Examination of early literacy-rich settings in inclusive preschool classrooms.

The purpose of this study was to describe the current state of early literacy-rich settings of inclusive preschool classrooms where inclusive practices are implemented. In order to build the scale (measurement instrument), first, an item pool was created, expert input was solicited, and a pilot form of the scale was created, all in accordance with the study’s objectives. Following that, data were collected from 311 teachers employed in 55 kindergartens to undertake validity and reliability analyses of the measurement instrument and to construct its final form. The study began with an examination of the validity and reliability of the Preschool Early Literacy Settings Evaluation Scale (PELSES). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the scale’s factor structure, yielding a 27-item 5-factor PELSES with eigenvalues ranging from 1.43 to 9.27. Second, the state of the early literacy-rich settings of preschool classroom environments was described by determining mean scores and the classroom environments these scores represented. According to the findings, 17.4% of the preschool classrooms in the study were classified as inadequate, 30.2% as incomplete, 35.4% as average, and 17% as good classroom environments. Finally, which demographic characteristics make a difference in early literacy settings in inclusive preschool classrooms were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]