Emerging evidence suggests that there is substantial developmental continuity in literacy skills from thepreschool period into the elementary grades. These data suggest that many children are at substantial risk oflater reading disabilities. It is important to develop a more sophisticated understanding of valid preschoolindicators of later reading disabilities relating to reading accuracy, reading fluency, and readingcomprehension. Moreover, understanding if and how effective instructional activities can be used to alterpreschool children's developmental trajectories to prevent later problems in reading accuracy, fluency, andcomprehension will provide educators with important tools for reducing the negative impact of early schoolfailure. Consequently, the broad goals of this proposal are to develop a greater understanding of readingdisabilities and how they are manifest in young children prior to school entry and the emergence ofconventional reading skills. This project involves two studies: The first will include 1500 children followedfrom preschool through first and second grade to determine which baseline, growth, family and classroomcharacteristics best predict which children will be in need of supplemental instruction or intensiveinterventions to aid their reading development once they receive formal reading instruction in K-2classrooms. Children will be present in classrooms that may or may not be providing effective literacyinstruction. The second study, involving 200 children, will investigate whether provision of interventionintervention to children who show slow growth and low skill levels within the preschool period alters thegrowth trajectory for these children and reduces the percentage of these high risk children who demonstratepoor reading development and require supplemental help in kindergarten and second grade. These childrenwill be drawn from classrooms already providing effective classroom literacy and language instruction. Withinboth studies we will investigate the influence of children's socio-emotional and attentional skills on theirreading capabilities. Results from these studies will provide educators with important tools for increasing thereading skill of children from all backgrounds. These findings also will help early educators developstrategies to help close the gap between young children who benefit from home environments that providerich language and literacy foundations and those children whose homes lack such beneficial experiences.
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