RESUMO
Abstract Studies in the English language suggest that emergent literacy skills promote success in literacy. This longitudinal study investigated whether and which emergent literacy skills contribute to initial reading and writing performance in a sample of 34 Brazilian children from public schools. The participants underwent tests on phonological awareness, oral comprehension, vocabulary and knowledge of letters at the end of Early Childhood Education. The participants' skills in writing and reading words as well as reading comprehension were evaluated in the 1st year of elementary school. Data were analyzed using correlation and regression analysis. Results showed that emergent literacy skills presented significant positive correlations with reading and writing performance. Multiple regression analyses indicated significant and independent contributions of phonological awareness and knowledge of letters for writing, however, only phonological awareness significantly and independently contributed to reading of words and reading comprehension skills. It was concluded that emergent literacy skills related to the coding domain are the most important for literacy.
Resumo Estudos em língua inglesa sugerem que as habilidades de letramento emergente favorecem o sucesso na alfabetização. Este estudo longitudinal investigou se e quais habilidades de letramento emergente contribuem para as competências iniciais de leitura e escrita de uma amostra de 34 crianças brasileiras, alunas da rede pública de ensino. Ao final da Educação Infantil, as crianças foram submetidas a testes de consciência fonológica, compreensão oral, vocabulário e conhecimento das letras. No 1º ano do Ensino Fundamental, foram avaliadas as competências de escrita e leitura de palavras, bem como de compreensão em leitura dos participantes. Os dados foram analisados através de técnicas correlacionais e de análise de regressão. Os resultados mostraram que todas as habilidades de letramento emergente avaliadas apresentaram correlações positivas significativas com o desempenho nos testes de leitura e escrita. Contudo, análises de regressão múltipla indicaram contribuição significativa e independente apenas da consciência fonológica e do conhecimento de letras para a escrita; para as habilidades de leitura de palavras e compreensão em leitura, somente a consciência fonológica contribuiu de forma significativa e independente. Conclui-se que as habilidades de letramento emergente relacionadas ao domínio do código são as mais importantes para a alfabetização.
Resumen Los estudios en inglés sugieren que las habilidades de alfabetización temprana favorecen el éxito en la alfabetización. Este estudio longitudinal investigó si y cuáles habilidades de alfabetización temprana contribuyen a las competencias iniciales de lectura y escritura de una muestra de 34 niños brasileños, alumnos de la red pública de enseñanza. Al final de la educación preescolar, los niños fueron sometidos a pruebas de conciencia fonológica, comprensión oral, vocabulario y conocimiento de las letras. En el primer año de la Enseñanza Fundamental, se evaluaron las competencias de escritura y lectura de palabras, así como de comprensión en lectura de los participantes. Los datos fueron analizados a través de técnicas correlacionales y de análisis de regresión. Los resultados mostraron que todas las habilidades de alfabetización temprana evaluadas presentaron correlaciones positivas significativas con el rendimiento en las pruebas de lectura y escritura. Sin embargo, los análisis de regresión múltiple indicaron una contribución significativa e independiente sólo de la conciencia fonológica y del conocimiento de letras para la escritura; para las habilidades de lectura y comprensión en lectura, solamente la conciencia fonológica contribuyó de forma significativa e independiente. Se concluye que las habilidades de alfabetización temprana relacionadas con el dominio del código son las más importantes para la alfabetización.
