1

ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF THE GRAPESEED

ORAL-LANGUAGE-ACQUISITION PROGRAM
SUMMARY OF 2011–14 RESEARCH FINDINGS

Researchers
Julia B. Smith, EdD, Oakland University
Judith M. Smith, PhD, University of Michigan
 Table of Contents

“We’re excited about what this product ABOUT THIS REPORT...........................................................1

can potentially do for children. We talk
about it as a game changer for our
WHAT IS GRAPESEED?.......................................................2
students, and we think it could be
a game changer for our country.”
STUDIES

1
—Mike Shembarger, Principal, Retired
Berrien Springs Public Schools, Michigan Preschool students in the Great Start
Readiness Program.................................................3

2
English learners in second grade.......................... 4

3
English-speaking kindergarten and first-
grade students from low-income families...........5

4
English-speaking kindergarten students
from low-income families......................................6

5
Preschool students in the Great Start
Readiness Program and kindergarten
students.................................................................... 7

CONCLUSION.......................................................................8

REFERENCES.........................................................................9

Assessing the Efficacy of the GrapeSEED Oral-Language-Acquisition

Program: Summary of 2011–14 Research Findings
Researchers: Julia B. Smith, EdD, Oakland University, and Judith M.
Smith, PhD, University of Michigan
Edited by Michelle Speckler
© 2018 GrapeSEED • www.grapeseed.com
 1
About this report

English learners constitute the fastest-growing segment University, which draws primarily adult students from
of the US K–12 student population by representing 37 countries worldwide. In addition to students from
10% of public school enrollment1 and a wider range of the local farming community, Berrien Springs serves
languages and cultures2 than ever before. For today’s (1) students from other districts who enter as part of
US school districts, the issue of how to best serve this the Schools of Choice program and (2) the children of
broad spectrum of children is at the forefront of both university faculty and students. More than half of the
classroom and boardroom conversations. student population are from economically disadvantaged
homes, and approximately 40% are English learners.
At GrapeSEED, we know the stakes are high. Schools that
successfully reach their English learners exert positive Parker Elementary—Clintondale Community Schools,
and lasting change in the lives of those students, the Michigan. Most of the students at Parker Elementary
health of their communities, and the bottom lines of their come from lower-income areas of the township, and
districts. So we turned to the Department of Organiza- others take public transportation from Detroit as Schools
tional Leadership in Oakland University’s School of of Choice students. The majority of students live in one-
Education and Human Services to help us illustrate the parent households, and some live with grandparents. Fully
learning gains possible with the use of GrapeSEED. 100% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-
price lunches at the time of the study.
From 2011 through 2014, the department’s Julia Smith,
EdD, conducted unbiased, independent research studies ASSESSMENTS
on the effectiveness of GrapeSEED when used with
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) is a
students in preschool through second grade. The studies
standardized test that determines whether students have
ranged from one to three years and used a variety of
language disorders or are delayed. It enables researchers
testing measurements. Smith and Judith Smith, PhD,
to compare subgroups of students within a larger sample.
a University of Michigan expert in program evaluation,
literacy, and behavior management, analyzed the data. Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English
The researchers shared their findings in 2014. This report State to State for English-Language Learners (WIDA
summarizes their findings and highlights the major results. ACCESS for ELLs) is a language-proficiency assessment
designed by the WIDA Consortium, an educational
STUDY PROCESS
consortium of state departments of education that
Teachers were trained to deliver GrapeSEED according to
establishes and implements proficiency standards and
established program procedures. Fall assessments were
assessments for ELLs in grades K–12.
given in October, midyear assessments in January, and
spring assessments in June. Results were compared with Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) is a standard-
benchmarks established at the University of Arkansas. ized test that assesses whether students are reading at,
above, or below their grade levels. Teachers use the scores
GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
to match students to books at the students’ abilities.
Berrien Regional Education Service Agency (RESA),
Michigan. Berrien RESA comprises 11 school districts, Michigan Literacy Progress Profile (MLPP) is a collection
including Berrien Springs Public Schools. Located in rural of assessments designed to track and promote literacy
Michigan, Berrien Springs is also the home of Andrews growth of kindergarten through second-grade students.

grapeseed.com 1
What is GrapeSEED?

