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Relating Preschool Quality to Children’s Literacy Development

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Abstract

Preschool classrooms were investigated to determine the extent to which quality is related to children’s literacy development. The study included 24 classrooms of 428 prekindergarten children in a large, urban Midwestern school district. Results suggest that global classroom quality and literacy environment quality are strongly related. Literacy environment quality and children’s literacy abilities are also related. Differences in classroom quality were found to have an impact on children’s literacy scores—the higher the quality, the higher the scores. This article also describes lessons learned from the investigation and provides suggestions for teachers and administrators for improving quality to enhance literacy development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Childhood Education and Family Studies, Missouri State University, 901 S. National, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA

    Denise D. Cunningham

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  1. Denise D. Cunningham
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Correspondence to Denise D. Cunningham.

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Cunningham, D.D. Relating Preschool Quality to Children’s Literacy Development. Early Childhood Educ J 37, 501–507 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0370-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0370-8

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