An Exploratory Study of Emergent Literacy Intervention for Preschool Children with Language Impairments

This exploratory study measured the efficacy of an emergent literacy intervention program designed to support preschool children who have been identified as having specific language impairments. Specifically, the study compares two intervention approaches--an experimental emergent literacy intervention and a traditional intervention based on traditional models of language therapy. It was hypothesized that the explicit emergent literacy approach would result in significant gains in phonological and print awareness skills relative to a less structured traditional intervention approach. Results indicated that children in the emergent literacy intervention experienced greater gains in pre-literacy measures. The results hold important implications for service delivery models aimed at supporting preschool children with language impairments. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)