It is well established that oral language skills in preschool, including vocabulary and comprehension, predict later reading proficiency and that substantial differences in oral language skills exist when children enter school. Although explicit instruction embedded in storybooks is a promising intervention approach, high-fidelity implementation in preschool classrooms remains a challenge. An automated, explicit vocabulary and comprehension intervention embedded in books was investigated in this early efficacy study. Nine children in public prekindergarten classrooms serving low-income families participated in small group "listening centers" in which they listened to recorded stories and embedded vocabulary and comprehension lessons under headphones. A repeated acquisition single-case experimental design across instructional targets was used. Results indicate modest improvements in vocabulary and comprehension with multiple replications demonstrated within as well as across children. Automated embedded vocabulary and comprehension intervention appears to be feasible for implementation and produces promising results.

This multiple baseline design study examined the effects of a Tier 3 early literacy intervention on low-income preschool children’s phonological awareness (PA). Seven preschool children who did not make progress on identifying first sounds in words during a previous Tier 2 intervention participated in a more intensive Tier 3 intervention. Children listened to stories and participated in early literacy activities led by an interventionist for approximately 15 min, 3 to 4 days per week for up to 8 weeks. Weekly progress monitoring data showed that five of seven children made progress on first sound identification as a result of the Tier 3 intervention. Children who made progress on first sound identification generally demonstrated gains on more distal measures of PA. Results demonstrate the potential benefit of providing children with multiple tiers of instruction to facilitate academic success.

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