Coaching in Preschool Context: The Roles of Teachers in Developing Saudi Children's Emergent Literacy Learning

Abstract

Background: Educators play significant role in assisting children to acquire the main literacy skills in preschool. Coaching has great impact on influencing educators' professional development through take advantage of ongoing training that support children literacy learning. The purpose of the current study was to enhance the role of literacy coaching in developing Saudi children's emergent literacy learning in preschool stage. As a new idea were added to the body of research in reading instruction, a new role, known as literacy coaching, emerged that focused on working with teachers, the study shows the importance of defining the roles and responsibilities of the coach and determining their relationship with teachers. Results: There were clear differences found in children emergent literacy skills pre and after literacy coaching program. Teachers in intervention group showed significant changes in teaching pedagogies they applied in the classroom, which in turn improved children emergent literacy learning. The findings of this study supported the idea that in coaching literacy process teachers not only learn what to do, however it influences their teaching behaviors and practices positively which assist them using alternative teaching strategies that enhance children's literacy learning in early childhood period.