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The Foundation for Comprehensive
Early Literacy Learning Preschool Literacy Project
The
purpose of the of the CELL Preschool Literacy Project is to prepare
young children to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive,
and early reading skills to prevent reading difficulties and ensure
school success. Professional
development is organized to help schools implement the goals of the
federal Early Reading First initiative.
Early
Reading First
Early
Reading First, part of the President's "Good Start, Grow Smart"
initiative, is designed to transform existing early education programs
into centers of excellence that provide high-quality, early education
to young children, especially those from low-income families. The overall
purpose of the Early Reading First Program is to prepare young children
to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive, and early
reading skills to prevent reading difficulties and ensure school success.
Literacy
Learning in the Preschool
It has become increasingly apparent that many children enter school without the necessary prerequisite skills to benefit from early instruction in reading and writing (Landry, 2002). There is considerable evidence that this lack of readiness has a permanent impact on achievement throughout their school careers. Those children typically identified as struggling readers are also those whose early experiences did not include family support or preschool opportunities that emphasized the importance of cognitive development, language and early literacy instruction. It is recognized that to accomplish the goal of increasing school readiness the preschool curriculum needs to increase its focus on those skills that support literacy learning in Kindergarten and the primary grades.
Many
existing preschool programs use a traditional curriculum that includes
support for development in physical skills, communication skills and
in the areas of social and emotional development.
Though all are areas of importance for the preschool child, they
do not address those areas of instruction that parallel the instruction
in the early grades. The
Early Reading First initiative has targeted this population for systematic
instruction that addresses the development of those skills that have
been demonstrated by research as necessary to early school success. Specific areas of instruction have been identified that are
based in scientific research.
These include language, cognitive skills, and early reading (Early
Reading First, White House Web Site, 2004). Additional considerations are the alignment of curriculum and
instruction with state content and performance standards and the use
of screening assessments to identify children who may be at risk of
reading failure.
Evidence
has be accumulated by the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development that can be used to develop a preschool curriculum that
focuses on the improvement of school readiness.
In an NICHHD sponsored Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development
(2002) criteria for such programs were outlined. Evidence of the importance of these early years on human development
is clear (Shonkoof & Phillips, 2000) and that well-defined preschool
programs can prepare children for early success that persists into adolescence
and adulthood (Ramey & Ramey, 1998). Important elements identified included a specific, research
based curriculum, programs for children of a half-day or longer, strong
communication between school and home, and a focus on cognitive development
as well as linguistic and social competence.
Research
cited by Landry (2002) at this same summit identified factors that,
if addressed, can optimize children's readiness. These include language development, early literacy (phonological
awareness, letter knowledge, written expression, book and print awareness,
and motivation to read. She
also spoke to the importance of learning in social contexts and the
importance of the role of caretakers and teachers in the stimulation
of young children. To accomplish
this more support is needed for both parents and teachers. It is a hallmark of the legislation supported by the Bush administration
to ensure that all children have a highly effective teacher. This is particularly critical during the
important preschool years. Because
many of the preschool children are English language learners, consideration
has also been given to those early experiences that support language
acquisition and school readiness. Research supports exposure to both English and Spanish as a
source of support to develop both language acquisition and early literacy
skills (Escamilla, 2000;Grosjean, 1989; Tabors & Snow, 2001). The importance of home language use is
also acknowledged and incorporated in to project design (Tabors &
Snow, 2001). |
Professional Development |
Importance of professional development to ensure highly qualified teachers
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Focused workshops that are collaboratively planned and include long-term district support
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Faculty study groups to support teacher inquiry,
collaboration and alignment of curriculum, and support at the site level
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Access to Print Materials
Ensuring
that children are exposed to print and that their classrooms are print
rich environments will be addressed both in the provision of books to
be used in the home and in a dramatic increase in the number of books
available in the classroom. The
home library that is provided will consist of books that are both at
a level accessible by children and books that can be shared by parents
and children. Children's books from various publishers
will include those that help build the childŐs background information
and vocabulary, begin to establish the letter/sound correspondence (phonics),
are motivating and interesting to encourage conversations between parents
and their children about the books, and other skill development opportunities
(how print works, features of books, etc.).
