Early Steps Intervention in Schools with Explicit Code Instruction

1
Early Steps Intervention in Schools with Explicit
Code Instruction

• Is It Effective?
• Does Isolated Phonological Awareness Instruction
  Increase Effectiveness?

2
University of Utah Granite School District
Salt Lake City, UT

• Kathleen J. Brown, Veronica Reynolds, Stacey
  Lowe, Debbie Skidmore,
• Debbie Van Gorder, Sue Patillo,
• Connie Weinstein, Julie World,
• Amy Morris

3
Theoretical Framework

• Early Steps
• repeated reading _at_ instructional level
• systematic, isolated code instruction
• writing-embedded PA instruction
• Early Steps effective for at-risk in G1
  embedded or implicit code classrooms

(Morris, 1999 Morris, Tyner, Perney, in press
Santa Hoien, 1999
4
Theoretical Framework

• Phonological Awareness (PA) is causally related
  to early reading success
• PA instruction important part of effective
  intervention

(Bradley Bryant, 1983 Perfetti, Beck, Bell,
Hughes, 1987 Tunmer, Nesdale, Harriman,1988)
5
Research Question
Is Early Steps effective for at-risk G1 students
whose classroom instruction provides - sys.
exp. decoding - sys. exp. PA - literature
decodable texts - spelling dictation, and -
writing workshop?
6
Research Question
Once students are aware of initial
phonemes, Does isolated PA instruction make Early
Steps more effective? - Early Steps
writing-embedded PAI listening for sounds in
sentence writing - isolated PAI (strictly oral
activities, no text involved)
7
Method

• Students 31 ethnic minority 46 free
  lunch 18 ESL
• Tutors G1 teachers, RS in training, grad
  students, Title I aides
• Sept. 99-May 00

8
Method Intervention Study

• At-risk G1 students identified by scores on
• alphabet knowledge
• phonological awareness via spelling task
• Control group identified by matching baseline
  scores with tx group

Morris, 1992
9
Method Intervention Study

• N88 G1 students from 7 Title 1 schools
• Early Steps Intervention
• 30 min. daily, 1-on-1
• Title I Intervention
• 30-45 min. daily, small group
• reinforce Open Court

10
Method PAI study

• Identified Early Steps students with moderate
  alphabet knowledge and low PA
• matched on baseline scores
• random assignment to conditions

11
Method PAI study

• N24 Early Steps students
• Embedded Isolated PA Instruction
• writing-embedded PA
• PA isolated in oral activities
• PA Control
• writing-embedded PA only

12
Results Intervention Study
a 73rd percentile b 54th percentile c
47th percentile d 27th percentile
13
Results PAI Study

14
Discussion

• Early Steps benefits at-risk G1 students
  receiving explicit code instruction as measured
  by
• passage reading
• word attack
• comprehension
• spelling

15
Discussion

• Once Early Steps students are aware of initial
  phonemes, adding isolated PAI does not improve
  effectiveness
• listening for sounds during daily sentence
  writing may be sufficient