Effective language and literacy instruction: Evaluating the importance of scripting and group size components

The purpose of the study was to identify the components of a language and literacy development programme (LEAP) that had the clearest correlation with the desired outcome in the children. The purpose was to contribute the knowledge necessary to design large-scale programmes for children’s language development.

Research question:

1. To what extent do three versions of LEAP, with planned variations of the structuring of teaching sessions and group sizes, affect the language and literacy skills of children compared to regular teaching?
2. To what extent is LEAP’s impact dependent on the children’s background, especially language background and home background [socioeconomic status].
3. To what extent is participation in the intervention associated with children’s language and early literacy results?
4. To what extent did kindergarten teachers implement the three versions of LEAP?

All three test criteria had positive effects on literacy outcomes, but LEAP-OPEN had the greatest effect on language and early literacy outcomes. Analyses of moderation effects showed no difference for children of different socioeconomic status or ethnicity. However, there was a clear correlation between how much the children were exposed to the programme and outcomes related to both language and literacy. The more hours of teaching they received, the more positive the outcomes were. This effect was greater for non-Danish children than for Danish children. Therefore, the study indicated that the sequence and scope of the teaching programme is more significant than group size and predefined teaching ‘manuscripts’.

A probability sample of 5436 Danish children aged 3–6 years old from 154 different Danish kindergartens participated in a cluster-randomised assessment of a teaching programme that focused on the development of language and literacy through forty 30 minute sessions conducted twice a week.

The study was designed to test the effects of two specific components of a systematic, explicit language and literacy intervention. These components were the structuring of the sessions and group size.

The LEAP-LARGE and LEAP-SMALL test criteria involved the kindergarten teachers having to carry out the teaching programme using predefined ‘manuscripts’ for entire classes or smaller groups. The LEAP-OPEN test criterion involved the kindergarten teachers having to follow the teaching programme, but they were allowed to determine the content of the sessions themselves (without a ‘manuscript’). The control groups carried out normal kindergarten activities (without intervention).  

Bleses, D., Højen, A., Dale, P. S., Justice, L. M., Dybdal, L., Piasta, S. B., Markussen-Brown, J., Kjærbek, L. & Hagish, E. F. (2018). “Effective language and literacy instruction: Evaluating the importance of scripting and group size components”. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42(1st Quarter):256–269.