The High Stakes Literacy Game: Improving Literacy of Children with Disabilities through Squishy Books

Research has provided ample evidence supporting the notion that interaction with books during early childhood enhances the development of reading skills (Bus, van IJzendorn, & Pellegrini, 1995; Dickinson & Smith, 1994; McKeown & Beck, 2004; Sénéchal & LeFevre, 2002). Additionally, we know there are substantial disparities in children’s experiences with language, vocabulary, and early literacy prior to entering kindergarten. These disparities have a lasting effect on later academic success (Catts, Hogan, & Fey, 2003; Hart & Risley, 1995: Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Children at greatest risk for poor language and literacy skills are young children who live in poverty and young children identified at-risk for developmental delays and disabilities.