The effects of a science vocabulary intervention for young children at risk for oral language difficulties

Introducing young children to scientific vocabulary in early elementary school may promote background knowledge on science topics and support reading comprehension in later grades. In the current dissertation study, the researcher explored a science vocabulary intervention that targeted words related to science topics outlined in the kindergarten science standards. Twenty-nine children ages four and five who were at risk for oral language difficulties were randomly assigned to either the intervention or business-as-usual (BAU) condition. Over the course of 15 days, children in the intervention group participated in lessons that consisted of the intervention teacher reading aloud an informational science picture book and then guiding the children through a scientific investigation. Children in the BAU group received typical classroom instruction with their regular classroom teacher. Children’s vocabulary knowledge was assessed one week before and one week after the intervention using two standardized vocabulary assessments and one researcher-developed science vocabulary assessment. Findings of this study show that children in the intervention group did not outperform children in the BAU group on any of the posttest vocabulary measures. The limitations and practical implications of this study are discussed.