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We investigated a small-group intervention designed to teach vocabulary and comprehension skills to preschoolers who were at risk for language and reading disabilities. These language skills are important and reliable predictors of later academic achievement. Preschoolers heard prerecorded stories 3 times per week over the course of a school year. A cluster randomized design was used to evaluate the effects of hearing storybooks with and without embedded vocabulary and comprehension lessons. A total of 32 classrooms were randomly assigned to experimental and comparison conditions. Approximately 6 children per classroom demonstrating low vocabulary knowledge, totaling 195 children, were enrolled. Preschoolers in the comparison condition did not learn novel, challenging vocabulary words to which they were exposed in story contexts, whereas preschoolers receiving embedded lessons demonstrated significant learning gains, although vocabulary learning diminished over the course of the school year. Modest gains in comprehension skills did not differ between the two groups. The Story Friends curriculum appears to be highly feasible for delivery in early childhood educational settings and effective at teaching challenging vocabulary to high-risk preschoolers.

Children who do not develop early literacy skills, especially phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge, prior to kindergarten are at risk for reading difficulties. We investigated a supplemental curriculum with children demonstrating delays in these skills. A cluster randomized design with 104 preschool-age children in 39 classrooms was used to determine the efficacy of a supplemental PA curriculum, PAth to Literacy. The curriculum consists of 36 daily scripted 10-min lessons with interactive games designed to teach PA and alphabet skills. A vocabulary intervention (Story Friends), which also uses a small-group format, served as the comparison condition. Multilevel modeling indicated that children in the experimental condition demonstrated significantly greater gains on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) First Sound Fluency (Dynamic Measurement Group, 2006) and Word Parts Fluency (Kaminski & Powell-Smith, 2011) measures. Educational relevance was evident: 82% of the children in the experimental condition met the kindergarten benchmark for First Sound Fluency compared with 34% of the children in the comparison condition. Teachers reported overall satisfaction with the lessons. Results indicated that the vast majority of children demonstrating early literacy delays in preschool may benefit from a supplemental PA curriculum that has the potential to prevent reading difficulties as children transition to kindergarten.

Purpose: We investigated a small-group intervention designed to teach vocabulary and comprehension skills to preschoolers who were at risk for language and reading disabilities. These language skills are important and reliable predictors of later academic achievement. Method: Preschoolers heard prerecorded stories 3 times per week over the course of a school year. A cluster randomized design was used to evaluate the effects of hearing storybooks with and without embedded vocabulary and comprehension lessons. A total of 32 classrooms were randomly assigned to experimental and comparison conditions. Approximately 6 children per classroom demonstrating low vocabulary knowledge, totaling 195 children, were enrolled. Results: Preschoolers in the comparison condition did not learn novel, challenging vocabulary words to which they were exposed in story contexts, whereas preschoolers receiving embedded lessons demonstrated significant learning gains, although vocabulary learning diminished over the course of the school year. Modest gains in comprehension skills did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion: The Story Friends curriculum appears to be highly feasible for delivery in early childhood educational settings and effective at teaching challenging vocabulary to high-risk preschoolers.

Purpose: Children who do not develop early literacy skills, especially phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge, prior to kindergarten are at risk for reading difficulties. We investigated a supplemental curriculum with children demonstrating delays in these skills. Method: A cluster randomized design with 104 preschool-age children in 39 classrooms was used to determine the efficacy of a supplemental PA curriculum, \"PAth to Literacy.\" The curriculum consists of 36 daily scripted 10-min lessons with interactive games designed to teach PA and alphabet skills. A vocabulary intervention (\"Story Friends\"), which also uses a small-group format, served as the comparison condition. Results: Multilevel modeling indicated that children in the experimental condition demonstrated significantly greater gains on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) First Sound Fluency (Dynamic Measurement Group, 2006) and Word Parts Fluency (Kaminski & Powell-Smith, 2011) measures. Educational relevance was evident: 82% of the children in the experimental condition met the kindergarten benchmark for First Sound Fluency compared with 34% of the children in the comparison condition. Teachers reported overall satisfaction with the lessons. Conclusions: Results indicated that the vast majority of children demonstrating early literacy delays in preschool may benefit from a supplemental PA curriculum that has the potential to prevent reading difficulties as children transition to kindergarten.

