Effects of Early Literacy Intervention on Turkish Language Development and Early Literacy Skills in Bilingual Preschool Children
Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of an Early Literacy Education Program developed for bilingual preschool children who spoke Turkish as one of their languages on their language development and early literacy skills. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed. The study was conducted with a total of 54 bilingual children aged 5-6 years residing in Kyrgyzstan, including 27 children in the experimental group and 27 children in the control group, as well as the parents of the children in the experimental group. Data were collected using the Turkish Assessment Tool for Bilingual Children, the Early Literacy Skills Assessment Tool and a Semi-Structured Interview Form. Quantitative data were analyzed using parametric tests, whereas qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed that bilingual children who participated in the Early Literacy Education Program demonstrated significantly greater improvements in Turkish language development and early literacy skills than those in the control group, with large effect sizes. The qualitative findings also supported this progress. Overall, the study demonstrated that supportive language practices and needs-based early literacy programs supported the development of language and early literacy skills in bilingual preschool children.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Turkish Education
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
October 27, 2026
Submission Date
May 29, 2026
Acceptance Date
August 30, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 14 Number: 4
