
Supporting Vocabulary Teaching and Learning in Prekindergarten: The Role of Educative Curriculum Materials [World of Words vs. business as usual (HighScope)]
Neuman, Susan B.; Pinkham, Ashley; Kaefer, Tanya (2015). Early Education and Development, v26 n7 p988-1011 2015. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1070888
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examining143Students, gradePK
World of Words (WOW) Intervention Report - Preparing Young Children for School
Review Details
Reviewed: February 2023
- 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.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for World of Words (WOW).
Findings
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Comprehension composite measure (Neuman et al., 2015) |
World of Words (WOW) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.35 |
0.27 |
Yes |
|
|
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test IV (PPVT-IV) |
World of Words (WOW) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
101.47 |
99.96 |
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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Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Urban
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- B
- A
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- I
- H
- J
- K
- L
- P
- M
- N
- O
- Q
- R
- S
- V
- U
- T
- W
- X
- Z
- Y
- a
- h
- i
- b
- d
- e
- f
- c
- g
- j
- k
- l
- m
- n
- o
- p
- q
- r
- s
- t
- u
- v
- x
- w
- y
Midwest, Northeast
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Race Asian 1% Black 31% Other or unknown 14% White 54% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 7% Other or unknown 93% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) 66% Other or unknown 34%
Study Details
Setting
This study took place in ten state-sponsored pre-K classrooms in five elementary schools located in a “severely economically depressed urban fringe area in the rustbelt region.” Teachers participated in a full day of professional development (PD).
Study sample
The authors note that the groups were comparable in age and receptive language, as measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. However, there were significantly more boys than girls in the intervention group and significantly more African American children in the intervention group than in the comparison group. All children spoke English as their primary language. About 62% of the intervention group and 69% of the comparison group received free or reduced-price lunch. Each participating teacher was a White female with a bachelor's degree, a specialist certificate in early childhood, and more than five years of preschool teaching experience.
Intervention Group
The intervention classrooms participated in the World of Words (WOW) embedded multimedia supplemental intervention, which was designed to support vocabulary and conceptual development. The curriculum is organized by topics with category-specific properties identified for each topic. An example of a category-specific property for the topic of plants is that they need water, sunlight, and air. Teachers first introduced vocabulary words through video clips and through information books and picture cards, and children engage in using the words. The intervention comprised an eight-day instructional sequence designed to help teachers scaffold children’s learning, moving toward increasing cognitive demand. The intervention began in September and continued for 12 weeks. Daily sessions took between 12 and 15 minutes and replaced a portion of whole-group instructional time.
Comparison Group
The comparison classrooms were business-as-usual. Teachers used High/Scope as their curriculum framework and did not participate in the PD session.
Support for implementation
Intervention teachers participated in a full day of PD focused on educative curriculum materials, which are designed to promote student and teacher learning. During the PD session, teachers learned about the rationale, materials, and procedures for the intervention. They also learned how each of the materials could be used in teaching the curriculum.
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: January 2022
- Practice Guide (findings for World of Words (WOW))
- 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Comprehension composite measure (Neuman et al., 2015) |
World of Words (WOW) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.35 |
0.27 |
Yes |
|
|
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test IV (PPVT-IV) |
World of Words (WOW) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
101.47 |
99.96 |
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.
-
1% English language learners -
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Urban
-
- B
- A
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- I
- H
- J
- K
- L
- P
- M
- N
- O
- Q
- R
- S
- V
- U
- T
- W
- X
- Z
- Y
- a
- h
- i
- b
- d
- e
- f
- c
- g
- j
- k
- l
- m
- n
- o
- p
- q
- r
- s
- t
- u
- v
- x
- w
- y
Midwest, Northeast
-
Race Asian 1% Black 31% Other or unknown 14% White 54% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 7% Not Hispanic or Latino 93%
Study Details
Setting
This study took place in ten state-sponsored pre-K classrooms in five elementary schools located in a “severely economically depressed urban fringe area in the rustbelt region.” Teachers participated in a full day of professional development (PD).
Study sample
The authors note that the groups were comparable in age and receptive language, as measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. However, there were significantly more boys than girls in the intervention group and significantly more African American children in the intervention group than in the comparison group. All children spoke English as their primary language. About 62% of the intervention group and 69% of the comparison group received free or reduced-price lunch. Each participating teacher was a White female with a bachelor's degree, a specialist certificate in early childhood, and more than five years of preschool teaching experience.
Intervention Group
The intervention classrooms participated in the World of Words (WOW) embedded multimedia supplemental intervention, which was designed to support vocabulary and conceptual development. The curriculum is organized by topics with category-specific properties identified for each topic. An example of a category-specific property for the topic of plants is that they need water, sunlight, and air. Teachers first introduced vocabulary words through video clips and through information books and picture cards, and children engage in using the words. The intervention comprised an eight-day instructional sequence designed to help teachers scaffold children’s learning, moving toward increasing cognitive demand. The intervention began in September and continued for 12 weeks. Daily sessions took between 12 and 15 minutes and replaced a portion of whole-group instructional time.
Comparison Group
The comparison classrooms were business-as-usual. Teachers used High/Scope as their curriculum framework and did not participate in the PD session.
Support for implementation
Intervention teachers participated in a full day of PD focused on educative curriculum materials, which are designed to promote student and teacher learning. During the PD session, teachers learned about the rationale, materials, and procedures for the intervention. They also learned how each of the materials could be used in teaching the curriculum.
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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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).