TOLD
Treatment of Lexical Deficits in Children with Specific Language Impairment
Shelley Gray, Principal Investigator
Funded by the National Institutes of Health

The primary goals of this research project are to develop methods for identifying the individual word-learning deficits of young children with SLI and to evaluate prescriptive treatments targeting those deficits. The research plan is based on the premise that word learning may be compromised by processing deficits in one or more lexical levels including the conceptual, lexical-semantic, or phonological. A series of four cross-sectional and one longitudinal study will test the hypothesis that phonological and/or semantic encoding or retrieval cues designed to improve the storage or retrieval of lexical-semantic or phonological level representations of words improves word learning in preschoolers with SLI. This research program will increase our theoretical understanding of the underlying deficits of specific language impairment and will develop new treatments to help children reach their full potential by improving language growth, positively impacting children’s qualify of life and significantly increasing their likelihood of school success.

TERF
Tempe Early Reading First Partnership Shelley Gray, Principal Investigator

The Tempe Early Reading First Partnership is a $2.5 million, three year grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Early Reading First program to foster early acquisition of reading skills by preschool children. Combining research, professional development and community outreach, the program collaborates with elementary schools and pre-school programs to prepare pre-kindergarten children for success in reading and to establish a proven model that other schools can use. The project involves an ASU research team headed by Shelley Gray from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at ASU working in collaboration with personnel from the Tempe Elementary School District, Maricopa County Headstart, Wings On Words Preschool in Tucson, and the Arizona Literacy and Learning Center. The program aims to increase preschoolers' level of spoken language as well as awareness of the alphabet and print. Also built into the teaching are methods for assessing learning progress, screening for early literacy problems and creating a language and print-rich classroom environment. A key part of the program is intensive teacher training in early literacy, including coursework that provides college credit and in-classroom mentoring by an experienced early childhood team.

Links:
http://www.asu.edu/news/research/deagrant_090204.htm http://www.asu.edu/news/stories/200604/20060427_PresRecog.htm

VALE
Vocabulary and Abstract Language Enhancement
Laida Restrepo, Principal Investigator; Shelley Gray, Co-Investigator
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Educational Sciences

The VALE project is designed to improve reading comprehension in young Latino children using a focused, direct vocabulary and abstract language enhancement intervention in kindergarten. We are comparing the effects of English-Spanish and English only instruction. Trained teachers provide the intervention using repeated dialogic-reading and hands-on problem solving activities within thematic units.

PCG
Preschool Curriculum Grant
The Development and Efficacy of a Curriculum-Based Language and Early Literacy Intervention for Preschool Children with Developmental Disabilities
Jeanne Wilcox, Principal Investigator; Shelley Gray, Co-Principal Investigator
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Educational Sciences

The primary purposes of this project are to determine the efficacy of a language and early literacy curriculum (Trophies Pre-K) adapted for use with preschool children with developmental disabilities and to evaluate the extent to which the addition of an explicit oral language teaching protocol further enhances children’s gains in oral language, pre-reading, and pre-writing skills. Secondary purposes are to examine factors that influence children’s response to the interventions, professional development and intervention fidelity, and the perceived value and feasibility of the interventions from the perspective of the preschool classroom personnel.

ASU-Head Start Hispanic Partnership:
Professional Development in Early Childhood Education
Beth Swadener, Principal Investigator, Jeanne Wilcox; Co-Principal Investigator; Laida Restrepo, Project Investigator; Shelley Gray, Project Investigator; Kellie Rolstad, Project Investigator
Funded by The Head Start-Higher Education Hispanic Service Institution Partnership

This collaborative project addresses the Head Start Act teacher qualification requirements By preparing 40 Head Start (HS) teachers to meet the specialized needs of Hispanic children who are learning English as a second language, who may be at risk for reading failure, and who come from low-income families. Our primary objectives are for the HS teachers to earn (a) their Bachelor’s degree, and (b) the newly adopted Arizona Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teaching Certificate that includes a structured English immersion (SEI) endorsement. The teachers will achieve these objectives by completing a newly designed interdisciplinary curriculum and professional development experiences that emphasize early language and literacy development, bilingualism, bi-literacy, and effective teaching practices for young Hispanic children, including those with and without developmental disabilities.