Classroom
libraries will be enhanced with quality children's literature that can
be read by teachers to children, books that can be shared with a focus
on vocabulary and phonemic awareness, and books that teachers can read
with children and provide direct instruction in early reading skills. Classroom libraries will be increased
with the addition of books suitable for reading aloud and books that
emphasize language development, alphabetic knowledge, and phonemic awareness
and phonics.
Support for Families
Family
instruction focuses on activities with a research base that parents
can do in the home to support the literacy acquisition of their child
(Kame'enui, Adams, Lyon, 1996). These include eleven ways in which parents
can encourage skill development by their child: 1. Create Appreciation
of the Written Word, 2. Develop Awareness of Printed Language, 3. Learn
the Alphabet, 4. Understand the Relation of Letters and Words, 5. Understand
That Language is Made of Words, Syllables, and Phonemes, 6. Learn Letter
Sounds, 7. Sound Out New Words, 8. Identify Words in Print Accurately
and Easily, 9. Know Spelling Patterns, 10. Learn to Read Reflectively,
11. Above all: Read, read, and re-read.
Kame'enui,
E., Adams, M., & Lyon,
G.R. (retrieved March 2004). Tips for parents from top researchers.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article.php?ID=31
Professional Development
Professional
development is considered to be a primary method by which to ensure
that each child has a highly qualified teacher (Snow, Burns, & Griffin,
1998; Neumann, Copple, & Bredekamp, 2000). Three important standards
for professional development have been identified (Strickland, 2001,
U.S. Department of Education) and are incorporated into the activity
design of this proposal.
Instead
of annual, district-wide in-service days, professional development should
be organized as a series of focused workshops that reflect the interests
and needs of a particular subset of teachers.
These workshops should be collaboratively planned by teachers
and leadership personnel and generally use group inquiry models. These activities should be intensive and
have the long-term support of district administration. Faculty study groups have also been identified
as an important support to increasing teacher effectiveness (Murphy
& Lick, 1998; Strickland, Ganske, & Monroe, 2002). These groups are, by design, used to support
curricular and instructional innovations, integrate the school's instructional
programs, target school wide instructional need, and monitor the impact
of changes on children. Peer
coaching has also been identified as an important element of professional
development (Joyce & Showers, 1995; Showers & Joyce, 1996; Strickland,
Ganske, & Monroe, 2002). This
support has been found critical in developing specific teaching strategies,
finding ways to meet school goals, and the integration of various strategies.
To increase the level of readiness for the target group this proposal incorporates all of the recommended key elements of professional development. This includes instruction that is research based and focused on key areas of cognitive, language, and literacy development. Professional development will be delivered that includes specifically focused teacher training, support for faculty study groups, and the training of peer coaches to ensure necessary support to teachers and the sustainability of the project.
Various
professional books and materials have been identified for teachers to
use during professional development activities. These include both resources that focus on effective teaching
practices and those that provide an analysis of the research base in
language and literacy acquisition in preschool classrooms. These resources include: Phonemic Awareness
in Young Children (Adams, Forman, Lundberg, & Beeler), Beyond Baby
Talk (Apel & Masterson), Starting Out Right (Burns, Griffin, &
Snow), The Social World of Children (Hart & Risley), Learning to
Read and Write (Neuman, Copple, & Bredekamp), Preventing Reading
Difficulties in Young Children (Snow, Burns, & Griffin), and Teaching
Our Youngest Children (USDE).
Other resources will be identified as the teacher training progresses.
