Results

Consistently Strong, Documented Results

Each year, our research has shown that the Nemours BrightStart! Complete Program for Early Literacy Success significantly improves the early literacy skills of at-risk pre-kindergarteners.

Based upon our longitudinal studies, we also have evidence that most of those at-risk children make good progress with reading in kindergarten through third grade.

These child outcomes indicate that Nemours BrightStart! instruction has a remarkable benefit for nearly all participants.

The graphs below show two critical points:
  • How far behind the at-risk children are in their early literacy skills at the beginning of pre-kindergarten (fall pre-test average scores)
  • How much they close the gap and catch up after receiving the Nemours BrightStart! targeted instruction (spring post-test average scores). 

The Nemours BrightStart! Complete Program for Early Literacy Success technical manual summarizes outcomes for several years of cluster randomized studies.
Download Technical Manual (PDF) »

Closing the Achievement Gap

Identifying and Intervening Early with Pre-K Children to Ensure Reading Success

Reading readiness improves dramatically for at-risk children after Nemours
BrightStart! instruction.

2005-2010 School Years

The at-risk group included children who scored below average on the fall screening and later received Nemours BrightStart! intervention prior to being screened toward the end of their pre-kindergarten year.

2010-2011 School Year

These results have been replicated in every year that Nemours BrightStart! has been in operation, signifying the “real world” impact we are having on thousands of children.

2010-2011 School Year


In 2010, the Get Ready to Read screening tool was revised (GRTR-R) to include five additional questions. This revision also allowed for the calculation of a standard score. The standard scale provides an opportunity to determine how a child scores in relation to a large group of same-age children on which the test was developed (beyond that of the non-intervention peer sample).

The range of average scores is 90-110. Children receiving Nemours BrightStart! instruction in 2010-2011 moved their standard scores from the below-average range in the fall (81.5) of their pre-kindergarten year to well into the average range by spring (96.6), shown in the figure above.

Publications & Presentations

Nemours BrightStart! research is well represented in the academic literature and in national and regional presentations.

Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Bailet, L. (2011). Learning disabilities. In textbook of Pediatric Care, American Academy of Pediatrics.
  • Bailet, L.L., Repper, K.K., Murphy, S.P., & Piasta, S.B., Zettler-Greeley, C.M. (2011). Emergent literacy intervention for pre-kindergarteners at risk for reading failure: A two-year follow-up study. Journal of Learning Disabilities Published online before print June 17, 2011, doi: 10.1177/0022219411407925.
  • Bailet, L.L., Repper, K.K., Piasta, S.B., & Murphy, S.P. (2009). Emergent literacy intervention for pre-kindergarteners at risk for reading failure. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 336-355.

Research Presentations

2012

  • Bailet, L. (2012, January). Small group literacy instruction, Parts I and II. Paper presented at the Louisiana Department of Education Preschool and Kindergarten Conference, Baton Rouge, LA.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, January). RTI: Tier II Early literacy program and outcomes. Paper presented at the Florida Division for Learning Disabilities Regional Symposium, Orlando, FL.
  • DeLucca, T., McKay-Easters, M., Zettler-Greeley, C., & Bailet, L. (2012, February). Closing the Reading Readiness Gap: A Multisensory Approach to Early Literacy Intervention for Ethnically Diverse Learners. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Themed Meeting, Tampa, FL. View poster »
  • Lewis, K., Ginsburg-Block, M., Zettler-Greeley, C., & Bailet, L. (2012, February). Family Early Literacy Practices Questionnaire: A validation study. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C., & Ginsburg-Block, M. (2012, February). Home literacy environment and preschool early literacy outcomes. Paper presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Christina Nicolaides, Preston Miller, Cynthia Zettler-Greeley, Teri DeLucca, Molly McKay-Easters, & Laura Bailet (2012, March). Emergent writing in pre-kindergarten children at risk for reading failure: Impact of an early literacy intervention.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, April). Small group literacy instruction: Making it work in your program. Paper presented at the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, Columbus, OH.
  • DeLucca, T. (2012, April). A multi-faceted examination of children’s early literacy skills; child, family, and physician outcomes. Paper presented at the Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, May). Small group literacy instruction: Making it work in your classroom! Paper presented at the 15th Head Start Annual Training Institute, Tampa, FL.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, June). Using SLPs to help implement differentiated instruction. Paper presented to the Louisiana Department of Education, Baton Rouge, LA.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, June). Finding common ground around the Common Core Standards. Paper presented to the Charleston County School District, Charleston, SC.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, June). Small group literacy instruction: Make it work in your classroom. Paper presented to the Charleston County School District, Charleston, SC.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, June). Mini-plenary on child health and literacy. Paper presented at the Grade-Level Reading Community Network Conference and All-America City Awards Celebration, Denver, CO.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C., Long, G., & Ginsburg-Block, M. (2012, June). A bright start on literacy! Paper presented at the 3rd Annual Jane Davidson Symposium on Play, Newark, DE.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, July). Closing the reading readiness gap. Paper presented at the Grade-Level Reading Community Network Conference and All-America City Awards Celebration, Denver, CO.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C. (2012, July). Evidence-based literacy practice: Early really does work best! Paper presented at the One Goal Summer Conference, Tampa, FL.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, August). Update on genetics and neurobiology of dyslexia. Paper presented at the Cape Cod Pediatrics for the Primary Care, Cape Cod, MA.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, August). Practical tools to support reading development. Paper presented at the Cape Cod Pediatrics for the Primary Care, Cape Cod, MA.
  • Bailet, L. (2012, September). A Promising RTI Tier 2 Early Literacy Intervention: Results from Cluster Randomized Controlled Studies and Longitudinal Follow-Up. Paper accepted for presentation at the Center for RTI in Early Childhood Conference, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C., DeLucca, T., & Bailet, L. (2012, September). Parent Perceptions of English Language Learners’ Reading Readiness Skills. Poster accepted for presentation at the Center for RTI in Early Childhood Conference, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM.

