Enhancing vocabulary intervention for kindergarten students: Strategic integration of semantically-related and embedded word review

This study examined the role of judicious word review in enhancing extended vocabulary instruction. Two approaches to systematic, distributed word review were strategically integrated into an 18-week program of extended vocabulary instruction that was implemented with kindergarten students from three high-need urban schools. Target words were randomly assigned to No Review, Embedded Review, and Semantically-Related Review conditions. All target words received extended instruction following initial storybook readings, but only words in the Embedded and Semantically-Related conditions received systematic review in subsequent lessons. In the Embedded Review condition, brief target word definitions were integrated into the narratives of multiple storybooks, allowing for word review during story readings. In the Semantically-Related Review condition, in-depth word review with explicit emphasis on semantic features and associations was provided during extension activities following the readings of several different storybooks. Findings indicated that systematic word review resulted in an almost two-fold increase in target word learning on an expressive measure of target word knowledge. Embedded Review was an effective and time-efficient approach, whereas Semantically-Related Review was more time-intensive, but resulted in higher levels of target word learning. A significant gain was noted in students\u27 average Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III) standard score following the intervention. The average gain on the PPVT-III at posttest was more than ten percentile points, suggesting generalized word learning. Instructional implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

An integrated knowledge translation experience: Use of the Network of Pediatric Audiologists of Canada to facilitate the development of the University of Western Ontario Pediatric Audiological Monitoring Protocol (UWO PedAMP v1.0)

Pediatric audiologists lack evidence-based, age-appropriate outcome evaluation tools with well-developed normative data that could be used to evaluate the auditory development and performance of children aged birth to 6 years with permanent childhood hearing impairment. Bagatto and colleagues recommend a battery of outcome tools that may be used with this population. This article provides results of an evaluation of the individual components of the University of Western Ontario Pediatric Audiological Monitoring Protocol (UWO PedAMP) version 1.0 by the audiologists associated with the Network of Pediatric Audiologists of Canada. It also provides information regarding barriers and facilitators to implementing outcome measures in clinical practice. Results indicate that when compared to the Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) Diary, audiologists found the PEACH Rating Scale to be a more clinically feasible evaluation tool to implement in practice from a time, task, and consistency of use perspective. Results also indicate that the LittlEARS® Auditory Questionnaire could be used to evaluate the auditory development and performance of children aged birth to 6 years with permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI). The most cited barrier to implementation is time. The result of this social collaboration was the creation of a knowledge product, the UWO PedAMP v1.0, which has the potential to be useful to audiologists and the children and families they serve