Educational development of pre-school children aged 3-4 with programme specifically targetting language skills, home learning environment and school readiness. Other
Conditions
Interventions
This research uses a two-armed randomised controlled efficacy trial design delivered under ideal conditions with allocation at child level but with pupils nested within school nurseries. Children will
Sponsors
Durham University
University of Manchester
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
3 Years to 4 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: School level inclusion criteria To be included schools must: 1. Be state- funded and have a nursery which is administratively part of the school setting 2. Be located in areas with high scores on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (including Warrington, Bolton, Rochdale, Lancashire, Tameside, and Blackpool) 3. Agree to all study requirements outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which describe their commitment to the delivery of PACT and participation of a minimum number of families (n=4) in the trial and administration of research measures 4. Agree to and sign a project specific Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) Child level inclusion criteria To be included the child must: 1. Be 3 or 4 years old by September 2021 and attend a participating nursery in the year before they start school 2. Have someone within a their household who is able to access the resources by having a basic level of English. 3. Not have a sibling in the same target year group 4. Not have a suspected or diagnosed developmental or learning difficulty 5. Not be part of a family which took part in a previous PACT trial
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: School level Exclusion Criteria 1. Schools that do not have a nursery within the school 2. Schools out of area for the project (outside of the North West) 3. Schools who are unable to recruit at least 4 children to take part in the trial 4. Non- statefunded schools Child level Exclusion Criteria 1. Children who are not due to start school in following September 2. Children who do not have someone with a basic level of English in their household 3. Children who have a sibling in the same target year group 4. Children with a suspected or diagnosed developmental or learning difficulty 5. Children where the family has previously taken part in a PACT trial
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Language skills are measured using the LanguageScreen assessment which will be collected by a member of staff in the child's nursery at baseline (September 2021) and immediately after the intervention delivery period (June/July 2022) as well as 11 months post intervention (May/June 2023). The primary outcome measure will be a latent variable created using 4 LanguageScreen subscale standardised scores (Expressive vocabulary, Receptive Vocabulary, Listening Comprehension and Sentence Repeition) as in the PACT-2 trial also funded by EEF. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Specific domains of Language Skills using researcher-delivered standardised tests at immediate post-test (June/July 2022) and 11 month delayed post-test: 1.1. Expressive vocabulary as measured using Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals 2 UK (CELF-Preschool 2 UK) – Expressive vocabulary subscale raw score 1.2. Receptive vocabulary as measured by British Picture Vocabulary Scale – 3 (BPVS-3) raw score 1.3. Grammar and information giving abilities as measured by the Renfrew Action Picture Test (APT), information score and grammar score 2. Early literacy skills as measured at 11 month delayed post-test (May/June 2023) using Early Word Reading, Letter-Sound Knowledge and Sound deletion subtest from York Assessment of Reading Comprehension (YARC). 3. Child’s home learning environment measured by the parent-reported Home Learning Environment Index (HLE) at baseline (September 2021) and immediate post-test (June/July 2022) 4. Specific domains of language skills (assessed by LanguageScreen subtest scores) at baseline, immediate post-test (June/July 2022) and 11 month delayed post-test (May/June 2023) 5. School readiness, measured by teacher reported Brief Early Skills and Support Index (BESSI) at immediate post-test (June/July 2022). | — |
Countries
England, United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed