Incidental Phonological Awareness Instruction in Early Childhood Education: The Development of an Observational Tool

Explicit phonological awareness instruction in preschool curricula has been established as playing a fundamental role in improving reading outcomes in children (Carroll, Snowling, Stevenson, & Hulme, 2003). However, to date, there has been a lack of evidential research data that assess the value of incidental phonological awareness instruction as a supplement to regular instruction within these preschool classrooms (Phillips, Clancy-Menchetti, & Lonigan, 2008). This study covers the development and evaluation of an observational tool designed to capture, quantify, and assess instances of incidental phonological awareness instruction in preschool and early childhood education classrooms. After a review of extant measures, a classroom observational tool was developed that quantified instances of incidental phonological awareness instruction on the bases of instructional context, method, and phonological awareness content. Observations were conducted through the use of this tool in eight preschool classrooms by seven graduate students and one undergraduate student of speech-language pathology. According to user reports, this tool proved to be simple and practical to use in preschool settings. It was also reported to be effective in the collection, description, and evaluation of instances of incidental phonological awareness instruction within preschool classrooms. INCIDENTAL PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS INSTRUCTION 6