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I'PROMICE investigates the relationship between preschool indicators of expressive language and early literacy and other continuous progress monitoring measures of kindergartner's and first-graders' growth toward reading proficiency. The project includes young children with disabilities, typically developing children, children for whom English is a second language, and children from low-income families. I'PROMICE activities will help us to understand how preschool measures of growth in language and early literacy are related to similar measures used in kindergarten and reading measures used in first grade, and will help us to better understand how we can support language and early literacy development through classroom activities.

Active data collection for I'PROMICE concluded in the spring of 2003. Data collection involved three types of primary activities: direct assessment, observation, and survey. Direct assessment activities were conducted with the children participating in the project on either a monthly or seasonal basis depending on whether the children were preschoolers, kindergartners, or first graders. Direct assessment activities were focused on language, early literacy, and early reading. All of the measures used are quick, reliable, and valid indicators of growth toward important developmental outcomes. Observations were conducted using a computerized system that examines classroom, instructional, and teacher and child behaviors. These observations were conducted seasonally for each child participating in the project. Finally, a caregiver survey was conducted with each family to gather demographic information and information about home language and early literacy practices. Currently, we are analyzing data and preparing information for presentations and distribution.

Project Staff

Scott McConnell, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Kristen Missall, Ph.D., Project Coordinator
Karen Cadigan and Jessica Van Alstine, Graduate Students

For more information, please contact Scott McConnell, Ph.D., at 612-624-6365 or smcconne@umn.edu.

Associated Publications

Presentation: Do Classroom Variables Influence Early Literacy Development?, presented by Kristen Missall, Ph.D., Scott McConnell, Ph.D., Karen Cadigan, Ed.S., and Jessica Van Alstine, B.A., at the 19th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families (Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exception Children-DEC), From Practice to Policy and Back Again: 30 Years of Advocacy for Young Children and Their Families, Washington, D.C., October 14, 2003

Examining Literacy Growth and Its Relation to Classroom Variables for Typical and At-Risk Preschool Children (pdf file, 52 pages)

The Influence of Classroom Variables on Early Literacy Development: Assessment of Skills and Preschool Environments (pdf file, 15 pages)

Funding

U.S. Department of Education