Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Barbara Christina

Committee Member

Sherilyn W. Poole

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

Early literacy, phonological awareness, emergent literacy

Abstract

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to current information and the continued advocacy for early literacy in preschool education. This information is especially imperative for educators, stakeholders, and administrators. This study hypothesizes that prekindergarten programs benefit 4-year-olds entering kindergarten, specifically regarding their success on the Star Literacy Assessment phonological awareness component. The majority of 4-year-olds entering kindergarten possess the ability to write and perform basic phonological awareness skills such as writing their name, identifying letters and sounds, and writing letters of the alphabet when prompted. These children typically experience success on the phonological component of the Star Early Literacy Assessment, administered within the first month of the kindergarten school year. However, the researcher suggests that attending preschool and receiving phonological awareness instruction and skills building can enhance a child's success on the Star Early Literacy Assessment phonological awareness component and increase their likelihood of meeting the reading benchmark requirement by the end of the kindergarten year. Therefore, it is recommended that educators, administrators, and stakeholders take proactive measures to provide necessary interventions for 4-year-olds entering kindergarten who may lack phonological awareness skills and be at risk for reading deficiencies.

The researcher developed lesson plans and strategies to train students and teachers on two online services available in the media center. Daily sessions on these databases provided students and teachers with training in (a) e-mail usage, (b) searching and locating current events information, (c) printing from the screen, (d) saving messages, and (e) dialing into the online services. Teachers were encouraged to continue to use these services for curriculum enrichment and as an additional source for future lesson plans.

An analysis of the data revealed that students were more likely than teachers to use the online databases. The most successful activities involved students researching information about current events. Although teachers planned assignments that required online services, they did not want to provide additional time for students to be in the media center.

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