Beginnings of reading. The effects of the preschool reading center.

The team set up a cozy Reading Center inside a preschool classroom. Kids could walk in on their own and pick a book.

Each child got two to five minutes of one-on-one direct instruction. The adult pointed to letters, said sounds, and praised tries.

After one school year, the kids who used the center were compared with same-age kids in a nearby room who had regular story time only.

The Reading Center group learned more letters, sounds, and print concepts. Gains were large enough to see on a standardized test.

Children who rarely entered the center still scored higher than the control kids, because the room-wide focus on print rubbed off on everyone.

Roane et al. (2001) took the same idea—short, daily reading sessions—and swapped books for AAC symbols. Their preschoolers with autism learned to read and write faster than peers taught sign language. The method travels across diagnoses and tools.

Veenman et al. (2018) pooled 19 later studies and found small but real gains from classroom behavior programs. Their average effect is smaller than Allen et al. (1989) reported. The drop likely comes from stricter RCT designs and older pupils; the preschool center’s huge edge may shrink once kids hit elementary grades.

LAller et al. (2023) are now testing phonics-based reading for school-aged AAC users. If results hold, they will extend the preschool center model up the grade ladder.

You don’t need a separate curriculum to boost early literacy. A corner with books, five minutes of direct instruction, and free-choice entry can do the job. Try carving out a tiny space in your classroom, post a visual schedule, and let kids opt in. Track who visits and what letters they master—you may replicate these big gains in your own preschool or early-elementary room.