An investigation into the effects of the implementation of the Sesame Street Preschool Education Program initiative on the concepts about print in four and five-year-old children in day care settings

This investigation explored the possibility that implementation of the Sesame Street Preschool Education Program (PEP) Initiative might provide one avenue for strengthening emerging concepts about print in preschool children. Supported in part by KERA Channel 13 and Sesame Street PEP Initiative, Dallas, Texas, and this study served to provide initial summative data regarding PEP Initiative and concepts about print.;The sample for this study consisted of predominantly middle class four and five-year-olds attending one of two suburban day care centers and participating in a minimum of 80% of the four required PEP Initiative activities. Treatment was carried out over a 10 week period in four classrooms. Training for all research teachers was provided by the PEP Initiative training staff using the regular six-hour training module.;The TERA-2 was individually administered to obtain the subjects' understanding of concepts about print. A pre and post-test design was used, and the mean score data analyzed with (a) a univariate t-test to compare the overall treatment effect, and (b) repeated measures analysis of variance to investigate the effects due to age, ethnicity, and gender.;This investigation resulted in significant increases in mean scores on the composite concepts about print, as well as on each of the three variable components of meaning, alphabet, and convention. Largest gains occurred on the component measuring discovery of conventions about print and may be directly related to the storybook component of PEP. It is concluded that an interactive and coordinated approach to television viewing, storybook reading, and related activities can enhance concepts about print in young children.