Multi-tiered Narrative Intervention for Preschoolers: A Head Start Implementation Study

Authors

  • Trina D Spencer Northern Arizona University
  • Sarah A Weddle The May Institute
  • Douglas B Petersen University of Wyoming
  • John L Adams Northern Arizona University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55370/hsdialog.v20i1.543

Keywords:

language intervention, implementation, narratives

Abstract

Teachers and teaching assistants from three Head Start classrooms implemented a multi-tiered narrative intervention in their preschool classrooms. They delivered large group, small group, and individual lessons with students and administered and scored a progress monitoring tool with all children once a month. A quasi-experimental control group design was conducted to determine the effect of the multi-tiered intervention on children’s story retelling skills and story-based language comprehension. The extent to which the Head Start teachers’ could deliver the intervention with fidelity and administer and score the progress monitoring probes accurately were examined. Feasibility data were collected via interviews and questionnaires. Results indicated statistically significant improvements favoring the treatment group at Winter and Spring assessment points for story retelling and language comprehension. All measures of teachers’ fidelity and reliability were above acceptable standards. As teachers and teaching assistants became more comfortable delivering the intervention, teachers’ perceptions of the intervention’s feasibility increased.

Author Biographies

Trina D Spencer, Northern Arizona University

Dr. Spencer is an associate research professor in the department of Educational Psychology and the research director of the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University. She has partnered with Head Start preschools to conduct impactful research for eight years.

Sarah A Weddle, The May Institute

Dr. Weddle is a post doctoral fellow at the May Institute.

Douglas B Petersen, University of Wyoming

Dr. Petersen is an associate professor in the Division of Communication Sciences at University of Wyoming.

John L Adams, Northern Arizona University

Mr. Adams is a doctoral student in the department of Educational Psychology at Northern Arizona University

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Published

2017-12-20

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1

Section

Research Articles

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