Abstract
This exploratory study examined the Morning Message, an activity that is widely practiced in many early childhood curricula but has almost no empirical data to support its effectiveness. In total, 7 Head Start teachers and the 59 four-year-old children in their classrooms participated in this study. Using a qualitative observation system, we examined Morning Message time in these classrooms, including teachers’ and children’s talk about these texts. Results revealed variation in both the messages that teachers wrote and their presentation and discussion of these texts with children. In addition, multilevel regressions revealed selective relations between Morning Message practices and children’s skills, with talk about letters linked to children’s letter learning over the Head Start year. This study fills a significant gap between practice (where Morning Message is increasingly accepted) and research (where virtually no data on this technique are available) and provides a coding system that can be used to collect more extensive information in the future.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carrow-Woolfolk, E. (1995). Oral and written language scales. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Services, Inc.
Clay, M. E. (1985). Concepts about print. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing.
Crowell, D. C., Kawakami, A. J., & Wong, J. L. (1986). Emerging literacy: Reading-writing experiences in a kindergarten classroom. The Reading Teacher, 40(2), 144–149.
Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, L. M. (1998). Peabody picture vocabulary test (3rd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Services.
Elley, W. B. (1989). Vocabulary acquisition. Reading Research Quarterly, 24(2), 174–187.
Essa, E. L., & Burnham, M. M. (2009). Informing our practice: Useful research on young children’s development. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Horner, S. L. (2001). The effects of observational learning on preschooler’s book-related behaviors and alphabet knowledge. Child Study Journal, 31(1), 1–11.
Invernizzi, M., Sullivan, A., Meier, J., & Swank, L. (2004). PALS Pre-K phonological awareness screening. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia.
Justice, L. M., & Ezell, H. K. (2002). Use of storybook reading to increase print awareness in at-risk children. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 11, 17–29.
Justice, L. M., Skibbe, L. E., & Ezell, H. K. (2006). Using print referencing to promote written language awareness. In T. A. Ukrainetz (Ed.), Contextualized language intervention Scaffolding preK-12 literacy achievement (pp. 389–428). Greenville, SC: Thinking Publications University.
Katz, L. G., & Chard, S. C. (2000). Engaging children’s minds: The project approach (2nd ed. ed.). Stamford, CT: Ablex Publishing.
Kawakami-Arakaki, A. J., Oshiro, M. E., & Farran, D. C. (1988). Research to practice: Integrating reading and writing in a kindergarten curriculum. Urbana-Champaign, IL: Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois.
Labbo, L. D. (2005). From morning message to digital morning message: Moving from the tried and true to the new. The Reading Teacher, 58(8), 782–785.
Lee, V. E., & Burkam, D. (2002). Inequality at the starting gate. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute.
Mariage, T. V. (2001). Features of an interactive writing discourse: Conversational involvement, conventional knowledge, and internalization in morning message. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34(2), 172–196.
National Early Literacy Panel. (2008). Developing early literacy: Report of the national early literacy panel. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.
Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2006). Classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.
Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Reid, D. K., Hresko, W. P., & Hammill, D. D. (2001). Test of early reading ability. Ann Arbor: Academic Therapy Publication.
Sénéchal, M. (2006). Testing the home literacy model: Parent involvement in kindergarten is differentially related to grade 4 reading comprehension, fluency, spelling, and reading for pleasure. Scientific Studies of Reading, 10(1), 59–87.
Storch, S. A., & Whitehurst, G. J. (2003). Oral language and code-related precursors to reading: Evidence from a longitudinal model. Developmental Psychology, 38(6), 935–947.
Sulzby, E. (1992). Transitions from emergent to conventional writing. Language Arts, 69(4), 290–297.
Wasik, B. A., & Bond, M. A. (2001). Beyond the pages of a book: Interactive book reading and language development in preschool classrooms. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(2), 243–250.
Wechsler, D. (1991). Wechsler intelligence scale for children (3rd ed.). San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by Early Reading First Grant S359B060081 from the United States Department of Education to Temple University. Statements made in this article do not necessarily represent the views of the research sponsor. We gratefully acknowledge the participation of Head Start teachers, administration, and children and the literacy coaches. We also thank Ms. Amber Erhart and Ms. Mary Lou Heron for their support with the development and implementation of the coding system.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hindman, A.H., Wasik, B.A. Morning Message Time: An Exploratory Study in Head Start. Early Childhood Educ J 40, 275–283 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-011-0459-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-011-0459-8