GrapeSEED is an English oral-acquisition program for language learning the way children learned their first
children in preschool to second grade. Backed by more languages. GrapeSEED’s curriculum emphasizes the
than 40 years of pedagogical and curricular research, aspect of communication and includes strategically
the program today serves 66,000 students in 860 selected vocabulary and ideas, effective visuals, pertinent
schools and across 17 countries. In the United States, gestures, and repetition.
the program supplements English-learner programs
Vertical Phonics. GrapeSEED students get introduced to
and is used with at-risk and economically disadvantaged
the most-frequent sounds of a phonogram at one time.
students; in Tier I, II, and III programs; and in Response to
Sound–phonogram relationships are memorized easily.
Intervention initiatives.
And there are few special decoding rules.
GROUNDED IN LANGUAGE-ACQUISITION THEORY
Total Physical Response. Developed by James Asher,
AND RESEARCH
this teaching method coordinates language and physical
Hallmarks of the GrapeSEED program include accelerat- movement so as to create brain links between speech
ed language development, interactive teacher–student and action. The language–body conversations are parts
relationships, and enhanced student interest, engagement, of every GrapeSEED lesson in order to boost language
and joy. And that’s no accident. GrapeSEED’s curriculum learning and vocabulary learning.
designers created the program’s framework based on
respected language-acquisition theory and research. ON-SITE TEACHER TRAINING AND SUPPORT
GrapeSEED Foundation Training teaches the most-
Affective Filter Theory. Educational researcher Stephen effective ways to achieve oral-language development.
Krashen identified the negative emotional and motiva- After implementation, professional learning specialists
tional factors that slow second-language acquisition. visit GrapeSEED classrooms to provide personalized
GrapeSEED classrooms are safe places where students insight and coaching. In addition, GrapeSEED offers
take risks and willingly practice English. learning opportunities so educators can continue learning
new ways of integrating best practices into their curricula.
Functional-Notional Approach. This approach is part
of a learner-centered movement away from grammar- OUR GOAL
focused practices and toward the use of more-authentic
GrapeSEED’s goal is to assist schools in closing the
language. GrapeSEED instruction is constructed around achievement gap and thereby reduce the dropout rates
meaningful words practiced in relevant settings. that plague America’s education system. But that goal
Progression-of-Learning Model. In this model, teachers can be reached only if all children become empowered
gradually adjust instruction to help students progress to overcome language barriers and gain command of
from receptivity to expression. GrapeSEED students English. The studies described on the following pages
get exposed to vocabulary multiple times and in various demonstrate that GrapeSEED does just that. Each study
underscores the fact that the use of GrapeSEED results
contexts in order to embed the language into their
in measurable, repeatable, and accelerated achievement
memories and move them closer to fluency.
among students like yours, students in schools like yours,
Natural Approach. Developed by Stephen Krashen and students measured by the kinds of assessments you
and Tracy Terrell, this approach promotes second- use. Contact GrapeSEED today to learn more.

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 1 Demographic Preschool students in the Great Start Readiness Program
School/District Berrien Regional Educational Service Agency, Michigan
Assessment Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals

At-risk preschool students showed more-significant and faster growth than

expected for their ages in every subtest area. As a result, they progressed out
of at-risk status faster than predicted.

This study was part of a larger study3 that was designed GrapeSEED students improved faster than did their
to evaluate the effectiveness of GrapeSEED when national peers. As a result, GrapeSEED students became
used with the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), able to move out of at-risk status faster than predicted.
a Michigan state-funded preschool program for at-risk
Educators agree on the importance of moving students
students. The analytic sample covered the 11-district
out of at-risk categories as quickly as possible in order
Berrien Regional Education Service Agency (RESA)
to eliminate the need for long-term interventions, to
and comprised 21 classrooms and 432 students. Of the
improve students’ self-worth, and to contain school costs.
sample, 40% of the students received free or reduced-
In addition, an analysis of subgroup data indicated that
price lunches, 29% were designated limited English
GrapeSEED narrowed or closed the learning gap among
proficient (LEP) or English learner (EL), 26% were black,
LEP/EL students; Hispanic, black, and other students; and
7.5% were Hispanic, and 2.5% were classified as other.
free- or reduced-price-lunch students across a variety
Each GrapeSEED lesson took 20 to 30 minutes. Students of subtests.
were evaluated in the fall and spring by means of six
key CELF subtests that determine oral-language ability:
Phonological Awareness, Sentence Structure, Word
Structure, Recalling Sentences, Recalling Sentences in
Context, and Expressive Vocabulary.

