It's Time to Get Serious about Preschool Literacy Standards
Investment in Early Education
More states plan to invest in preschool education with the goal of raising students' success in elementary school. But, if we expect to see results from this investment, we must get serious about preschool literacy by setting high standards, clear expectations, and robust teacher training programs. Adding another year to schooling may have some benefits, but unless we fill the day with researched-backed literacy activities, I am afraid the effort will bear little fruit. On the other hand, if we raise the bar for early literacy education, preschool students will enter kindergarten with the tools to help them become successful lifelong readers.
The Benefits of Starting Early
Common questions often surface among parents and educators of young children. Isn't preschool too early to begin literacy education? Are 4-year-olds developmentally ready for literacy instruction? Is there a clear advantage to starting early?
Fortunately, support for early literacy is not anecdotal; it's backed by research. The National Early Literacy Panel (NELP, 2008) has found that preschool students can learn literacy skills and benefit significantly from such early educational exposure. Specifically, students who are introduced to phonics in preschool show gains in phonics in later years. (Footnote 1)
Regarding students' being developmentally ready for literacy instruction, they write:
Developing Early Literacy, Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (2008)
Click Here to download the full report.
Click Here to download a summary of the report.
Importantly, there was no evidence that the effectiveness of code-focused interventions was influenced by age or developmental level of the children. That is, the impacts of code-focused interventions were observed in children whether they were preschool age or kindergarten age, and these interventions were equally successful across a range of levels of prior literacy knowledge (from minimal Alphabetic Knowledge to being able to read). These findings indicate that there is not a point along either an age or a developmental continuum at which code-focused interventions become more or less beneficial to children’s early literacy skills. The findings also suggest that there is no preexisting level of knowledge or skill that children must attain before these interventions can be used successfully. (Footnote 2)
I can think of at least three compelling reasons why starting early can be beneficial.
Extending the Learning Window: Starting literacy education early expands the learning window for children to crack the alphabetic code and learn the building blocks of reading and writing.
Reducing Stress and Pressure: Learning to read is a complex process that takes time and patience. By spreading literacy education over 3 to 4 years, starting in preschool, we can significantly reduce the pressure and anxiety often associated with learning to read at a later age. At this early stage, goals are highly individualized, with minimal pressure on young learners, ensuring that students' first experience with learning to read is positive. In contrast, kindergarten and first grade have stringent standards and expectations, such as memorizing common sight-wards, manipulating sounds in words, and learning to blend sounds to create words. Learning these high-level conceptual tasks can be stressful. By laying a gentle foundation in preschool, we set children up for success and a lifelong love of reading.
Early Detection and Intervention: Early literacy education also facilitates the timely identification of reading difficulties, providing additional time for intervention and support, thus preventing future discouragement and educational challenges.
Preschool is an opportunity to set our children on a path to reading success from the very start. By starting early, we can provide children with a broad window for learning, reduce educational stress, and ensure early intervention for those in need.
Not long ago, almost no one spoke about teaching phonics to preschoolers, believing the material to be developmentally inappropriate for our youngest students. By now, we should know better.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Adding another year of schooling and then mismanaging that time with ineffective practices can negate the benefits of early literacy education. Below are some activities and priorities that could potentially derail students from gaining the full benefits of preschool:
Sight-Words: Overemphasis on memorizing words without understanding the alphabetic code can be counterproductive. There is no rational or research-based justification for making kids memorize whole words before they learn the letters and sounds.
Letter Names: Focusing solely on the names rather than the sounds of letters can confuse young learners when they begin to read text. (Footnote 3)
Phonological Awareness: Focusing on the broad spectrum of phonological awareness activities that do not prepare children for phonics, such as compound words, rhymes, onset-and-rime, and syllables. (Footnote 4)
Phonemic Awareness Without Letters: Teaching phonemic awareness in isolation from letters does not yield the strongest literacy outcomes. (Footnotes 5 and 6)
So, what skills should we concentrate on in preschool? The answer is straightforward: students must learn the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they represent. With a solid understanding of these basics, most students will be able to read simple VC (vowel-consonant) and CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words before they enter kindergarten.
Developing Phonics-Sense in Young Learners
Incorporating phonics into daily activities means that every exposure to print becomes an opportunity to reinforce and automate students' sensitivity to sounds. We call this development of innate understanding Phonics-Sense, analogous to "Number Sense" in mathematics. Just as a student who can count to ten may not necessarily grasp the value of numbers, a child who can recite the alphabet without understanding the sounds each letter represents is merely stringing words together. To truly develop literacy, it is crucial that students not only learn to recognize letters but also understand their phonemic value.
The ultimate goal in early literacy education should be to create an immersive and interactive environment, focusing on phonics through constant exposure to print and sounds. This approach ensures that every visual or auditory cue in a child's environment becomes an opportunity to engage with and internalize phonics concepts, reinforcing and automating their Phonics-Sense. For instance, when children see a familiar sign, like the McDonald's logo, they should be encouraged to associate the letter "M" with the sound /m/ rather than just the letter name /em/. Connecting print directly with sounds helps build a more intuitive understanding of phonics.
