Improve Listening Comprehension in Preschool Students

Abstract

The Primary purpose of this research is to improve listening comprehension in preschool students. Also to show that practicing retelling, listening comprehension can be improved in LD preschoolers. Listening comprehension is very important skill to have from a very young age. A child should be able to understand what is being said to him. An educator should provide materials to foster a love for literacy for emergent readers.

Questions

Will implementing re-telling strategies improve listening comprehension in LD preschool students?

Introduction/Rationale

In the Head Start programs students are given at least an hour a day to explore the Literacy centers within the confines of the classroom, library center, which include all kinds of multicultural books and colorful pictures and several copies. The learning literacy centers in the class are tailored to meet the needs of each child some of the centers included are listening center computer center, phonics games, sight word puzzles and rhyming bingo. The writing center has pencils jumbo and thin depending on if the child's fine motor skills are strong, weak and if they mastered the tripod grasp.

What is listening comprehension? Listening comprehension is the ability for someone to listen and understand what he or she is hearing. Can a child understand oral language? It is important that preschool children develop listening comprehension skills. Its sounds like its really complicated for that level but there are some very fun strategies to improve these literacy skills. Teachers must also learn to differentiate instruction modify, adapt instruction, material and assessment to meet the needs of children.

The problem to be examined is how to improve retelling strategies in LD preschoolers. Listening comprehension is an important component prior to reading comprehension so it is important that preschoolers acquire these early literacy skills.

My research should suggest that listening strategies can enhance preschool listening comprehension skills such as read aloud is great way to improve listening comprehension skills. While reading I asked the students questions about what's happening, and what she thinks will happen next, characters and setting

Discussing stories improve comprehension, helping children understand. After I encouraged them to retell events in sequential order. I used the book the Little Red Hen I also implemented retelling strategies, role- play, asking questions and re-telling.

My research question is will implementing retelling strategies improve listening comprehension in LD preschoolers?

The data analysis collected for this research was conducted by using sample of student's work (drawings), teacher observations and a parent survey. I collected several sample of students work. The students were asked to draw pictures about what they comprehended from the story. The students were encouraged to use what happened first, second and third method while drawing the pictures relating to the stories.

Review of Relevant Literature

Over the course of six weeks I conducted an informal assessment of comprehension using story re-telling and asking comprehension questions.

I used the book the Little Red Hen because the text was predictable and simple for preschoolers to recall story events. After the story was red I asked the students what did they enjoy about the story. I gave the students ample time to give several responses. Finally I asked what happened first, second, third...last in the story believe it or not all 20 students hands went up. Then I worked in a small group with the four students with IEP services. The small group consisted of two boys and two girls Ages 4. After I Re-Read the story the story were asked to re-tell the story. The students needed several prompting. However the students were able to sequence the events in the story. Retelling is used to assess and to develop listening and reading comprehension. In both of Morrow's (1985,1986) studies, students who practiced retelling as part of their reading instruction improved their language skills and more specifically the language needed to express understanding of a story. In the study conducted by Gambrell and Koskinen (1991) the researchers observed how students' retellings seemed to improve with a mere four practice sessions. Re-telling is very important to build comprehension. Kouri, T.K. and Winn, J. 2006 Conducted a study with thirty kindergarten and first grade children that listened to story books that were read to them in a sung or spoken voice after the story was read the students were asked comprehension questions the study showed that there was not much of a difference with students different conditions but there were some advantages in language expression and an increase attention and focus. I believe if a difference can be made it was worth the try.

Active participation in literacy event improves childrens language structure and ability to comprehend (Dole et al., 1991; Morrow, 1997)

Methods/Methodology

The study was conducted at Freeport head start. The school has an enrollment of 53 students. 40 students are Hispanic, 5 students are Haitian, 5 students are Asian, and 3 students are Jamaican. 7 students out of the 53 students receive speech and language services.

Four students were used to conduct this research all four students have an IEP. The four students attend the Head Start program and are second year students. Two of students are female and two are male all four students are 4yrs. These four students are not readers but are currently emergent readers. The small group was done 3x a week for about 25mins a day.

Results/Findings

The Study was conducted over a 6 period. Students were given ample time to read throughout the day the books are also provided on tape. Also to make it fun for preschool add props and role-playing was added. The book Go away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley is available in the classroom on tape as well and audio. After the story was read the students were given the opportunity to role playing the story with a Go Away Big Green Monster mitten with removable Velcro pieces. Students remove each piece in sequential order like in correlation to the book. It is important to engage each child and make literacy fun and interactive. The student's now "own" they have a full understanding of the book and the sequential order of the story.

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