Category: Language Development

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Effective Teaching Approach Language Development Primary School Education

Reviewing ed tech’s impact on literacy: It’s a win!

Educational technology tools and programs proliferate the elementary classrooms where children are learning to read, but the evidence supporting these tools lags behind their implementation. Silverman and Colleagues collected and reviewed the results from 119 studies that examined the impact of educational technology interventions on literacy outcomes between 2010 and 2023.

The study found medium to large positive impacts of educational technology on literacy across four outcome domains: decoding (ES = + 0.33), language comprehension (ES = +0.30), reading comprehension (ES = +0.23), and writing proficiency (ES = +0.81). Looking closer at these impacts, effects were smaller on standardized outcome measures (such as state tests), compared to researcher-created measures. Most of the analysis of which intervention and design features mattered was inconclusive, but the authors did find constructivist approaches were more beneficial for language comprehension. One notable limitation of the research was the inclusion of only peer-reviewed studies (including dissertations) – which may have led to more positive results than is observed in studies overall given the bias in publishing for both positive and significant findings.

 

Source: Silverman, R. D., Keane, K., Darling-Hammond, E., & Khanna, S. (2024). The effects of educational technology interventions on literacy in elementary school: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 00346543241261073. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241261073… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education Language Development

Chatbot interaction shows positive effects on language learning

Chatbots are reminiscent of a gossipy co-worker—full of chatter, not all of it credible, yet nonetheless useful now and then. In a meta-analysis of 28 studies comparing Chatbot users to non-users, Wang, Cheung, Neitzel, & Chai recently examined the effects of chatbots on users’ language learning, and the moderators that affected this interaction in terms of 18 characteristics of the humans and chatbots.

Results showed that chatbot users demonstrated greater gains in language learning than comparable non-users (ES=+0.48). Other findings included that language gains were greatest for secondary school students and adult learners; second language learners at the intermediate level (versus beginning or advanced), particularly those learning English; and for those who used a mobile-based program instead of a laptop or PC. Chatbot-driven interaction showed greater gains than user-driven interactions, and were most effective when used 1:1 in-class instead of out-of-class. Voice-based and voice-plus-text-based interactions both demonstrated positive effects on language learning. Implications for the classroom are that chatbots are a valid in-class language learning tool for older students, especially those learning English as a second language.

 

Source: Wang, F., Cheung, A. C. K., Neitzel, A. J., & Chai, C. S. (2024). Does chatting with chatbots improve language learning performance? A meta-analysis of chatbot-assisted language learning. Review of Educational Research, 00346543241255621. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241255621… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Kindergarten Language Development

Enhancing early literacy: Evaluating the impact of the TELL Curriculum in preschool settings

High-quality preschool programs are pivotal in enhancing literacy outcomes and bridging the achievement gap among children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Early childhood education not only supports cognitive and social development but can also play a crucial role in preparing children for future schooling. A recent study published by Gray and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of Teaching Early Literacy and Language (TELL), a universal whole-class curriculum, in enhancing the oral language and early literacy skills of preschool children from low-SES backgrounds.

The study employed a three-cohort randomized controlled trial design with preschool teachers from the Phoenix area randomly assigned to either the TELL or business-as-usual (BAU) condition, stratified by agency/school district. The TELL curriculum included a year-long sequence of instruction, books, lesson plans, and language-rich activities. Despite challenges including COVID-19 disruptions, 58 teachers (30 TELL, 28 BAU) completed the study, with over 300 students (174 TELL, 150 BAU) included in the final analysis.

The findings showed significant effects in favor of TELL on experimenter-created curriculum-based measures, particularly on print awareness, letter naming, and phonological awareness. These foundational skills are critical predictors of future reading success and were systematically taught throughout the curriculum. However, for more distal measures, such as the Woodcock–Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language and PELI assessments of vocabulary and comprehension, the effects were not significant. This discrepancy highlights ongoing debates regarding the appropriateness of different assessment tools in early childhood education and intervention research.

 

Source: Gray, S. I., Wilcox, M. J., & Reiser, M. (2024). Efficacy of the teaching early literacy and language curriculum with preschoolers from low-income families. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 55(3), 696–713. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_LSHSS-23-00140… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Language Development Primary School Education

SRCD Plus shows impacts with 1st and 2nd graders

Low proficiency levels in essential reading and writing skills continue to spur research into how to best teach these areas. There is no consensus about how early to start, however, and whether reading and writing practice might overwhelm younger learners. In this study, Harris and colleagues tested the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) Plus model, which focuses on close reading of informational texts to write informative essays supported by practice in transcription and oral language, by randomly assigning ninety-three 1st and 2nd graders in one southeastern US high-poverty school to either SRSD Plus or “business as usual” (writers workshop).