RESUMO
Resumen Contar con herramientas para el diseño y la implementación de intervenciones en alfabetización con niños hispanohablantes reúne cada vez mayor interés entre docentes e investigadores. Para contribuir a esta demanda, realizamos una revisión sistemática con el objetivo de sintetizar la información disponible sobre intervenciones basadas en la evidencia (IBE) con niños de primero a tercer grado escolar. Nuestros resultados recogen información sobre 20 IBE, que buscaron mejorar al menos uno de los siguientes componentes críticos nombrados por el NRP (2000): conciencia fonológica, principio alfabético, fluidez, vocabulario y comprensión. Dado que el 90% de ellos fue realizado con niños angloparlantes nos dedicamos a discutir críticamente la aplicabilidad de esta evidencia al contexto particular de países hispanohablantes. Si bien muchas de las características generales de las IBE implementadas en inglés podrían servir de guía para intervenir en español, resulta imprescindible tener en cuenta las diferencias estructurales en la ortografía de ambas lenguas. A su vez, identificamos estrategias transversales y técnicas de implementación en las IBE, que por su carácter universal podrían ser de utilidad práctica también para intervenir en el desarrollo lector en español.
Abstract An area of increasing interest amongst teachers and researchers is the availability of tools for the design and implementation of literacy interventions with Spanish speaking children. The present systematic literature review contributes to this need by summarizing available findings on evidence-based literacy interventions (EBI) for children from first to third year of primary school. Our results are based on 20 EBI that aimed at improving at least one of the critical components mentioned by the NRP (2000): phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. As 90% of the studies were completed with English-speaking children, we critically discussed the applicability of this evidence to the specific context of Spanish-speaking countries. Although many of the general characteristics of the EBI completed with English speaking children could also guide interventions in Spanish, it remains crucial to take into account structural differences between the orthographies of both languages. Moreover, we identified transversal strategies and implementation techniques that due to their universal character could also be useful for early literacy interventions in Spanish.
Assuntos
Educação , Prática Clínica Baseada em Evidências , Alfabetização , Revisão Sistemática , IdiomaRESUMO
Este estudo avalia os resultados de um programa multissensorial com ênfase fônica sobre o desempenho em consciência fonológica (CF), conhecimentode letras (CL) e habilidades iniciais de leitura e escrita em pré-escolares. Participaram do estudo 36 alunos de uma Pré-escola Municipal, com idade média de 5,5 anos. O delineamento consistiu em Pré-teste, Intervenção e Pós-testes 1 e 2. As crianças que, no Pré-teste, obtiveram resultados inferiores nas provas de CL e/ou CF foram consideradas em risco para apresentar dificuldades na alfabetização. Habilidades de leitura e escrita também foram mensuradas. Os participantes foram distribuídos, aleatoriamente, em Grupo Multissensorial (GM) e Grupo Controle (GC). O GM participou de três sessões de intervenção semanais, durante quatro meses, totalizando 48 sessões. O GC realizou atividades alternativas. Os resultados indicam efeitos significativos da intervenção para as crianças do grupo de risco, para todas as habilidades avaliadas, sugerindo a eficácia do programa para prevenir dificuldades na alfabetização.
This study evaluates the results of a multisensory program with phonics emphasis on the performance in phonological awareness (PA), letters knowledge (LK) and early reading and writing skills in pre-school children. The participants were 36 students of a public pre-school, with mean age of 5,5 years old. The design consisted of Pre-test, Intervention and Post-tests 1 and 2. Children who presented low results in Pre-test in LK and/or PA tasks were considered at risk for presenting reading and writing difficulties. Spelling and reading skills were also assessed. The children were allocated randomly in two groups: Multisensory Group (MG) and Control Group (CG). The MG participated of three intervention sessions per week, during four months, totaling 48 sessions. The CG held alternative activities. The results showed a significant effect of the intervention for children at risk in all skills assessed, suggesting the effectiveness of the program to prevent literacy difficulties.
Este estudio evalua los resultados de un programa multisensorial con énfasis fonética sobre la conciencia fonológica (CF), el conocimiento del alfabeto (CA) y las destrezas iniciales de lectura y escritura en niños preescolares. Participaron 36 estudiantes de una escuela pública, con edad media de 5,5 años. El estudio consistió en Pre-teste, Intervención y Pos-testes 1 y 2. Los niños que tuvieron resultados inferiores en CA e/o en CF fueran considerados en riesgo de presentar dificultades en la alfabetización. Las habilidades de lectura y escritura también fueron evaluadas. Los participantes fueron divididos aleatoriamente en Grupo Multisensorial (GM) y Grupo Control (GC). El GM participó en tres sesiones de intervención semanales, durante cuatro meses (48 sesiones). El GC realizó actividades alternativas. Los resultados indican efecto positivo dela intervención para los niños de riesgo, para todas las habilidades evaluadas, lo que sugiere la eficacia del programa para evitar dificultades en la alfabetización.
