Keywords

dose, emergent literacy, intervention, print, treatment intensity

 

Authors

  1. Breit-Smith, Allison PhD
  2. Justice, Laura M. PhD
  3. McGinty, Anita S. PhD
  4. Kaderavek, Joan PhD

Abstract

This article describes the current state of evidence regarding treatment intensity of print referencing intervention. Although studies of print referencing intervention demonstrate overall net positive impacts for children's emergent literacy development, researchers have yet to identify explicitly how often children should experience print referencing for these positive impacts to occur. Six print referencing intervention studies are identified in the literature and reviewed for differences in how often and how much print referencing intervention is delivered. Using the framework set out by S. F. Warren, M. E. Fey, and P. J. Yoder (2007), this article specifically discusses and compares variations in 5 treatment intensity variables (dose, dose form, dose frequency, total intervention duration, and cumulative intervention intensity) for the 6 studies of print referencing intervention. Effect-size estimates suggest a trend toward moderate effects of more intensive print referencing intervention and large effects for relatively less intensive print referencing intervention. This trend however is likely confounded by other contextual, individual, and treatment intensity factors. Therefore, suggestions for ongoing research exploring the differential effects of intensity of print referencing intervention are presented.