READY TO LEARN

OVERVIEW

The Ready to Learn program targets children’s listening skills, attending skills, and social skills.  In a study of this program’s effectiveness, pre-school classes were randomly assigned to receive the Ready to Learn program or not to receive any program.  Compared with students who did not receive the Ready to Learn program, students who received the program showed greater improvement over time on understanding of story structure, teacher ratings of behavior, and observer ratings of attending behavior.  Treatment students did not show significantly greater improvement than control students on a measure of listening comprehension.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: pre-school students

The Ready to Learn program focuses on three target skill areas: listening comprehension, attending skills, and social skills.  These skills are taught using five strategies: modeling-coaching-cuing, positive peer reporting, student story telling, student story retelling, and encouragement council.  Pre-school teachers systematically embed these strategies into daily classroom routines.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Brigman, G., Lane, D., Lane, D., Lawrence, R., & Switzer, D.  (2001).  Teaching Children School Success Skills.  The Journal of Educational Research, 92(6), 323-329.

Evaluated population: 145 four- and five-year old children constituted the study sample for this investigation.  These children were drawn from 10 classrooms at three inner-city preschool centers.  Approximately 95% of the sample was black, and the remaining 5% was white.

Approach: Each of the ten classrooms participating in this study was randomly assigned to the treatment group or to the control group.  At the commencement of the school year, teachers and assistants from the five treatment classrooms took part in two seven-hour Ready to Learn training workshops.  They then implemented Ready to Learn strategies in their classrooms all year, devoting approximately two hours each week to program activities.  As the year progressed, teachers and aides also attended three half-day workshops to review skills and discuss progress.  Treatment classrooms were observed weekly, and teachers received feedback on their implementation of the program strategies.

All students were evaluated in several areas at the beginning of the school year, halfway through the school year, and near the end of the school year.  Students completed assessments of listening comprehension and understanding of story structure.  Teachers rated students on a measure of attention, on-task behavior, social skills, hyperactivity, and oppositional behavior.  Outside observers rated students on their attending behavior.

Results: Compared with students from control classrooms, students from treatment classrooms showed greater improvement over time on understanding of story structure, teacher ratings of behavior, and observer ratings of attending behavior.  Treatment students did not show significantly greater improvement than control students on the measure of listening comprehension.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Curriculum materials are unavailable for purchase.

References:

Brigman, G., Lane, D., Lane, D., Lawrence, R., & Switzer, D.  (2001).  Teaching Children School Success Skills.  The Journal of Educational Research, 92(6), 323-329.

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 4-5

Evaluated participant grades: pre-school

Program age ranges in the guide: early childhood

Program components: early childhood education

Measured outcomes: education & cognitive development, social & emotional health, behavioral problems

Program information last updated 7/24/07