The Effects of Opening the World of Learning (OWL) on the Early Literacy Skills of At-Risk Urban Preschool Students

Regional need and study purpose. Preschool teachers in the Appalachian Region need training in the importance of early literacy, in the role of childcare in supporting children's early literacy development, and in scientific practices that support early literacy development. This study will determine whether a research-based preschool curriculum—Opening the World of Learning (OWL)—increases the literacy achievement of children at risk.

Intervention description. OWL is a comprehensive research-based preschool curriculum integrating phonological awareness and letter knowledge and emphasizing conversations in daily interactions with teachers.

Study design and period. The study uses a randomized pretest-posttest design, with students and teachers as units of observation in a large urban district in Tennessee. A first cohort has 50 teachers and more than 800 students, and a second, 59 teachers and more than 1,000 students. The study period is August 2006 through December 2010.

Key outcomes and measures. Key outcomes are children's literacy skills and readiness, measured through student assessments in preschool, kindergarten, and grade 1, and teacher practices in instruction and classroom environments, measured through classroom observations and surveys of parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals.

Data collection approach. Baseline and follow-up data are collected by experienced site researchers. Student achievement data are collected using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition and the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening. Classroom observations are conducted using the Early Literacy Observation Tool (E-LOT) and the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO).

Analysis plan. The researchers use inferential analyses to determine statistically significant differences between the treatment and control groups at the end of preschool and beyond. They also compare preintervention and postintervention classroom observations and student achievement.

Principal investigators. Anna Grehan, PhD, Education Research Group.

Additional Information. Region, contact information, and references

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