The study found that SRCD had a positive impact on most measured outcomes: writing quality (ES=+1.02), writing productivity (ES=+0.82-1.39), spelling (ES=+1.18), vocabulary (ES=+2.29), sentence proficiency (ES=+0.29), and discourse knowledge (ES=+0.43). No effects were found on handwriting fluency and there were no explicit reading comprehension measures. The study also reports in detail the skills SRSD Plus particularly helped to develop, such as planning writing and referring to source texts. Larger effects were found for second graders (compared to first) and for girls (compared to boys). Additionally, the authors tracked implementation and reported that SRCD Plus was implemented with high fidelity.

Important to note when reviewing these findings is the small sample (one school, less than 100 students) and reliance on many researcher-created outcome measures. Both of these factors may have led to effect sizes that are greater than they would be in a larger, more diverse sample, on more standardized measures.

 

Source: Harris, K. R., Kim, Y.-S., Yim, S., Camping, A., & Graham, S. (2023). Yes, they can: Developing transcription skills and oral language in tandem with SRSD instruction on close reading of science text to write informative essays at grades 1 and 2. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 73, 102150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102150… Read the rest

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Kindergarten Language Development Primary School Education Programme Evaluation

Effects of a home-visit shared reading intervention in the Netherlands

Researchers in the Netherlands recently explored the effects of Reading Express, an intervention for children ages 2-8 at risk of language delays. This program emphasizes interactive shared reading via home visits with parents of low socio-economic and ethnic minority status. In a quasi-experimental study, Dias-Broens & van Steensel assessed 176 children from 146 families (95 experimental, 81 control), measuring vocabulary, story comprehension, and book exposure, and surveyed parents about their reading practices.

Researchers found positive home literacy environment changes in children’s book exposure and families’ shared reading experiences. These changes were maintained over time. In addition, the program identified short-term effects on story comprehension, but positive trends leveled off 20 weeks after the program ended. No effect was seen on receptive vocabulary.

These findings suggest that it is possible to change parent reading practices through home visits, although the effects leveled off at 20 weeks. The authors surmised that some of the limited impact may be due to implementation issues such as mixed parental engagement during home visits. They argue that more specific adaptation and tailoring of home visit practices and processes for the intended audience may further support programmatic success in improving student literacy outcomes in the long term.

Source: Dias-Broens, A. S., & van Steensel, R. (2023). Home-visiting in a shared reading intervention: Effects on children from low SES and ethnic minority families. Early Education and Development, 34(8), 1919–1940. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2022.2123294… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership K-12 Education Language Development Programme Evaluation

The effects of professional development on student and teacher outcomes

Effective instruction by well-prepared teachers is crucial for enhancing students’ reading comprehension. This process begins with high-quality professional development (PD) that enriches teachers’ knowledge and improves their instructional strategies in reading comprehension.

A recent meta-analysis reviewed 29 experimental or quasi-experimental studies focused on PD for reading comprehension among teachers. It examined outcomes for both teachers and K-12 students to assess which PD components influenced teacher knowledge, instructional practices, and student reading comprehension. Utilizing random-effects robust variance estimation, the analysis identified significant positive effects of PD on teacher outcomes (ES = +0.95) and smaller yet still significant effects on student comprehension (ES = +0.19).

The study found that specific PD characteristics such as coaching, format, content, providers, duration, and number of strategies did not significantly moderate teacher outcomes. Similarly, study quality characteristics (e.g., design, control group condition, outcome measure) did not show significant moderation effects, though distinctions between standardized and researcher-created measures were noted (ES=+0.11 vs +0.44).

A notable conclusion from this study is that future research should prioritize direct testing of effective PD strategies. While the findings of this meta-analysis align with previous research, there are potential limitations in statistical power arising from substantial heterogeneity among studies. There is also a possibility that PD characteristics interact in complex ways. In addition, the notable overall positive effect on teacher outcomes should be approached with care, as a majority of measures relied on teacher observations or self-reports.

Source (Open Access): Rice, M., Lambright, K., & Wijekumar, K. (Kay). (n.d.). Professional development in reading comprehension: A meta-analysis of the effects on teachers and students. Reading Research Quarterly, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.546… Read the rest