Assuntos
Alfabetização/psicologia , Pré-Escolar/educação , AprendizagemRESUMO
Se presenta un estudio longitudinal del desempeño de niños que participaron de un programa de promoción del desarrollo lingüístico en el jardín de infantes y en 1º grado del nivel primario. Un grupo de niños participantes (198) fue evaluado en vocabulario pasivo y productivo, escritura y lectura; su desempeño fue comparado con el de un grupo control (43). Se observó un mejor desempeño de los niños participantes, tanto en el jardín de infantes como en 1°grado. El análisis de regresión múltiple mostró que algunas de las habilidades evaluadas en el Nivel Inicial predicen el desempeño de los niños en 1º grado. Los resultados destacan la relevancia de una intervención planificada y sistemática en el Nivel Inicial con el fin de conseguir logros observables en el desempeño de los niños.
The study presents the results of a longitudinal study focused on the performance of a group of children that participated in an educational program aimed to promote linguistic development among students in kindergarten and 1st Grade of primary school. A group of children that participated in the program (198) were tested to assess their receptive and expressive vocabulary and reading and writing skills. Their performance was compared to a control group (43). Results showed a better performance in the children who participated in the program both in kindergarten as well as in 1st Grade. The multiple regression analysis showed that some of the abilities tested in kindergarten can predict childrens academic performance in 1st Grade. The results outline the importance of carrying out planned and systematic interventions in kindergarten that contribute to observable achievements in children ́s performance.
Apresenta-se um estudo longitudinal do desempenho de crianças que participaram de um programa de promoção do desenvolvimento linguístico na escola de Educação Infantil e na 1ª série do Ensino Fundamental: um grupo de crianças participantes (198) foi avaliado em vocabulário receptivo e produtivo, escrita e leitura; seu desempenho foi comparado com o de um grupo de controle (43). Observou-se um melhor desempenho das crianças participantes, tanto na escola infantil quanto no ensino fundamental. A análise de regressão múltipla mostrou que algumas das habilidades avaliadas na Educação Infantil predizem o desempenho das crianças na 1ª série. Os resultados destacam a importância de uma intervenção planejada e sistemática na escola infantil de forma a atingir resultados observáveis no desempenho das crianças.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Pré-Escolar , Criança , Desenvolvimento Infantil/fisiologia , Linguística/educação , Vocabulário , Desenvolvimento da PersonalidadeRESUMO
En el presente trabajo se informan los resultados de un estudio focalizado en el análisis cualitativo (Glasser & Strauss, 1967) de las características particulares que adoptan las situaciones de alfabetización familiar en el que participaron 30 niños de 4 años de barrios urbano-marginados de Argentina. Se atendió específicamente a la estructura de relaciones y de mediaciones sociales que durante la consecución de las situaciones configuran oportunidades para la participación del niño pequeño. El corpus estuvo conformado por 124 situaciones de alfabetización registradas por medio de audio, generadas a partir de la implementación de un programa de alfabetización temprana y familiar. Los resultados mostraron que en estos hogares en los que el bajo nivel de escolaridad de los adultos podía inhibir la consecución de la actividad de alfabetización, la composición extendida de las familias y la participación de los niños en amplias redes sociales facilita la realización de las actividades. En efecto, se observó que las situaciones de alfabetización se desarrollan en el marco de la interacción entre el niño y múltiples y diversos participantes que conforman distintas redes de colaboración en las que los niños pequeños, los niños mayores y los adultos desempeñan distintos roles. Estos resultados tienen fuertes implicancias pedagógicas, en tanto advierten sobre la importancia de entrelazar toda intervención educativa en los primeros años con los conocimientos y los patrones de interacción que caracterizan a la cultura de los niños, tanto en el contexto escolar de la educación inicial como en el familiar.