Learning a second language can be a frustrating process if a learner does not develop effective learning strategies to take control of his/her learning process. Taking control of one’s learning involves developing metacognitive strategies such as setting appropriate goals, monitoring progress and reflecting on outcomes (see Zimmerman 2002; Perry, Nordby and VandeKamp 2003). In the self-access learning centre (SALC) at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), independent study modules are offered in order to help learners develop these metacognitive strategies, thereby fostering the capacity for autonomous language learning. Goal-setting is a commonly used metacognitive strategy in self-directed learning, and is

Persons with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) use multiple medications (polypharmacy) to manage the high number of secondary complications and concurrent conditions. Despite the prevalence of polypharmacy and challenges associated with managing medications, there are few tools to support medication self-management for persons with SCI. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and summarize what is reported in the literature on medication self-management interventions for adults with traumatic SCI. Electronic databases and grey literature were searched for articles that included an adult population with a traumatic SCI and an intervention targeting medication management. The intervention was required to incorporate a component of self-management. Articles were double screened and data were extracted and synthesized using descriptive approaches. Three studies were included in this review, all of which were quantitative. A mobile app and two education-based interventions to address self-management of SCI, medication management, and pain management, respectively, were included. Only one of the interventions was co-developed with patients, caregivers, and clinicians. There was minimal overlap in the outcomes measured across the studies, but learning outcomes (e.g., perceived knowledge and confidence), behavioural outcomes (e.g., management strategies, data entry), and clinical outcomes (e.g., number of medications, pain scores, functional outcomes) were evaluated. Results of the interventions varied, but some positive outcomes were noted. There is an opportunity to better support medication self-management for persons with SCI by co-designing an intervention with end-users that comprehensively addresses self-management. This will aid in understanding why interventions work, for whom, in what setting, and under what circumstances.

Adults with spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D) face challenges with medications they take to manage their secondary conditions (e.g., pain, urinary tract infections, autonomic dysreflexia). With many healthcare providers typically involved in care, there are additional challenges with care fragmentation and self-management. Prior research emphasized the desire for more support with medication self-management among this population. To explore what content should be included in a medication self-management resource (i.e., toolkit) for adults with SCI/D, as well as considerations for delivery from the perspectives of adults with SCI/D, caregivers, healthcare providers, and representatives from community organizations. A concept mapping study was conducted. Participants took part in one or more of three activities: brainstorming; sorting and rating; and mapping. Participants generated ideas about the content to include in a medication self-management toolkit. Participants sorted the statements into conceptual piles and assigned a name to each. All statements were rated on a five-point Likert-type scale on importance and realistic to include in the toolkit. Participants decided on the final cluster map, rearranged statements, and assigned a name to each cluster to create visual representations of the data. Forty-four participants took part in this study. The final map contained eight clusters: 1) information-sharing and communication; 2) healthcare provider interactions and involvement; 3) peer and community connections; 4) supports and services for accessing prescription medications and medication information; 5) information on non-prescription medication and medication supplies; 6) safety and lifestyle considerations; 7) general medication information; and 8) practical information and strategies related to medication-taking. Safety and lifestyle considerations was rated as the most important and realistic to include in the toolkit. Given the limited tools to help adults with SCI/D with managing their medications, there is great potential to better support this population across all areas of medication self-management.

The use of multiple medications is common following a stroke for secondary prevention and management of co-occurring chronic conditions. Given the use of multiple medications post-stroke, optimizing medication self-management for this population is important. The objective of this scoping review was to identify and summarize what has been reported in the literature on interventions related to medication self-management for adults (aged 18+) with stroke. Electronic databases (Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, EBSCO CINAHL, Ovid PsycINFO, Web of Science) and grey literature were searched to identify relevant articles. For inclusion, articles were required to include an adult population with stroke undergoing an intervention aimed at modifying or improving medication management that incorporated a component of self-management. Two independent reviewers screened the articles for inclusion. Data were extracted and summarized using descriptive content analysis. Of the 56 articles that met the inclusion criteria, the focus of most interventions was on improvement of secondary stroke prevention through risk factor management and lifestyle modifications. The majority of studies included medication self-management as a component of a broader intervention. Most interventions used both face-to-face interactions and technology for delivery. Behavioural outcomes, specifically medication adherence, were the most commonly targeted outcomes across the interventions. However, the majority of interventions did not specifically or holistically target medication self-management. There is an opportunity to better support medication self-management post-stroke by ensuring interventions are delivered across sectors or in the community, developing an understanding of the optimal frequency and duration of delivery, and qualitatively exploring experiences with the interventions to ensure ongoing improvement.