Increasing the Literacy Behaviors of Preschool Children Through Environmental Modification and Teacher Mediation

Emergent literacy research states that young children learn about reading and writing through experiences with oral and written language. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency with which individual preschool children voluntarily engaged in literacy behaviors during free choice in the classroom. The sample consisted of nine preschool children from low-income families enrolled in three classrooms in an urban preschool program. The classroom environment was assessed using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO; Smith, Dickinson, Sangeorge, & Anastasopoulos, 2002), which provides information on how well the classroom environment supports early literacy development. Literacy behaviors were measured during center time, a period when children are allowed to choose their activities. Intervention consisted of 1) adding literacy props to centers based on the needs identified by the ELLCO and 2) a teacher mediation intervention. Results were consistent with previous studies in that the addition of literacy props, paired with teacher mediation, led to an increase in literacy behaviors among preschool children.