This study follows current psycholinguistic models (Nelson, 1996, 2007; Snow, 1972; Tomasello, 2003) that subscribe to the central premises of sociocultural theories of human development (Vygotsky, 1964). The authors aim to present a qualitative analysis of the particular characteristics of the family literacy situations that took place in the homes of 30 children from Argentina's urban poor population. The psycholinguistic models discussed in this study take the close link between the development of language and cognitive development into account and assume that both types of development occur in social interaction. In addition, they emphasize the subjective, experiential component of the child's interactions with the world. Children construct meaning by experimenting with the objects, knowledge, and tools that they come into contact with in the activities in which they participate. Children's experiences also depend on the people they interact with, whose verbal and non-verbal presentations and scaffolding the child uses in a process of collaborative construction of structures of meaning (Nelson, 2007). Analysis in the present study is focused specifically on the structure and social mediations that shape children's opportunities to participate in literacy situations. The corpus consists of 124 audio-recorded literacy situations that were generated by the introduction of children's books that contained stories and literacy activities. Differently from major previous studies regarding family literacy (Bus, Leseman & Keultjes, 2000; Delgado-Gaitan, 1990; Hammer, 2001; Heath, 1983; Leseman & Van Tuijl, 2006; McNaughton, 2006; Reyes, Alexandra & Azuara, 2007; Taylor & Dorsey-Gaines, 1988, among others), the unit of analysis was the situation as it naturally occurred in the home, considering all the participants and not just the mother-child dyad. The ecological approach adopted in this study allowed identifying the particular characteristics of the early literacy situations that took place in the homes of children from Argentina's urban poor. Results showed that in these homes, where the low education level of adults might have inhibited the consecution of literacy activities, the extended composition of the families and the fact that children participate in extended social networks facilitated the activities' development. The literacy situations took place within the framework of the interaction between the child and the diverse and multiple participants that comprise the collaboration networks where children and adults assume different roles. These results showed that the children's books are used in situations that capitalize on several characteristics of the sociocultural setting. The books' introduction in the homes created situations that took advantage of certain characteristics of these populations' natural contexts, such as the variety of interlocutors, and transformed other characteristics by sustaining the interaction over an extended period of time. This highlights the linguistic and cognitive potential that interaction with a written text implies. The study's results also corroborate and exemplify in the field of early literacy acquisition the findings of previous research done in within the framework of the sociocultural perspective with children in black communities (Ward, 1971, cited in Rogoff, 1993), as well as with children from indigenous Hawaiian populations (Farran & Mistry, cited in Rogoff, 1993), and from the indigenous Colla community (Rosemberg & Borzone, 1998). Although the aforementioned studies didn't seek to study the literacy processes they too showed the inclusion of small children in wide collaboration networks, as well as the differentiation and division of roles in order to complete various activities performed in collaboration (Farran & Mistry, cited in Rogoff, 1993; Rogoff, 1993; Ward, 1971, cited in Rogoff, 1993). These findings have strong pedagogical implications: they show that it is important to interweave early educational interventions with the funds of knowledge and interactional patterns that characterize children's culture.
