A new report from researchers at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) indicates that children who attend Georgia’s pre-K program achieve expected or greater-than-expected gains in language and literacy skills, largely due to intentional teaching strategies and nurturing classroom environments.

The report, Georgia’s pre-K Evaluation: Study of Language Development in pre-K, which was funded by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), shares the findings of a yearlong study. Building on earlier evaluations of Georgia’s Pre-k program, this study offers a more detailed look at language and literacy development during the 2022–23 school year. Unlike previous research that explored broader developmental areas such as math and social-emotional skills, this study focused specifically on language and literacy. Using more precise measures, FPG Senior Research Scientist Sandra Soliday Hong, PhD, and her colleagues examined which aspects of the program most effectively support children’s growth in these areas. They evaluated teacher-child interactions with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), second edition, and assessed classroom language and literacy practices using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO). The research included a statewide random sample of 146 Georgia pre-K classrooms and validated assessments of 812 randomly selected children.

The quality of Georgia’s pre-K teacher-child interactions and classroom environments stood out for the investigators, as did the high-quality language and literacy practices and supports. Classrooms with stronger ELLCO scores saw meaningful gains in children’s vocabulary and phonological awareness, underscoring the value of rich language and literacy environments in early learning. Teachers also pointed to opportunities for additional support, including professional development and classroom resources to strengthen instruction and better meet the needs of dual language learners, children with disabilities, and children from families with lower levels of educational attainment.

“Georgia’s pre-K classrooms are providing interactions with children that are warm, responsive, and language-rich within enriched learning environments,” the report states. Additionally, “classrooms that were observed using intentional strategies to support vocabulary knowledge during designated times in their schedule and where children were highly engaged in language activities, facilitated slightly greater-than-expected growth in vocabulary knowledge relative to same-age peers.”

Those factors worked together to generate strong student skill growth in language and literacy, the FPG researchers conclude. “Children attending the Georgia Pre-K program continue to demonstrate patterns of growth in their language development that are similar to or exceed skill growth of other children of the same age within a national sample.”  

The FPG team’s positive assessment of pre-K’s impact on language and literacy skill-building is consistent with the results of previous investigations into its effect on student development broadly: 

• A 2012–2013 study, also by FPG, found that pre-K participation had significant positive effects on children’s kindergarten readiness, including improvements in language and literacy, math, and general knowledge.
• A 2015–2016 analysis of third-grade milestone test results by Child Trends showed that students who attended pre-K outperformed classmates who did not.
• A 2013–2019 longitudinal study, also by FPG, concluded that at the end of fourth grade, the children who attended pre-K were still performing at or above the national average and had better language, literacy, and executive function skills than those who did not.    

“Language and literacy skill development is critical for building a strong foundation for future learning, so it’s gratifying that research continues to document pre-K’s effectiveness in moving the needle on young learners’ progress in that area,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “This study is also helpful because it pinpoints areas where additional supports could improve literacy levels moving forward.”

Hong’s colleagues in this work include co-authors Kylie Garber, PhD, Lindsay Gomes, PhD, Robert Carr, PhD, and Jada Walker and Georgia’s Pre-K Program Evaluation Team, including the research staff: Cristina Luna Evans, Thomas Leggett, Judy Owen, Emily Howe; and data collectors Kim Arakas, Joan Boudousquie, Kim Casey, C.L. Dunn, Deborah Hallman, Stacey Harris, Debra Laing, Kim Lane, LaJuana Johnson-Mendez, Elizabeth Milling, Elizabeth Menhart, Terry Salguero and Peggy Tymes.

The full report and executive summary are available on DECAL’s website.