The Use of the Child Observation Record as a tool for predicting early literacy skills in preschool children

Reading is an important part of a child\u27s schooling. Identifying students with literacy difficulties early in the academic process can provide them with early intervention services to keep them from falling behind. The use of an observational assessment when dealing with preschoolers can yield vital information to help identify children who may be at risk for developing reading difficulties. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002) is a standardized assessment currently used to identify and evaluate students\u27 reading abilities. The Child Observation Record (COR; High/Scope, 1992) is a preschool assessment tool used to assess school readiness skills in children. This research seeks to extend the work of Sekino & Fantuzzo (2005) by exploring the correlation between the COR and DIBELS Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) and Oral Reading Fluency (ORF). Participants in the study consisted of 299 students given these assessments in their schooling. Bivariate correlations and linear regressions were used to examine the relationship between the four COR dimensions and the DIBELS LNF and ORF first grade scores