Research Insights: Can Training and Coaching Teachers and the Provision of Structured Materials Improve Early Literacy among First-Grade Students?

A one-year teacher professional development program was effective at improving students literacy skills by the end of first grade (0.39 of a standard deviation in overall literacy proficiency). Literacy gains persisted through the second and third grades, even though teachers in those grades were not part of the program. Gains were homogeneous across students of different characteristics such as gender, socioeconomic status, and initial levels of literacy skills.