RESUMO
El objetivo del trabajo que se informa fue contribuir al conocimiento del proceso de alfabetización temprana en español en sectores en desventaja socioeconómica y cultural y analizar los resultados de un estudio destinado al desarrollo de habilidades relativas a la lectura de palabras y textos en niños de 4 a 7 años de edad. Se comparó el desempeño de dos grupos de niños (experimental y control) que concurrían a escuelas públicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina) y que habían sido homologados en todas las variables analizadas. Uno de ellos recibió intervención específica en alfabetización temprana durante 2 años. Las evaluaciones se realizaron antes, durante y a mediano plazo, una vez finalizada la intervención. Sobre los datos obtenidos se calcularon estadísticos descriptivos (medias, desvíos estándar y porcentajes de aciertos) y estadísticos inferenciales (prueba t y de diferencia de proporciones). Asimismo, se realizaron análisis cualitativos de los tipos de errores cometidos y de las estrategias utilizadas para la lectura de palabras (pre-analítica,analítica incompleta inicial e intermedia y alfabética consolidada) y lectura de texto (lectura silabeante sin y con recodificación, fluida y expresiva). Los resultados encontrados muestran mejoras evidentes en la lectura de palabras largas y pseudopalabras, con una diferencia al final de la intervención de hasta un 33% entre ambos grupos, a favor del grupo experimental, cuyos niños utilizan mayor porcentaje de estrategias analíticas. En la lectura de textos aparece una diferencia similar (27%) a favor del grupo experimental, entre los niños que pueden leer fluidamente un texto corto. Esto prepara los cimientos para un adecuado progreso en la comprensión lectora y demuestra el alto impacto de la intervención realizada.
The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the process of early literacy in Spanish in children with cultural and socio-economic disadvantages. Likewise, it aims at showing the results of a study about reading skills - specifically the reading of words and texts by 4 to 7 year-old children. The study was conducted following research models of Cognitive Psychology and was carried out by comparing the performance of two groups of children, the test group and the control group. These children attended public schools in the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and they were treated as equivalents in all of the analyzed variables. One of the groups received specific early literacy intervention for two years. The assessments were made before, during and midway after finishing the intervention. The reading of words and pseudo words as well as reading and reading comprehension were evaluated. Gough and Juel (1989) propose a simple reading model that states that reading comprehension is the result of the multiplication of decoding and oral language comprehension [RC (reading comprehension) = D*LC (decoding multiplied by language comprehension)]. The multiplying nature of this relationship means that both factors, D and LC, are necessary for comprehension purposes but none of them are sufficient by themselves (Gough, Juel, & Griffith, 1992; Hoover & Gough, 1990). By analyzing the correlation between RC and each of the two factors, it is clearly shown that decoding is the most important step at the beginning of the learning process [r (RC*D) = .61 and r (RC*LC) =.39] and that the values are later reversed at the beginning of secondary school [r (RC*LC) = .68 and r (RC*D) = .39] (Alegría, 2006). Therefore, the differences in the reading comprehension process during the first years of schooling could be due to differences in fluency in reading. At the same time, the automatic word recognition theory (La Berge & Samuels, 1974) provides a strong explanation about the importance of fluency in reading. If the word recognition process is not fluent enough, a lot of energy is placed on paying attention, causing comprehension to be impaired. Taking the above information into account, one of the objectives of the implemented early intervention program has been to promote automatic decoding so that a minimum of other attention resources would be needed. In order to achieve this, it was necessary to develop phonological skills, knowledege of grapheme - phoneme correspondence, as well as the fast ensemble of phonemes. From the data gathered descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, and achievement percentages) and inferential statistics (t test and percentage difference tests) were obtained. Likewise, a qualitative analysis of the types of mistakes made and the strategies used for word reading (pre-analytical, initial incomplete analytical and intermediate, and consolidated literacy) as well as the different categories in oral text reading (syllabification reading with and without recoding, fluent and expressive) was made. The results of the study show significant improvement in the reading of long words and pseudo words with a 33 % difference between the two groups, in favor of the experimental group, at the end of the intervention. The children from this group use a greater percentage of analytical strategies, which helps them read new words. Regarding text reading, there is a 27% difference among the children who can read a short text fluently in the test group and the ones who cannot do it in the control group. This finding has helped established a good foundation for adequate improvement in reading comprehension skills and shows the high impact the intervention has had on these children.