See Research Presentations from Previous Years

 
2011
  • DeLucca, T., McKay-Easters, M., Zettler-Greeley C., & Bailet, L. (2011, November). The effectiveness of emergent literacy intervention for pre-kindergarteners at risk for reading failure: A longitudinal growth curve analysis. Poster presented at the International Dyslexia Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Ill.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C., & Bailet, L. (2011, November). Parent perceptions of child emergent literacy: Influence of intervention. Poster presented at the International Dyslexia Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Ill.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C., Ginsberg-Block, M., Lewis, K., & Bailet, L. (2011, September). RTI Tier 2 preschool emergent literacy instruction: Program outcomes and the impact of child and home environment factors. Poster presented at the Third Annual RTI Early Childhood Summit, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C., Bailet, L., & Meyerholtz, V. (2011, June). Implementation fidelity of a response to intervention Tier 2 preschool early literacy program: Impact of instructor education and teaching experience. Poster presented at the National Institute for Early Child Professional Development Conference, Providence, RI. View poster »
  • Ginsberg-Block, M., Lewis, K., Bailet, L., Murphy, S., & Zettler-Greeley, C. (2011, February). Home literacy environment and emergent literacy outcomes. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA. View poster »
 
2010
  • Bailet, L. (2010, October). Proven methods for teaching students with difficulties in pre-reading skills. Presented at the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference, Newark, DE.
  • Bailet, L. (2010, October). Proven methods for teaching students with difficulties in pre-reading skills. Presented at the 55th Annual Conference of the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children.
    Orlando, FL.
  • Ellis, D. M. (2010, October). Fidelity of implementation. Roundtable discussion at the 55th Annual Florida Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, Orlando, FL.
  • Bailet, L. (2010, July). Using an evidence-based pre-kindergarten reading readiness program to inform public policy. Presented at the One Goal Summer Conference, Tampa, FL.
  • Ellis, D. M. (2010, July). Implementation fidelity of an early literacy tier-two intervention program. Presentation at the One Goal Summer Conference, Tampa, FL.
  • Meyerholtz, V., & Gregory, A. (2010, July). Teaching phonological awareness the "phun" way: Giving teachers the necessary tools to develop the early literacy skills in young children. Presented at the One Goal Summer Conference, Tampa, FL.
  • Ellis, D., Repper, K. & Zettler-Greeley, C. (2010, June). A targeted early literacy intervention for pre-kindergarteners identified as "at risk" for reading failure: Outcomes for English Language Learners. Poster presented at the 11th National Head Start Research Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • Meyerholtz, V. (2010, May). Developmentally-appropriate practices for parents and teachers: Giving parents and teachers the necessary tools to develop the early literacy skills in young children. Presented at the Scottish Rite Learning Center, Austin, TX.
  • Zettler-Greeley, C. (2010, May). An early literacy intervention program for pre-kindergarteners: From research to practice. Presented at the Scottish Rite Learning Center, Austin, TX.
  • Bailet, L. (2010, April). Early identification and interventions for young children at risk for reading failure: Why are so many children struggling readers? Presented at the Young Children with Special Needs Conference, Jacksonville, FL.
  • Bailet, L. (2010, March). Measuring and closing the reading readiness achievement gap in pre-kindergarteners. Presented at the National Policy Symposium for the National Association of Childcare Resource and Referral Agencies, Washington, D.C.
 
2009
  • Repper, K., Ellis, D., Bailet, L. (2009, November). Efficacy of a targeted intervention for pre-kindergarten children identified as "at risk" for reading failure. Presentation to 60th Annual Conference of The International Dyslexia Association, Orlando, FL.
  • Ginsburg-Block, M., Golinkoff, R., Can, D., Thomas, S., Lewis, K., West, C., Repper, K., and Bailet, L. (2009, February). Measuring family involvement in early literacy: Parental beliefs as a predictor. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists,
    Boston, MA.
  • Repper, K., Harrison, K. D., Bailet L. (2009, February). Can childcare workers reliably administer a brief measure of emergent reading skills to pre-kindergarten children? Poster presented at the International Reading Association Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
 
2008
  • Bailet, L. and Repper, K. (2008, October). Nemours BrightStart! Early literacy outcomes year 2 and year 3. Nemours Research Conference, Jacksonville, FL.
  • Repper, K. and Ellis, D. (2008). Nemours BrightStart! Dyslexia Initiative: Impact on early reading skills in "at-risk" 4-year-olds. Special Needs Conference, Jacksonville, FL.
  • Repper, K. and Ellis, D. (2008, June). Efficacy of a targeted intervention for pre-kindergarten children identified as "at-risk" for reading failure. Poster presented at the Head Start 9th National Research Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • Repper, K. and Ellis, D. (2008, June). Can childcare workers reliably administer a brief measure of emergent reading skills to pre-kindergarten children? Poster presented at the Head Start 9th National Research Conference, Washington, D.C.