Professional Development Sequence
The
Foundation for Comprehensive Early Literacy Learning has a strong record
in providing professional development that is intensive and research
based. The Foundation began its work in 1994
and has trained the primary teachers of more than 750 schools in thirteen
states. Schools that operate
preschool programs have typically included those teachers in the training. Training from the Foundation also includes
the preparation of a peer coach for each site that is considered a necessary
element in sustaining the change process.
The
Foundation has an active research agenda that focuses on increased student
achievement and has worked with schools who are part of the federal
Comprehensive School Reform initiative (California, Maryland, Nevada)
and the Reading First program (Santa Fe, New Mexico). The impact of their work has also been reviewed by various
external reviewers (Nevada Legislative Bureau, New York City School
District). The district
leadership team also undertook an extensive review of the Foundation
research.
One
example developed at district request was a longitudinal study of second
graders who participated in preschools using the same model that is
part of this project and who then participated in classroom where the
preschool and primary grades curricula where aligned.
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All
teachers and teacher aides from the participating schools participate
in a series of intensive and focused training sessions. These trainings will include areas of instruction identified
in Early Reading First and state and district content standards.
Awareness and Planning Workshops
An
awareness session and initial planning activity are offered to each
participating site. The
model design and training model are reviewed and initial planning for
alignment of curriculum and teacher is initiated.
The commitment and consensus agreement to participate in the
training are also reviewed.
Focused Workshops
Participation
is initiated with a series of training workshops that focus research
based methods to support school readiness with focus on oral language
development and early literacy skills.
Workshops are scheduled monthly throughout each school year.
Site Visits
Site
visits are organized to support teacher learning. These full day visits include classroom observations, teacher
debriefing and coaching, and consultation with site administrators regarding
progress at the site. Site
visits include the participation of all school staff.
Family Literacy Training
Family
Literacy Training sessions help teachers plan and implement a family
literacy program to support the model implementation in the classroom. This training is provided to all members
of the school staff. A
set of take-home books has been identified that will support language
and literacy acquisition in the home.
A set will be provided to each family along with training on
appropriate use.
Assessment Training
A
specialized training session will be provided to help teachers use assessment
to guide their instruction. The
use of various assessments as accountability measures will also be included
in these sessions. and test taking requirements. These sessions emphasize the integration of assessment into
classroom activities
Literacy Leaders
To
ensure the sustainability of the project, a Literacy Leader will be
trained to support each participating school.
This five-week training is scheduled throughout the year and
coincides with the Focused Workshops. The training for these individuals
includes focus on best classroom practices, peer coaching, and staff
development. The participating school selects the person
to serve in this position. Each
Literacy Leader receives three site visits from trainers to support
their learning.
Administrator Training
A separate two-day training is also scheduled to support implementation with a specific focus on classroom observation and teacher evaluation that is supportive of the Focused Workshop training. |
ACTIVITY
PLAN |
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Date |
Activity |
Description |
| Session 1 | Inservice Training Day | Prekindergarten learning and development guidelines |
| Oral language development (vocabulary, expressive language, listening comprehension) | ||
| Classroom organization and management | ||
| Reading aloud to children | ||
| Developing listening and speaking skills | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing, and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Organizing Faculty Study Groups | |
| Discussion of professional readings | ||
| Session 2 | Inservice Training Day | Phonological awareness (rhyming, blending, segmenting) |
| Teaching the sounds of the spoken language | ||
| Shared reading-reading with children | ||
| Revisited from Session 1- | ||
| Prekindergarten learning and development guidelines | ||
| Oral language development (vocabulary, expressive language, listening comprehension) | ||
| Classroom organization and management | ||
| Reading aloud to children | ||
| Developing listening and speaking skills | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing, and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 3 | Inservice Training Day | Print awareness |
