Boosting Emergent Literacy: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Universal Intervention for Preschoolers
摘要
Emergent literacy skills are key predictors of later success in reading and writing. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a digital intervention designed to enhance these skills among preschool-aged children. A total of 539 children attending the final year of preschool education in Portugal participated in the study, with 301 assigned to the waiting list control group and 238 to the experimental group. The intervention consisted of interactive digital activities targeting core components of emergent literacy, including phonological awareness, vocabulary, print knowledge, and early writing skills. Pre and post-intervention assessments were conducted to evaluate the program’s effectiveness across these domains. Findings revealed a significant positive effect on phonological awareness, particularly among children who received less than 12 h of intervention, this group demonstrated the greatest gains. However, no significant improvements were observed in vocabulary or print concept knowledge. These results highlight the importance of a multifaceted approach to early literacy development and point to the need for further research into how digital interventions can be optimized to support a broader spectrum of literacy outcomes. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the role of technology in early childhood education and its implications for curriculum design.