EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills

IntroductionAmple evidence indicates that assessing children’s early literacy skills is crucial for later academic success. This assessment enables the provision of necessary support and materials while engaging them in the culture of print and books before school entry. However, relatively few asse...

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Main Authors: Melike Yumus, Christina Stuhr, Marlene Meindl, Haug Leuschner, Tanja Jungmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1522740/full
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author Melike Yumus
Christina Stuhr
Marlene Meindl
Haug Leuschner
Tanja Jungmann
author_facet Melike Yumus
Christina Stuhr
Marlene Meindl
Haug Leuschner
Tanja Jungmann
author_sort Melike Yumus
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionAmple evidence indicates that assessing children’s early literacy skills is crucial for later academic success. This assessment enables the provision of necessary support and materials while engaging them in the culture of print and books before school entry. However, relatively few assessment tools are available to identify early literacy skills, such as concepts of print, print awareness, phonological awareness, word awareness, alphabet knowledge, and early reading. The digital landscape presents new opportunities to enhance these assessments and provide enriching early literacy experiences. This study examines the psychometric properties of an adaptive assessment tool, EuLeApp©, focusing on its reliability and concurrent validity.MethodsData involved 307 German kindergarten children (Mage = 64 months old, range = 45–91). A Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) method, grounded in Item Response Theory (IRT), was employed to develop an adaptive digital tool for assessing early literacy competencies. We utilized an automatic item selection procedure based on item difficulty and discrimination parameters for the 183-item pool to ensure a precise and efficient assessment tailored to each child’s ability level.ResultsThe 4-parameter Logistic (4PL) model was identified as the best-fitting model for adaptive assessment, providing the highest precision in estimating children’s abilities within this framework.DiscussionsThe findings support the idea that the adaptive digital-based assessment tool EuLeApp© can be used to assess early literacy skills. It also provides a foundation for offering individualized and adaptable learning opportunities embedded in daily routines in daycare centers.
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spelling doaj-art-2032091401354a1c91ec9aeeb03c6bb42025-08-20T02:18:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-04-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15227401522740EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skillsMelike Yumus0Christina Stuhr1Marlene Meindl2Haug Leuschner3Tanja Jungmann4Department of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyFaculty of Philosophy, Institute for Sports Science, University of Rostock, Rostock, GermanyDepartment of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Rostock, Rostock, GermanyDHL Data Science Seminare GmbH, Köln, GermanyDepartment of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, GermanyIntroductionAmple evidence indicates that assessing children’s early literacy skills is crucial for later academic success. This assessment enables the provision of necessary support and materials while engaging them in the culture of print and books before school entry. However, relatively few assessment tools are available to identify early literacy skills, such as concepts of print, print awareness, phonological awareness, word awareness, alphabet knowledge, and early reading. The digital landscape presents new opportunities to enhance these assessments and provide enriching early literacy experiences. This study examines the psychometric properties of an adaptive assessment tool, EuLeApp©, focusing on its reliability and concurrent validity.MethodsData involved 307 German kindergarten children (Mage = 64 months old, range = 45–91). A Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) method, grounded in Item Response Theory (IRT), was employed to develop an adaptive digital tool for assessing early literacy competencies. We utilized an automatic item selection procedure based on item difficulty and discrimination parameters for the 183-item pool to ensure a precise and efficient assessment tailored to each child’s ability level.ResultsThe 4-parameter Logistic (4PL) model was identified as the best-fitting model for adaptive assessment, providing the highest precision in estimating children’s abilities within this framework.DiscussionsThe findings support the idea that the adaptive digital-based assessment tool EuLeApp© can be used to assess early literacy skills. It also provides a foundation for offering individualized and adaptable learning opportunities embedded in daily routines in daycare centers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1522740/fullearly literacydigital assessmentpreschool ageitem response theorycomputerized adaptive testpsychometric validation
spellingShingle Melike Yumus
Christina Stuhr
Marlene Meindl
Haug Leuschner
Tanja Jungmann
EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
Frontiers in Psychology
early literacy
digital assessment
preschool age
item response theory
computerized adaptive test
psychometric validation
title EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
title_full EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
title_fullStr EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
title_full_unstemmed EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
title_short EuleApp©: a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
title_sort euleapp c a computerized adaptive assessment tool for early literacy skills
topic early literacy
digital assessment
preschool age
item response theory
computerized adaptive test
psychometric validation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1522740/full
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AT marlenemeindl euleappacomputerizedadaptiveassessmenttoolforearlyliteracyskills
AT haugleuschner euleappacomputerizedadaptiveassessmenttoolforearlyliteracyskills
AT tanjajungmann euleappacomputerizedadaptiveassessmenttoolforearlyliteracyskills