Using Ready To Learn Media in the Preschool Classroom

• In Event: 2-216 - What have we learned from Ready To Learn?

Integrative Statement

This presentation describes two studies that used transmedia properties developed by the Ready To Learn program to evaluate learning in low-income early childhood classrooms.

Study 1:
In 2009, EDC and SRI examined the hypothesis that children whose teachers implemented a media-rich literacy curriculum supplement would exhibit an increase in early literacy skills.

Study population and methods: A randomized control trial (RCT) in which teachers were assigned to a literacy intervention condition or a comparison condition (a science intervention). Teachers in the literacy condition were given a teacher guide and a curated set of public media resources, book-reading activities, and hands-on activities to use in their classrooms for a 10-week period. All teachers received a two-hour orientation to familiarize them with the materials and the curriculum assigned to them. Study coaches also provided as-needed, in-person support that included examples of good teaching practice and implementation assistance. The study population comprised 398 children from 80 classrooms within 47 early childhood centers serving low-income communities in the New York City and San Francisco Bay areas.

Results: Children in the literacy condition of the study exhibited statistically significant differences from the comparison group in the areas of uppercase letter recognition (p<.001, n=358, effect size=0.34), letter sounds (p<.001, n=358, effect size=0.53), story and print concepts (p<.026, n=358, effect size=0.26), and knowledge of letters in their name (p<.035, n=358, effect size=0.19). Teachers reported being able to utilize the digital and non-digital curricular materials as often as intended and used the instructional features introduced in the teacher guide and professional development (Penuel et al., 2012).

Study 2: In 2013, EDC and SRI examined the hypothesis that a 10-week math curriculum supplement, which included curated media-rich and non-media activities, could result in an increase in preschoolers’ understanding of math skills.

Study population and methods: An RCT in which teachers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: the PBS KIDS Transmedia Math Supplement condition (receiving interactive whiteboards and laptop computers, a curricular sequence of curated media-rich and non-media math resources, and associated professional development), the Technology & Media condition (receiving interactive whiteboards and laptop computers, and professional development), or Business-As-Usual (instructed to continue their typical math instruction and routines during the study period, full materials provided after data collection ended). Participants comprised 157 teachers and 966 children from 87 preschool centers serving children from low-income communities across the New York City and San Francisco Bay areas.

Results: Children in the transmedia condition increased their knowledge of math concepts compared to both the children in the Business-As-Usual condition (effect size = 0.24, p < .001) and those in the Technology & Media condition (effect size = 0.22, p<.001). This shows that when teachers are provided media materials plus supports, children in their classrooms learn more than when teachers are provided access to transmedia without supports, or when classrooms are left to engage in business as usual instruction.

The presentation will discuss implications of this work, and lessons learned in supporting teachers in using transmedia-based environments in preschool classrooms.

Authors

• Phil Vahey, SRI Education
  Presenting Author

• Regan Vidiksis, EDC
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jaime Gutierrez, EDC
  Non-Presenting Author