 TEACHER SURVEY 205 4.4.1 Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Skills When Entering Year 1 205 4.4.1.1 Environmental Print 206 4.4.1.2 Students Indicate They Have Stories Read to Them 208 4.4.1.3 Book-Handling Skills 209 4.4.1.4 Students Writing Their Own Name 211 4.4.1.5 Students Who Can Read on Entering School 214 4.4.1.6.Students Who Can Write Words 215 4.4.1.7 Naming Letters of the Alphabet 217 4.4.2 Discussion 220 4.4.3 Teaching Activities Used by Year 1 Teachers 222 4.4.4 Discussion 225 4.4.5 Summary 225 CHAPTER FIVE: REDUCING DIMENSIONS: RELATIONSHIPS IN 229 THE PRESCHOOL DATA 5.1 FACTOR ANALYSES 229 5.1.1 Background Factors 231 5.1.1.1 Background Factor: Demography 231 5.1.1.2 Background Factor: Parent Perceptions of Child 232 Characteristics 5.1.1.3 Background Factor: Parents’ Perceptions of Home 233 Literacy Practices 5.1.1.4 Background Factor: Teachers’ Perceptions of Child 235 Characteristics 5.1.1.5 Background Factor: Teachers’ Perceptions of Literacy 236 Progress 5.1.2 Correlations of Background Factors 237 5.1.3 Performance Factors 241 5.1.3.1 Performance Factor: Environmental Print Awareness 242 5.1.3.2 Background and Environmental Print Factors 243 5.1.3.3 Performance Factor: Letter Knowledge 245 5.1.3.4 Background and Letter Knowledge Factors 245 5.1.3.5 Performance Factor: Concepts About Print Test (CAP) 248 5.1.3.6 Background and Concepts About Print Test Factors 252 5.1.3.7 Performance Factor: Print Knowledge Task 255 5.1.3.8 Background and Print Knowledge Task Factors 258 5.1.3.9 Performance Factor: Sutherland Phonological Awareness 259 Test 5.1.3.10 Background and Sutherland Phonological Awareness 261 Test Factors 5.1.4 Discussion 263 5.2 CLUSTER ANALYSES 266 5.2.1