Chloe Bedard|Emily Bremer|William E. Campbell|John Cairney
Evaluation of a Direct-Instruction Intervention to Improve Movement and Preliteracy Skills among Young Children: A Within-Subject Repeated-Measures Design
McMaster University|Impact|McMaster University|McMaster University|McMaster University|Impact|University of Toronto
school readiness involves development foundational skills emergent literacy fundamental movement skills well capacity attentively engage instructional situations children develop skills naturally therefore need opportunity develop skills early years prior entering school objective current study evaluate effectiveness feasibility directinstruction movement preliteracy intervention children aged 34 yearsa withinsubject repeatedmeasures design embedded within waitlist control study used evaluate intervention intervention run across 10 weeks 1 h weekly sessions weekly session consisted 30min movement skill instruction eg singlestep acquisition strategies 15min free play time children access variety equipment eg balls hula hoops etc toys eg puzzles building blocks 15min interactive reading circle children read storybook taught 12 preliteracy skills eg alphabet knowledge narrative knowledge etc convenience sample 11 children mean age 456 months sd 73 recruited children assessed four times baseline time 1 preintervention time 2 postintervention time 3 5week followup time 4 gross motor skills preliteracy skills assessed time pointthere statistically significant effect time change gross motor skills wilks lambda 009 p 002 printconcept skills wilks lambda 009 p 001 alphabet knowledge wilks lambda 029 p 046 post hoc analyses reveal nonsignificant changes time 1 2 motor printconcept skills significant changes three outcomes time 2 time 3participation directinstruction movement preliteracy program led positive improvements gross motor skills printconcept knowledge alphabet knowledge 3 4yearold children time future research needs evaluate effectiveness movement preliteracy skill intervention various indicators child development healthplay preliteracy among young children play nct02432443