A Speech Sound and Phonemic Awareness Intervention in Flemish Early Childhood Education

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
The language intervention 'Kaatje Klank' is designed for stimulating the speech production and speech perception skills of 4-year-olds in an early childhood educational setting, in order to stimulate early literacy skills. These skills are crucial skills for technical reading in later ages. Good reading skills are an important condition for academic success. To measure the effect of the language intervention 'Kaatje Klank', the intervention will be applied in six Dutch preschool classes (n = 100 children, 50% native speakers of Dutch, 50% non-native speakers) during 12 weeks (daily). Teachers will be trained and observed using a coaching trajectory.To measure the effect on speech production and perception skills, a pre- and posttest and a comparison with a matched control group (n = 100 children, 50% native speakers of Dutch, 50% non-native speakers) will be used. The control group will receive a different language intervention which focuses on vocabulary development (World-project).

Official Title
-----------------
Spreken Verfijnen in de Kleuterklas: De Ontwikkeling Van Een Spraakdidactiek Als Uitbreiding op de Gangbare Taaldidactiek in Het Kleuteronderwijs

Conditions
-----------------
Other Developmental Disorders of Speech and Language

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Other: speech sound intervention
* Other: World-project


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: In eary childhood education in Flanders (2de kleuterklas) Exclusion Criteria: Language or speech disorder Less than 1 year acquiring Dutch

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 3 Years
Maximum Age: 5 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Speech sound intervention<br>This group receives a speech sound and phonemic awareness intervention for four months. | Other: speech sound intervention<br>* An intervention that stimulates speech sound perception and production in four-year-olds. Each day at preschool the children receive a 15 to 20 minutes intervention, for 12 weeks<br>* Other names: Kaatje Klank;|
| Active Comparator: World-project<br>This group receives the WORLD intervention for four months. | Other: World-project<br>* An intervention that stimulates vocabulary development in four-year-olds. Each day at preschool the children receive a 120 minutes intervention, for 10 weeks<br>* Other names: Wereldwoorden;|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| test battery: speech articulation test + phonemic awareness |  | Participants will be tested after an intervention of 12 weeks. The expected average test duration is 16 minutes | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| vocabulary test (Wereldwoorden project) |  | Participants will be tested after an intervention of 12 weeks. The expected average test duration is 4 minutes |