SAIL Intervention
Encyclopedia
SAIL, Storybook Activities for Improving Literacy, was an intervention where Head Start teachers were trained to use storybook reading to improve the literacy skills, particularly vocabulary skills, of preschool children. All of the children were enrolled in Head Start classrooms in Lane County
, Oregon
who were also participants in Project STAR
a larger study conducted by the University of Oregon
. The intervention included activities that targeted vocabulary
, comprehension, and narrative ability. It was conducted for 20 minutes a day, approximately four days a week for eight weeks.
The trained teachers were instructed to read assigned storybooks to their classrooms for the allotted period of time. The storybooks used in the intervention were age appropriate
, had numerous distinct sequence events, and varied vocabulary. Three vocabulary words were assigned per book to be introduced to the preschoolers that were related to the story and likely to be unfamiliar words. Some examples of selected words were ukulele, magician, optometrist, flashlight, crane, and restaurant. Activities were planned for all four days the book was assigned.
. This study differed from previous studies in that it took place in a large group setting, to accommodate the resources available in typical Head Start programs, and in that teachers spent four days on one storybook. The study further supported that reading aloud to children may not be a sufficient practice to increase literacy skill.
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
who were also participants in Project STAR
Project STAR
Project STAR was three-year, federally funded research project which consisted of an intervention with preschoolers enrolled in the Head Start program in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The project was conducted from 1999–2003 by the Early Childhood Research Unit of the University of Oregon...
a larger study conducted by the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. The intervention included activities that targeted vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
, comprehension, and narrative ability. It was conducted for 20 minutes a day, approximately four days a week for eight weeks.
The trained teachers were instructed to read assigned storybooks to their classrooms for the allotted period of time. The storybooks used in the intervention were age appropriate
Age appropriate
Age appropriate refers to a developmental concept whereby certain activities may be deemed appropriate or inappropriate to a child's "stage" or level of development....
, had numerous distinct sequence events, and varied vocabulary. Three vocabulary words were assigned per book to be introduced to the preschoolers that were related to the story and likely to be unfamiliar words. Some examples of selected words were ukulele, magician, optometrist, flashlight, crane, and restaurant. Activities were planned for all four days the book was assigned.
Day One
Introduction to the author, children had the opportunity to predict the events of the story based on the cover of the book. The teacher read the story, pausing to define assigned vocabulary words. At the conclusion of the story the teachers asked comprehension questions.Day Two
On the second day, the teacher re-introduced the author and reminded the children of the three assigned vocabulary words. The teachers showed pictures of the vocabulary words and discussed broader categories that these words could fall into (e.g., "elk" falls into the category of "animals").Day Three
Students retold the story using the pictures in the book, they were encouraged to use the three vocabulary words while retelling the story. The teacher then asked review-oriented questions focusing on the vocabulary words.Day Four
On the final day, the children acted out events of the story beginning by stating the three vocabulary words. The children were assigned to play different roles of characters in the story.Results of the Intervention
Preschoolers who participated in the intervention improved on measures of vocabulary and narrative ability. However, there were no significant gains in comprehension or Print AwarenessPrint awareness
Print awareness refers to a child's understanding of the nature and uses of print. A child's print awareness is closely associated with his or her word awareness or the ability to recognize words as distinct elements of oral and written communication...
. This study differed from previous studies in that it took place in a large group setting, to accommodate the resources available in typical Head Start programs, and in that teachers spent four days on one storybook. The study further supported that reading aloud to children may not be a sufficient practice to increase literacy skill.