| Teaching about print | ||
| Teaching about books | ||
| Book selection | ||
| Revisited from Session 2- | ||
| Phonological awareness (rhyming, blending, segmenting) | ||
| Teaching the sounds of the spoken language | ||
| Shared reading-reading with children | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 4 | Inservice Training Day | Alphabetic knowledge |
| Teaching about letters | ||
| Developing the building blocks of beginning literacy | ||
| Revisited from Session 3- | ||
| Print awareness | ||
| Teaching about print | ||
| Teaching about books | ||
| Book selection | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 5 | Inservice Training Day | Building children's background knowledge and thinking skills |
| Developing high quality activity centers | ||
| Revisited from Session 4- | ||
| Alphabetic knowledge | ||
| Teaching about letters | ||
| Developing the building blocks of beginning literacy | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 6 | Inservice Training Day | Assessment |
| Checking children's knowledge | ||
| Using assessment to inform and modify instruction | ||
| Peer coaching | ||
| Revisited from Session 5- | ||
| Building children's background knowledge and thinking skills | ||
| Developing high quality activity centers | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 7 | Inservice Training Day | English language learners |
| Sheltered instruction | ||
| Revisited from Session 6- | ||
| Assessment | ||
| Checking children's knowledge | ||
| Using assessment to inform and modify instruction | ||
| Peer coaching | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 8 | Inservice Training Day | Direct reading instruction |
| Decoding and word recognition | ||
| Comprehension and analysis of grade level appropriate text | ||
| Narrative analysis of grade level appropriate text | ||
| Revisited from Session 7- | ||
| English language learners | ||
| Sheltered instruction | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 9 | Inservice Training Day | Direct writing instruction |
| Organization and focus | ||
| Letter formation | ||
| Revisited from Session 8- | ||
| Direct reading instruction | ||
| Decoding and word recognition | ||
| Comprehension and analysis of grade level appropriate text | ||
| Narrative analysis of grade level appropriate text | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 10 | Inservice Training Day | Articulation with Kindergarten instruction |
| California content standards for Kindergarten | ||
| Revisited from Session 9- | ||
| Direct writing instruction | ||
| Organization and focus | ||
| Letter formation | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
| Session 11 | Inservice Training Day | Classroom organization and management |
| Involving parents in language acquisition and literacy development | ||
| Revisited from Session 10- | ||
| Articulation with Kindergarten instruction | ||
| California content standards for Kindergarten | ||
| School Visit | Observation, debriefing and coaching | |
| Faculty Study Groups | Discussion of professional readings | |
An Early Reading First Resource Sampler The following
bibliography represents a small sample of the scientifically based research
and resources available that support the Early Reading First goals.
Adams, M.J.,
Foorman, B.R., Lundberg, I., & Beeler, T. (1998). Phonemic Awareness
in Young Children.
Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing. This
book addresses the "research to practice" issue in phonemic
awareness and includes activities that stimulate the development of
"phonemic awareness" in early education programs. While MOST
teachers are familiar with the term "phonemic awareness" and
its importance in the process of acquiring literacy, but knowing how
to teach and support "phonemic awareness" learning has been
a challenge for many. The authors intend to close the gap between the
research findings and classroom instruction by providing a developmental
curriculum in "phonemic awareness" based upon validated classroom
research that originated in Sweden and Denmark, and was then adapted
and researched in classrooms in the United States. Apel, K., &
Masterson, J. (2001). Beyond Baby Talk: From Sounds to Sentences
- A Parent's Guide to Language Development. California: Prima Publishing. Sponsored
by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, this book describes
how children develop language from their earliest words to sentences.
With the understanding that parents are the primary language role models
for their children, the authors provide parents with a guide to understanding
language development as well as ways in which they can interact with
their children to promote language development. Burns, M.S.,
Griffin, P., & Snow, C.E. (Eds.). (1999). Starting Out Right:
A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. This
book is edited by members of the Committee on the Prevention of Reading
Difficulties in Young Children. It is intended for parents, teachers,
policymakers, and community members. The book addresses the following
central questions:
The goal of the book is to share a wealth of knowledge based upon
extensive guidelines, program descriptions, advice on resources, and
strategies that can be used in everyday life.