FINDINGS
For every subtest, the percentage of students performing
at or above their age norms increased significantly
from the fall to the spring assessment (figure 1). The
difference between fall and spring was due solely to
the improvement of at-risk students, because all of the
students who were at or above their age norms in the fall
maintained that status in the spring.

The CELF test accounts for the natural occurrence of

student growth over time through the use of nationally
Figure 1. Change in percentage of Berrien RESA GSRP preschool
normed data, whereby normal growth shows as a flat line. students who were at or above their age norms on CELF assessment
The upward slope in figure 1 shows that in every category, subtests, Fall 2013–Spring 2014 (N=432)

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 2
Demographic English learners in second grade
School/District Berrien Springs Public Schools, Michigan
Assessment WIDA ACCESS for ELLs

Seventy-four percent of English learners achieved reading-proficiency-level

goals—and the ability to exit English-learner status—in less than half the time
of the national average.

In this three-year, longitudinal study4 at Berrien Springs

Public Schools in Michigan, English learners were in
GrapeSEED pull-out programs from kindergarten
through second grade. The same students were tested in
spring 2014 through the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test
for English-language learners.

WIDA proficiency levels are defined as Entering,

Emerging, Developing, Expanding, Bridging, and
Reaching. Students who achieve the Bridging level
or above it are eligible to exit English-learning status.
Therefore, WIDA’s Bridging level is a critical goal at most
schools, and Bridging and Reaching data are combined in
this study. Because writing is not a focus of GrapeSEED, Figure 2. WIDA reading-proficiency levels among second-grade English
data for the Writing portion of WIDA is not included here. learners who used GrapeSEED, Spring 2014 (N=432)

FINDINGS
Analysis of the data confirms the power of GrapeSEED’s Listening
cumulative effect. Students’ proficiency, as evidenced • 85% of students achieved their schools’ proficiency-
by average second-grade, spring WIDA levels, indicated level goals: Bridging 74%, Reaching 11%.
acceleration of the natural-language-learning progres-
sion. Of particular interest are the study’s data on Speaking
reading. National averages indicate it takes English-learner • 48% of students achieved their schools’ proficiency-
students six to eight years to attain the reading-level level goals: Bridging 11%, Reaching 37%.
proficiency required to exit English-learner status, but
Reading
74% of GrapeSEED students reached it in three years—
which is less than half the national average (figure 2). • 74% of students achieved their schools’ proficiency-
level goals: Bridging 59%, Reaching 15% (figure 2).

4 grapeseed.com
 Demographic English-speaking kindergarten and first-grade students

3 from low-income families

School/District Parker Elementary—Clintondale Community Schools, Michigan
Assessment Developmental Reading Assessment

Kindergarten students achieved exceptionally high scores; results indicated

a positive correlation between the amount of GrapeSEED used and learning gains,
as well as evidence of sustained learning benefits after program participation.

In a three-year study5 of English-speaking children GRAPESEED GAINS SUSTAIN IN HIGHER GRADES

from low-income families (100% were eligible for free Researchers examined the DRA scores of second-grade
or reduced-price lunches), 215 kindergarten students students who had gone at least a year without any
and 152 first-grade students received GrapeSEED. GrapeSEED lessons and discovered that GrapeSEED had
GrapeSEED lessons ranged from 20 to 40 minutes. had a significant and lasting effect on student DRA scores
(p < .001). The data showed that the GrapeSEED students
GAINS IN KINDERGARTEN
performed better than those who had not received
After using GrapeSEED in the first year of the study
GrapeSEED. Such a finding implies that GrapeSEED’s
(2011/12), 100% of the kindergarten students tested met
effects increase even after students no longer participate
or exceeded DRA2 grade-level benchmarks (level 3 or
in the program. The finding also negate the so-called
above). In the second year, the same thing happened
implementation effect, which posits that during research
with a new group of students. In the third year, with
studies, teachers work diligently to carry out a program
yet another group, 97.5% of students met or exceeded
with fidelity but that the effect goes away over time.
grade-level benchmarks (figure 3).
This study shows that GrapeSEED students continued
improving over multiple years.

MORE GRAPESEED MEANS MORE GAINS

Researchers compared the DRA scores of second-
grade students who didn’t receive GrapeSEED with the
scores achieved by students who received GrapeSEED
only in kindergarten, or only in first grade, or in both
kindergarten and first grade. Data showed that students
who received the most GrapeSEED experience also
achieved the highest DRA scores.

