Impacts on Children of an Arts-Integrated Early Childhood Education Program

• In Event: 18.045 - Arts-Integrated Early Childhood Education: Model, Implementation, Impact, and Future

Abstract

In this presentation we provide evidence of salutary child-related outcomes within a substantive and comprehensive arts-integrated early childhood education (ECE) framework -- Art As A Way Of Learning® (AWL). Our evidence emerges from three quasi-experimental evaluation projects collected over multiple years and cohorts of young children, and in several different settings.

The 15-month-long PASELA project was comprised of three main program components: (1) preservice/inservice professional-development training in AWL for participating artists and ECE teachers, (2) multiple 10-week artist residencies in ECE classrooms, and (3) literacy/arts coaching support. Three ECE programs situated in a high-risk community participated (6 classrooms; total children = 181). We used a quasi-experimental pre-post treatment-only design targeting two school-readiness outcomes -- (1) teacher-ratings of children’s mastery of language and literacy, creative arts, and approaches to learning (Early Learning Standards Inventory [ELSI]), as well as (2) standardized assessment of children’s component literacy skills and readiness for reading instruction (GRTR, PPVT, TERA). We found: large (ds>.65) and statistically significant (p<.01) improvements in all three teacher-rated ELSI domains, as well as children’s readiness for reading instruction; small but statistically significant (p<.05) improvement on the PPVT; and mixed changes on narrow-band early-reading skills (TERA).

Throughout the 3-year PASSRA project ECE teachers and collaborating artists received annual preservice training and ongoing in-service training/coaching on the AWL model of arts-integrated ECE, as well as participating in year-long, classroom-based artist residencies in two Children’s Centers of Northampton Community College (NCC). We used a quasi-experimental treatment- and post-only design in the second year (n=33) and then moved to a pre-post design in the third year (n=50). Kindergarten-bound children were assessed on their readiness for reading instruction and receptive vocabulary (GRTR, PPVT) as well as their more general learning-/ mastery-related development (Work Sampling System [WSS]). Second- and third-year post assessments were quite comparable; also, third-year data yielded statistically significant (p<.05) pre-to-post improvements.

Measure Year 3 Pre Year 3 Post Year 2 Post
GRTR tot scr 14.2 16.6 16.2
PPVT std scr 105.2 110.1 112.5
WSS overall 1.45 1.86 1.65

The year-long Variety! project was implemented throughout NCC’s AWL-trained Children’s Centers with two artists sharing classroom-based residency responsibilities. The 3- and 4-year-olds (n=78; 4 classrooms) comprised the sample of this quasi-experimental treatment-only pre-post design. Children’s arts-related and general learning/development were assessed by the teacher-rated WSS and a revised ELSI (approaches to learning through play, creative thinking & expression). The pre-post assessments demonstrate that these children improved significantly (p<.05) in all learning/developmental areas.

Measure Pre Post
"ELSI2Approaches

" 1.32 1.53
"ELSI2Creative
" 1.16 1.4
ELSI2Total 1.21 1.46
WSSTotal 1.38 1.83
WSSArts 1.42 1.91

Although not definitive, these findings across three evaluation projects suggest consistent and credible improvements in young children’s learning, mastery/development, and school readiness within the broader framework of AWL ECE, and regardless of characteristics of children or their families. The limitations of these evaluations and prospects for future evaluative work will be discussed.

Author

• Roger David Phillips, Private consulting practice