Early Reading First SPARK Program Students in Preschool Acquiring Reading Knowledge Board Workshop Presentation Fall, 2010 Long Beach Unified School District Child Development Centers Lauren Shaw, Director ٠ Donna Ryono, Project Coordinator, Sandra Velasco, Family Literacy/Intervention Specialist Robyn Lunstad, Literacy Coach ٠ David Noyes, Literacy Coach Claire Robertson, Literacy Coach ٠ Jeanne Spicer, Literacy Coach

K – W K – W – L What do you know about Preschool Education? What do you want to know about Preschool Education?

Agenda Research Overview of Early Reading First Program Data Outcomes

Closing the Achievement Gap “High-quality preschooling does more for a child’s chances in school and life than any other educational intervention. One study, which began in the 1960’s, tracked two groups of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some were given the opportunity to attend a high-quality preschool; others were not. Thirty- five years later, the kids who went to preschool were earning more, had better jobs, and were less likely to have been in prison or divorced.” from Newsweek Magazine, August 23, 2010 L. Schweinhart, 2004

Research on Preschool Education Principle factors of early reading skills 1. Oral Language Skills 2. Alphabet Knowledge 3. Phonological Awareness 4. Emergent Writing

What is Early Reading First? Federally funded three year grant Research-based literacy program to develop centers of excellence To prepare preschool students with necessary language, cognitive, and early reading skills $3.5 million

Students Served, Sites Child Development Centers Subsidized full day preschool 239 Students 3 and 4 year olds 15 CDC Teachers 3 classrooms per site 1 Coordinating Teacher per site

Focus of Funding Literacy Coaches Professional development training Weekly Instructional planning meetings Daily In-class coaching

Focus of Funding Family Literacy Specialist Intervention Specialist

Focus of Funding Professional Development for Teachers 136 hours each year

Focus of Funding Instructional Supplies New curriculum Books and materials

ERF Teachers’ Reflections Focus Group Interviews, June 2010 “Our room environments just scream literacy.” “I feel more valuable as a teacher teaching these focused lessons and having curriculum that I know is going to make a difference, is going to strengthen their lives. I feel more valuable. I know when they leave my classroom and move on, the next person will ask who their teacher was.”

Early Reading First Pre-K Curriculum Research-based curriculum, aligned to Kindergarten program Open Court Imagine It! (2008) Content Alphabetic knowledge Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Oral Language and Vocabulary Reading Comprehension Writing/Cross Curricular Integration

Early Reading First Pre-K Curriculum Video Clip Supplemental Practices: Name Game/Sound Chant Alphabet Knowledge Phonological Awareness

Early Reading First Pre-K Curriculum Video clip Supplemental Instruction: Shared Reading Oral Language/Vocabulary Concepts about Print

Early Reading First Pre-K Curriculum Video Clip Supplemental Instruction Modeled Writing, Shared Writing, Independent Journal Writing

Parent Testimonial “ When I was 14, I went to Renaissance. I had G. when I was a sophomore... They [the Infant/Toddler Program] helped me graduate. If it wasn’t for them, I probably would have been a dropout, because nobody would be able to watch my son. All of my family worked and went to school. Now I’m working as a child care worker at Whittier. G. went to the Infant/Toddler Center ‘til he was three years old…from there he went to West [CDC – Early Reading First]. That summer Robin helped me with trying to find work. The teachers there [at West] were good. He learned a lot. His [kindergarten] teacher tells me now that he is ahead, like above the average. Like the new program they have [ERF] - I noticed when I was subbing – I subbed at West this summer - that the kids like what they do. I noticed that it’s things like they might have learned in first grade…I thought, ‘Wow. They’re smart.’”

Testimonials ERF Teacher comments on parent perceptions “I’ve never before had four year olds that could read. And they’re writing too...I have one who reads every morning before breakfast and he’s helping by assigning books to the other students. He is so proud and the parents are so happy. It makes the parents so happy to bring their students to their program and watching their children really growing in their skills.”

Feedback from Kindergarten Receiving Teachers ERF students have a “high level of letter knowledge, even sight word knowledge…great recall and confident with sharing…excellent program. How can we offer this program/services to the others?”

Baseline 2009, Post 2010 Results Oral Language/Vocabulary Mean Standard Scores - Matched Pairs N= th Percentile Rank Long Beach Early Reading First End of Year Evaluation Summer 2010 Gain of 5.1

21 Comparison Data from Early Reading First Web Site GPRA Measure 3 Results Data from Early Reading First Web Site - BACKGROUND INFORMATION Fact Sheet

Early Reading First Student June, 2010

L K – W - L l What have you learned about… Preschool education? Questions/Comments