Figure 3. Percent of kindergarten students meeting DRA2 text-level

benchmarks, 2011–14 (N=71)

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 4
Demographic English-speaking kindergarten students from low-income families
School/District Parker Elementary—Clintondale Community Schools, Michigan
Assessment Michigan Literacy Progress Profile

Kindergarten students in the GrapeSEED program scored above national norms in

sight-word-identification assessments. In addition, GrapeSEED leveled the playing
field —boys matched or outperformed girls in the same assessments.

In a study6 of English-speaking children from low-income

families (100% were eligible for free or reduced-price
lunches), 71 kindergarten students received GrapeSEED.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF SIGHT WORDS

Students were assessed in the fall (October), at midyear
(January), and in the spring (June).

STUDENTS EXCELLED BEYOND NATIONAL NORMS

Kindergarten students excelled well beyond the national
norm of 30 sight words as set by a National Center for
Education Statistics study7 for the US Department of
Education. Figure 4 shows that kindergarten students
who received GrapeSEED scored an average of 37 sight
words.
Figure 4. Kindergarten gains in MLPP sight words, Fall 2013–Spring
LEVEL ACADEMIC PLAYING FIELD 2014 (N=71)
After a GrapeSEED program, data indicated no
significant difference between the abilities of
kindergarten boys and kindergarten girls to read books;
and boys either matched or outperformed girls in the
MLPP Sight Word/Decodable Word List assessment
(figure 5). On average, boys scored 1.4 points higher than
AVERAGE SCORE

girls in the fall assessment and 2.0 points higher in the

spring assessment, which is notable because it’s been a
long-accepted norm in early childhood education that
boys typically start kindergarten on a lower literacy level
than girls and that that gap tends to widen with age.8
The researchers suggested that GrapeSEED’s “quick
pace, amount of movement, and kinesthetic activities”
promoted the boys’ increased literacy achievement.
Figure 5. MLPP Sight Word/Decodable Word List assessment scores
among male and female kindergarten students, Fall 2013–Spring 2014
(N=71)

6 grapeseed.com
 Demographic Preschool students in the Great Start Readiness Program

5 and kindergarten students

School/District Berrien Springs Public Schools, Michigan
Assessment Developmental Reading Assessment

Students with the most exposure to GrapeSEED outperformed their peers, and
at-risk students showed the most-significant growth.

This two-year study9 involved the Great Start Readiness

Program (GSRP), a Michigan state-funded preschool
program for at-risk students. In the second year of the
study, the researchers followed 114 students as the
students moved from preschool to kindergarten. Those
preschoolers who received GrapeSEED were participants
in the GSRP. Students were divided into four groups:
those who had GrapeSEED in preschool, those who had
it in kindergarten, those who had it in preschool and
kindergarten, and those who had no GrapeSEED.

AT-RISK STUDENTS SHOWED THE GREATEST GAINS

A comparison of kindergarten DRA text-level scores
showed a positive correlation between GrapeSEED
use and improved scores (figure 6). Students who
received GrapeSEED in both preschool and kindergarten Figure 6. Correlation of DRA text levels and amount of GrapeSEED
exposure over time, Fall 2013–Spring 2014 (N=114)
scored higher than those who received only one year
of GrapeSEED; students who had had no exposure to
GrapeSEED had the lowest gains. It is interesting that the
highest performers were students who had been judged
to be at risk. Those at-risk students had had GrapeSEED
for two years and outperformed their peers who had not
been considered at risk.

DRA SCORES MORE THAN DOUBLED

GrapeSEED’s emphasis on oral-language development
helped students build a bridge to reading and writing.
A comparison of DRA text-level scores before and after
full GrapeSEED implementation in fall 2013 showed that / / /

kindergarten DRA text-level scores more than doubled

after addition of the program—from a combined mean
Figure 7. Kindergarten DRA text-level scores with and without
of 2.58 to a mean of 5.7 (figure 7). GrapeSEED, Fall 2011–Spring 2014 (N=154)

grapeseed.com 7
Conclusion

More than only successful GrapeSEED implementations, “What I really like about [GrapeSEED] is that
the studies described on the previous pages represent each child’s needs get met—from the child who
victories. Behind the data and the statistics are children,
is struggling to the child who can read and
many of whom had been struggling as English learners
write. It’s a really wonderful program, and I can
or were members of low-income families or underserved
populations. With GrapeSEED’s help, those children hardly wait to see what it brings next.”
became empowered to overcome language barriers and —Aleece Tousignant, Teacher
equipped themselves with the oral-language skills needed Parker Elementary—Clintondale Community Schools, Michigan

for attaining academic success and success in life.