Conclusion
To maximize the benefits of our investment in preschool, it is essential to prioritize preschool literacy by setting high standards, clear expectations, and robust teacher training programs. Schools and districts need to recognize preschool not merely as a precursor but as the foundational stage of a child's literacy journey in elementary education. Reading instruction, i.e., phonics instruction, should be at the forefront and receive the highest priority. Furthermore, we should regard preschool teachers as vital phonics instructors and equip them with comprehensive training and a robust early literacy curriculum. This approach will empower them to fulfill their crucial role in shaping young learners' educational trajectories.
© 2024, Capit Learning
About the Author
Eyal Rav-Noy is the Co-Founder of Capit Learning and the author of the CAPIT Reading Curriculum, a digital tool that enables educators of beginner and struggling readers to create confident, lifelong readers.
Eyal lives in Los Angeles with his wife, five children, and their dog Luna, and enjoys running all over Los Angeles as he prepares for the next marathon.
Linking Pre-K to Elementary School
Curious to learn more about the importance of beginning phonics education in preschool? In our webinar, The Link Between Elementary & Preschool Literacy, we dive deep into the preschool-to-elementary school connection and why it is critical for educators to understand which literacy skills will help students succeed in elementary school and beyond.
Lastly, when teaching phonics to preschoolers, it’s crucial to implement a phonics curriculum that teaches students explicitly and systematically. Explore how the CAPIT Reading PK Curriculum is shaping literacy instruction nationwide.
Footnotes
"The code-focused instructional efforts reported statistically significant and moderate to large effects across a broad spectrum of early literacy outcomes. Code-focused interventions consistently demonstrated positive effects directly on children’s conventional literacy skills." Developing Early Literacy, Report of the National Early Literacy Panel, p. 17.
NELP, pages 118-119.
Learning to label letters by sounds or names: A comparison of England and the United States, Michelle R. Ellefson, Rebecca Treiman, Brett Kessler (2008).
The Effects of Syllable Instruction on Phonemic Awareness in Preschoolers, Teresa A. Ukrainetz, Janae J. Nuspl, Kimberly Wilkerson, Sarah Rose Beddes, 2010, University of Wyoming. The ability to manipulate speech sounds depends on knowing alphabetic writing, CHARLES READ, University of Wisconsin, Madison, ZHANG YUN-FEI, Beijing Normal University, NIE HONG-YIN, China Central Institute for Nationalities, DING BAO-QING, Beijing Normal University, 1986. Orthographic Mapping Instruction to Facilitate Reading and Spelling in Brazilian Emergent Readers, Renan De Almeida Sargiani, University of São Paulo, Linnea Carlson Ehri, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Maria Regina Maluf, University of São Paulo, 2018. Do young children spell words syllabically? Evidence from learners of Brazilian Portuguese, Rebecca Treiman, 2013. Does English Have Useful Syllable Division Patterns? Devin M. Kearns, 2020, University of Connecticut. A 2020 Perspective on Research Findings on Alphabetics (Phoneme Awareness and Phonics): Implications for Instruction (Expanded Version), Susan Brady Emeritus Professor, University of Rhode Island (2020).
Letters in Phonemic Awareness Instruction or the Reciprocal Nature of Learning to Read. Phonemic Awareness Instruction Explained, Nathaniel Hansford.
National Reading Panel Report, 2-4, 2000. Phonemic Awareness Instruction Helps Children Learn To Read: Evidence from the National Reading Panel's Meta-Analysis. Ehri, Linnea C.; Nunes, Simone R.; Willows, Dale M.; Schuster, Barbara Valeska; Yaghoub-Zadeh, Zohreh; Shanahan, Timothy, 2001. Modeling the Successes and Failures of Interventions for Disabled Readers, Bruce McCandliss and Mark S. Seidenberg, 2003. A Meta-Analysis of Phonemic Awareness Instruction Provided to Children Suspected of Having a Reading Disability, David M. Rehfeld, Marie Kirkpatrick, Nicole O’Guinn, and Rachel Renbarger, 2022. A 2020 Perspective on Research Findings on Alphabetics (Phoneme Awareness and Phonics): Implications for Instruction (Expanded Version), Susan Brady Emeritus Professor, University of Rhode Island (2020). Is Phonological-Only Instruction Helpful for Reading?: A Meta-Analysis, Melissa V. Stalega, Devin M. Kearns, Jessica Bourget, Nina Bayer, Michael Hebert, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut School of Education, University of California, Irvine (2024) CRITIQUE OF ADVANCED PHONEMIC AWARENESS TRAINING, Nathan H. Clemens, Devin Kearns, Melissa V. Stalega, 2022. See also The Truth about Phonemic Awareness.