Preschool Literacy Screening: Validating a 5 Question Survey Using the GRTR-R and Evaluation of the Efficacy of Literacy-promoting Interventions.

Children's reading success can be predicted from their emergent literacy skills, which begin to develop during the preschool years. Early identification of delays in the development of emergent literacy skills offers the opportunity for targeted intervention. The Early Literacy Screener (ELS) is a 5-item parent questionnaire that was developed for use as a rapid tool to screen preschool children for early indicators of reading problems. The verbally administered ELS was previously validated on 4 and 5 year old children using the Revised Get Ready to Read (GRTR-R) as the gold standard. The investigators are now seeking to validate the ELS when parents fill it out themselves.

The GRTR-R screener was developed in 2001 by Whitehurst et al at the National Centre for Learning Disabilities to address the need for a reliable, evidence based screening tool for use in preschool children. Its reliability and predictive validity have been established in previous studies carried out in preschools and Head Start programs.

The logical next step after screening for reading problems is to establish literacy promoting interventions. Different literacy intervention programs aimed at improving school readiness exist within different communities. The interventions vary widely in intensity and content, and the efficacy of these programs has not yet been well established.

Currently standard care within the Primary Care Network includes the Reach Out and Read Program. Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a clinical based pediatric literacy program that partners with pediatricians who prescribe new books to children 6 months to 5 years of age during routine well-child visits. By integrating literacy into each well-child visit, pediatricians promote the acquisition of spoken and written language skills in young children. Starting at 6 months of age, each child coming in for their well-child visit receives a new age appropriate book from their pediatrician. Pediatricians use the book to assess language, motor, and cognitive development while discussing with the parent the value of reading together at home. In addition, at each 4 year old visit instead of a book the family will receives a parent take home toolkit. This toolkit will contain kindergarten readiness activities and a book that will help parents prepare their child for kindergarten.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) has an early childhood literacy program, known as Ready to Read. This program reaches out into the community through the Ready to Read Corps who goes into at-risk communities and works with agencies such as pediatric health centers, food pantries and benefits offices. It aims to reach parents and caregivers of children birth to five and share easy literacy-building activities that parents can use at home with their children. Parents and caregivers receive a kit that includes puppets, board books, and easy tips for parents to support them in their role as their child's first teacher. Parents are able to enroll in the Ready to Read home visitation program. Ready to Read Corp members offer 5-6 home visits at no cost, educating parents on early literacy activities in the home.