The effect of the Preparing Pequeños small-group cognitive instruction program on academic and concurrent social and behavioral outcomes in young Spanish-speaking dual-language learners
Landry, S. H., Assel, M. A., Carlo, M. S., Williams, J. M., Wu, W., & Montroy, J. J. (2019). Journal of School Psychology, 73, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2019.01.001.
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examining777Students, gradePK
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: July 2024
- Single Study Review (findings for Preparing Pequeños)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a cluster randomized controlled trial with low cluster-level attrition and individual-level non-response.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL): Phonological Awareness |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
83.02 |
81.33 |
No |
-- | |
|
Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL): Print Knowledge |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
94.96 |
94.86 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-Pre-2): Basic Concepts |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
9.83 |
9.60 |
No |
-- | |
|
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-Pre-2): Word Structure |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.12 |
2.13 |
No |
-- | |
|
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-Pre-2): Sentence Structure |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
4.87 |
4.84 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30): Anxiety |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.97 |
2.08 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Test of Early Mathematical Ability (TEMA-3) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
88.51 |
87.98 |
No |
-- | |
|
Test of Early Mathematics Ability (TEMA-3) (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
95.29 |
94.48 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Preschool Comprehensive Test of Phonological and Print Processing (Pre-CTOPPP): Elision (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
8.27 |
7.27 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Preschool Comprehensive Test of Phonological and Print Processing (Pre-CTOPPP): Blending (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
16.16 |
14.96 |
Yes |
|
|
|
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-Pre-2): Basic Concepts (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
14.41 |
13.87 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Preschool Comprehensive Test of Phonological and Print Processing (Pre-CTOPPP): Print Awareness (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
29.81 |
28.46 |
No |
-- | |
|
Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT-III) (Spanish-Bilingual form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
95.25 |
92.56 |
No |
-- | |
|
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-Pre-2): Sentence Structure (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
10.25 |
10.01 |
No |
-- | |
|
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool (CELF-Pre-2): Word Structure (Spanish form) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
7.79 |
8.04 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30): Anger Aggression |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.60 |
1.77 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30): Social Competence |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
4.20 |
4.22 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Quality of small group instruction |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.84 |
1.50 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Math |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.28 |
1.98 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Dynamic assessment |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.96 |
1.81 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Oral language |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.28 |
2.18 |
No |
-- | |
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Centers |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.05 |
2.17 |
No |
-- | |
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Sensitivity |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.64 |
2.73 |
No |
-- | |
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Classroom community |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.49 |
2.59 |
No |
-- | |
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Book reading behaviors |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.80 |
1.94 |
No |
-- | |
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Phonological awareness |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.23 |
1.39 |
No |
-- | |
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Written expression |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.55 |
1.90 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Print and letter |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.93 |
2.24 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Bilingual Version (TBRS-B) – Phonics |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.24 |
1.64 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT-III) |
Preparing Pequeños vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
59.39 |
59.98 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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100% English language learners -
Female: 46%
Male: 54% -
Race Other or unknown 100% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 62% Other or unknown 38% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in 105 schools in one of the largest school districts in the United States. Specifically, the study occurred in full-day bilingual pre-K classrooms in these schools.
Study sample
The researchers randomly assigned a total of 105 full-day bilingual preschool classrooms to either the intervention or comparison group. There was one classroom per recruited school. A total of 777 dual language learners in these classrooms were included in the study. All students in each classroom participated in the small group activities described below; however, only the eight students in each classroom who had parental consent and scored the lowest on the vocabulary and letter knowledge assessments administered by the school district at the beginning of the school year were eligible to be in the study sample. Approximately 54% of the students were male, and all were English learners. Sixty-two percent of students in the school district were Hispanic or Latino.
Intervention Group
Preparing Pequeños is an integrated small-group instruction program designed to enhance learning in language, literacy, and math for Spanish-speaking dual-language learners. This program aims to provide targeted support and educational enrichment to young learners, ensuring they develop critical skills in these foundational areas. By focusing on small-group settings, Preparing Pequeños offers personalized instruction that caters to the unique needs of each child, fostering a more effective and engaging learning environment for Spanish-speaking students. Trained paraprofessionals assisted intervention group teachers in implementing the 90 minutes of small-group instruction in Spanish, together with new classroom and time management systems, for four days each week across the school year. Instruction was delivered using a small-group rotation model. Two tables, led by the teacher and a paraprofessional, provided small-group instruction. Classroom teachers handled vocabulary, dialogic reading, and math instruction, while paraprofessionals focused on phonemic awareness, phonics, print knowledge, writing, and math. Literacy and language rotations occurred every 15 minutes over 60 minutes daily, with each group spending 15 minutes with both the teacher and the paraprofessional, and 30 minutes on independent activities. Each child also participated in a 15-minute small-group math activity twice a week, totaling 120 minutes per week in adult-led language and literacy instruction and 30 minutes per week in math instruction.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group received business-as-usual instruction. This consisted of the district’s core curriculum, Frog Street. This curriculum provides Spanish instruction in literacy, language, math, and social domains, aligning with Texas pre-K standards. The same trained paraprofessionals who helped teachers in the intervention group assisted teachers in comparison classrooms with any tasks the teacher requested throughout the school year.
Support for implementation
Over the course of the school year, two bilingual coaches provided professional development to intervention group teachers and paraprofessionals. Teachers received the equivalent of five days of professional development and paraprofessionals received slightly more. The professional development focused on responsive instructional techniques, including training to help support teachers learn how to use assessment data to group children according to their specific learning needs, how to manage the classroom environment so that the children understand the routine of moving from learning centers into small groups, and how to be highly responsive to student signals. The coaches also assisted in developing weekly lesson plans, providing bi-monthly classroom support, and monitoring fidelity monthly.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
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Study findings for this report.
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and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).