Gopnik, A., Meltzoff, A.N., & Kuhl, P.K. (1999). The Scientist
in the Crib. New York: Morrow.
This book looks with great detail into
the relationship between science and young children's development. There
have been many rigorous scientific studies conducted that have helped
us better understand how babies think and learn. The latest research
on early childhood development tells us that babies and young children
know and learn much more about the world around them than we ever have
imagined. This book is not the typical parenting advice or "how
to" book. Rather, it strives to take a different road and look
at the science of babies' minds.
Hart, B., & Risley, T.R. (1999). The Social World of Children:
Learning to Talk. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
This book follows the groundbreaking
study reported by Hart and Risley in their earlier book, Meaningful
Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children. It goes beyond the discussion
in the earlier book on the role of language experience in the intergenerational
transmission of language competence and examines the patterns in that
transmission. The authors provide tables and figures with their data
and thoroughly discuss their findings. Hart and Risley state that they
have a simple message for parents: their conversation matters when their
children are young. Talking with children provides them with experiences
that are important to both their cognitive and their social/emotional
learning. The authors provide evidence that the language tools provided
to children through conversation can contribute at least as much to
a child's future success as their heredity and their choice of friends
.
Neuman, S., & Copple, C., Bredekamp, S. (2000). Learning to
Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children. Washington D.C.: National
Association for the Education of Young Children.
This book is the product of a professional
collaboration between early childhood educators and reading specialists.
It explains the position statement of the International Reading Association
and the National Association for the Education of Young Children on
the all important and controversial topic of when and how to teach young
children to read and write. Also included is a summary of effective
teaching practices for preschool teachers, a section on frequently asked
questions, and a glossary of terms in early literacy. Finally, to help
teachers consider the value of what they are doing across the dimensions
of literacy, there is a brief self-inventory (Taking Stock of What
You Do to Promote Children's Literacy).
Neuman, S.B., & Dickinson, D.K. (Eds.). (2001). Handbook of
Early Literacy Research. New York: Guilford Press.
This volume examines current research
on early literacy and intervention. The Handbook begins by
addressing broad questions about the nature of early literacy, and then
continues by summarizing current knowledge on cognitive development,
and emphasizing the importance of cultural contexts in the acquisition
of literacy. Subsequent chapters focus on various skills and knowledge
that emerge as children become literate as well as the roles of peers
and families in this process. The book devotes attention to the importance
of meeting the literacy needs of all children and emphasizes the importance
of coordinated school, family, and social services to provide the necessary
support for those children who struggle most in school. Various approaches to instruction,
assessment, and early intervention and research on the efficacy of these
approaches are described.
Snow, C.E., Burns, S., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing
Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
This book is a summary report developed
from the findings of the Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties
in Young Children. It examines research findings to provide an "integrated
picture of how reading develops and how reading instruction should proceed
(p. vi)." The core message of the book with regard to reading instruction
is: "that reading instruction should integrate attention to the
alphabetic principle with attention to the construction of meaning and
opportunities to develop fluency (p. vii)." The research reviewed in this book
includes studies on normal reading development and instruction; on risk
factors that can be useful in identifying children at risk for reading
failure; and on prevention, intervention, and instructional approaches
to ensuring the most optimal reading outcomes. The committee emphasizes
the importance of high-quality preschool and kindergarten environments
and their contribution to providing a critical foundation to facilitate
children's acquisition of essential reading skills.
Adams, Forman, Lundberg, & Beeler (1998). Phonemic Awareness in Young Children, Brookes.
Apel & Masterson (2001). Beyond Baby Talk, Prima.
Burns, Griffin, & Snow (1999). Starting Out Right, National Academy.
Hart& Risley (1999). The Social World of Children, Brookes.
Neuman, Copple, & Bredekamp (2000). Learning to Read and Write, NAEYP.
Snow, Burns, & Griffin (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, National Academy.
Teaching Our Youngest Children (2002). U.S. Department of Education. |