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This study examined the effects of incremental rehearsal (IR) on letter sound expression for one kindergarten and one first grade English learner who were below district benchmark for letter sound fluency. A single-subject multiple-baseline design across sets of unknown letter sounds was used to evaluate the effect of IR on letter-sound expression and fluency. Although visual analysis of the data showed an increase in level and trend for the kindergarten participant, data were variable for the first grade participant who was referred for special education services during the intervention. Mean percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) was 94% for the kindergarten student and 98% for the first grade student. Although both learners made increases in letter sound expression and fluency, the intervention was 17 weeks in duration. Future research should examine both the effectiveness and efficiency of IR, as compared to other interventions, for increasing letter-sound knowledge of English learners.

This article examines the health education implications of targeted nutrition lesson plans at Head Start programs in south central Minnesota. The Head Start program in Mankato and the University of Minnesota Extension collaborated to deliver and evaluate a nutrition education program directed at preschool children and their families. Nine lesson plans on various nutrition topics were developed and delivered to Head Start preschoolers. The program goals were to increase nutrition-related knowledge among children, improve healthy eating patterns/preferences, and increase physical activity. The evaluation intended to determine program effects and participant changes towards healthy eating habits.