The Effect of a Knowledge-Based Curriculum Using Science Read-Alouds on Vocabulary, Content, and Listening Comprehension Outcomes with Preschoolers

Abstract

Educators have been trying diligently to raise reading proficiency scores for decades to little avail. Children from all SES homes, but especially low-SES homes, are not achieving reading proficiency by fourth grade. One possibility for the low achievement is children do not possess the vocabulary and knowledge to comprehend texts once they are reading independently. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if incorporating a knowledge-based curriculum using science read-alouds impacted vocabulary, listening comprehension, and content knowledge in 89 preschool students attending VPK in a Title I district in Tennessee beyond the impact of the traditional curriculum. Analysis of covariances (ANCOVA) were used to minimize the effects of group differences on the three research questions (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). The present research will add to the current literature of exposing emergent learners to content vocabulary and knowledge through interactive read-alouds within a knowledge-based curriculum. The primary goal of the research was to answer the following questions: (1) What is the effect of a knowledge-based curriculum with interactive science read-alouds on a researcher-designed vocabulary outcome? (2) What is the impact of a knowledge-based curriculum with interactive science read-alouds on listening comprehension? (3) What is the effect of a knowledge-based curriculum with interactive science read-alouds on a researcher-designed content knowledge outcome? All analyses revealed positive effect sizes of 0.68, 0.07, 0.39 respectively. Keywords: preschool, vocabulary, content knowledge, read-aloud