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Rural Language and Literacy Connections: An Integrated Approach to Supporting Low-Income Preschool Children’s Language and Literacy Development

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Abstract

High-quality preschool programs that promote early literacy through oral language, phonological awareness, print and word awareness, and alphabet knowledge prepare children to be more successful in kindergarten and more effective readers. Additionally, interventions that connect home and school literacy environments and create literacy-rich home environments are associated with children’s positive academic outcomes. Integrated programming to support early literacy skills at home and school is important because children’s skill levels and readiness at the time they enter school are strongly related to later school success. Few early childhood programs effectively integrate supports across home and preschool settings. This chapter will describe Rural Language and Literacy Connections, an ecologically-based early language and literacy intervention for rural, low-income preschool children and their families that integrates preschool classroom instruction with family and environmental supports. The intervention includes the implementation of scientifically-based literacy curricula and as well as enriched literacy environments in rural preschools, child care settings, and children’s homes through the provision of supplemental literacy-based opportunities. Details of the intervention, including professional development supports for early childhood teachers, as well as language and literacy outcomes for children will be discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant awarded to Drs. Lisa Knoche and Helen Raikes by US Department of Education. The opinions expressed herein are those of the investigators and do not reflect the funding agencies (GRANT ED S359B070074).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 238 Teachers College Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0345, USA

    Lisa L. Knoche & Dawn L. Davis

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  1. Lisa L. Knoche
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  2. Dawn L. Davis
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Correspondence to Lisa L. Knoche .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nebraska - Lincoln Nat. Center for Research on Rural Edu, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    Gwen C. Nugent

  2. University of Nebraska - Lincoln Nat. Center for Research on Rural Edu, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    Gina M. Kunz

  3. University of Nebraska - Lincoln Nat. Center for Research on Rural Edu., Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    Susan M. Sheridan

  4. Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Todd A. Glover

  5. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    Lisa L. Knoche

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Knoche, L.L., Davis, D.L. (2017). Rural Language and Literacy Connections: An Integrated Approach to Supporting Low-Income Preschool Children’s Language and Literacy Development. In: Nugent, G., Kunz, G., Sheridan, S., Glover, T., Knoche, L. (eds) Rural Education Research in the United States. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42940-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42940-3_10

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