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Intervention: Curiosity Corner

Effectiveness


Findings

The WWC review of interventions for early childhood education addresses children's outcomes in six domains: oral language, print knowledge, phonological processing, early reading/writing, cognition, and math. Chambers et al. (2001) addressed outcomes in the oral language and cognition outcome domains. The findings below present the authors' and the WWC-calculated estimates of the size and statistical significance of the effects of Curiosity Corner on children's performance. 5

Oral language. Chambers et al. (2001) analyzed the differences between the Curiosity Corner and comparison groups for two measures [Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) Expressive Language scale and MSEL Receptive Language scale] in this outcome domain. The differences between the intervention and comparison groups were not statistically significant for either outcome as calculated by the WWC; the average effect was neither statistically significant nor large enough to be considered substantively important according to WWC criteria (that is, at least 0.25). In the oral language domain, this study showed no discernible effects, according to WWC criteria.

Cognition. Chambers et al. (2001) analyzed the differences between the Curiosity Corner and comparison groups for one measure (MSEL Visual Reception scale) in this outcome domain. The difference between the intervention and comparison groups was not statistically significant or large enough to be considered substantively important as calculated by the WWC (that is, at least 0.25). In the cognition domain, this study showed no discernible effects, according to WWC criteria.

Rating of effectiveness

The WWC rates the effects of an intervention in a given outcome domain as positive, potentially positive, mixed, no discernible effects, potentially negative, or negative. The rating of effectiveness takes into account four factors: the quality of the research design, the statistical significance of the findings,5 the size of the difference between participants in the intervention and the comparison conditions, and the consistency in findings across studies (see the WWC Intervention Rating Scheme).

5 The level of statistical significance was reported by the study authors or, where necessary, calculated by the WWC to correct for clustering within classrooms or schools and for multiple comparisons. For an explanation about the clustering correction, see the WWC Tutorial on Mismatch. See Technical Details of WWC-Conducted Computations for the formulas the WWC used to calculate the statistical significance. In the case of Curiosity Corner, a correction for clustering was needed.