Today more than ever, schools and school districts

across the United States are turning to GrapeSEED’s • Provided the language skills required to progress
unique oral-language-acquisition program—and for to reading and writing. GrapeSEED’s emphasis on
good reason. As the five study summaries included here oral-language development helped students build
illustrate, GrapeSEED accelerates the learning process a bridge to reading and writing. A comparison of
and transforms the learning experience into joyful and DRA text-level scores before and after GrapeSEED
engaging instruction that makes a positive difference. showed that kindergartners’ scores more than
The following findings illustrate GrapeSEED’s learning doubled after addition of the program (page 7).
gains across a variety of environments and assessments. Kindergarten students scored an average of 37 sight
words as measured by the MLPP—well beyond the
• Accelerated learning and faster progression out national norm of 30 sight words (page 6).
of the at-risk category. Moving students out of
at-risk categories eliminates the need for long-term • Established a solid foundation for future success.
interventions, improves students’ self-worth, and The DRA scores of second-grade students who had
contains school costs. At-risk preschool students gone at least a year without any GrapeSEED lessons
improved faster than did their national peers in every indicated that the program had had a significant and
CELF subtest (page 3). And 74% of second-grade lasting effect because students continued improving
English-language learners achieved reading-level over multiple years (page 5).
proficiency in three years—less than half the time
GrapeSEED is committed to providing today’s English-
of the national average (page 4).
language instructors with specific resources that
• Closed the gap by raising the levels of students in support preschool through second-grade students. We
subgroups. To retain funding, school districts are look forward to hearing about your achievements and
tasked with elevating individual subgroups by closing to including your school or district in our next report.
the gap from the bottom up. At-risk kindergartners Contact us today at [email protected] or visit
who had GrapeSEED for two years outperformed grapeseed.com to learn how.
their peers who were not at risk (page 7).

8 grapeseed.com
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References

1
Who are the nation’s English learners? Education Week YouTube channel, September 26,
2017; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvtkMfSQ6Kw.
2
Maki Park, Jie Zong, and Jeanne Batalova. 2018. Growing superdiversity among young
US dual-language learners and its implications. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute;
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/growing-superdiversity-among-young-us-dual-
language-learners-and-its-implications.
3
Julia B Smith, EdD, Oakland University, and Judith M Smith, PhD, University of Michigan.
Effectiveness of the GrapeSEED program with Great Start Readiness students in Berrien
R.E.S.A. (SY 2013–2014).
4
Julia B Smith, EdD, Oakland University, and Judith M Smith, PhD, University of Michigan.
Effectiveness of the GrapeSEED program with at-risk kindergarten and first-grade students
in Clintondale Public Schools (SY 2013–2014).
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
K Tourangeau, C Nord, T Le, AG Sorongon, M Najarian, and EG Hausken. 2009. Early
Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K) Combined User’s
Manual for the ECLS-K Eighth-Grade and K–8 Full Sample Data Files and Electronic Codebooks.
Washington, DC: National Center of Education Statistics, US Department of Education
Publications.
8
GM Mulligan, S Hastedt, and JC McCarroll. 2012. First-Time Kindergartners in 2010–11: First
Findings from the Kindergarten Rounds of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011) (NCES 2012-049). Washington, DC: US Department of
Education National Center for Education Statistics.
9
Julia B Smith, EdD, Oakland University, and Judith M Smith, PhD, University of Michigan.
Effectiveness of the GrapeSEED program with Great Start Readiness students in Berrien
R.E.S.A. (SY 2013–2014).

grapeseed.com 9
1

“This year the school has a population

of roughly 450 students, of whom
119 are English learners, and for
years we struggled to find a product
that would meet the unique needs
of those learners. GrapeSEED is
the first product we’ve seen that
is comprehensive, sequential, and
designed to help English learners learn
English faster.”

—Mike Shembarger, Principal, Retired

Berrien Springs Public Schools, Michigan

ENGLISH EXCELLENCE FOR CHILDREN EVERYWHERE

800-449-8841 | [email protected] | grapeseed.com

Rev 0_062518_Research Summary