OKLAHOMA EARLY READING FIRST What We Are Learning Priscilla Griffith University of Oklahoma Go Sooners!

United States Department of Education Early Literacy First Grant Focus: Pre-K 3 and 4 year olds Focus: Pre-K 3 and 4 year olds Purpose: Purpose: –Create early childhood centers of excellence –Prepare young children to enter kindergarten with necessary skills to ensure school success

Oklahoma ERF Sooner T.A.L.K Sooner T.A.L.K Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E. Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E. Starting Right Starting Right

GOALS Create language and literacy rich classroom environments Create language and literacy rich classroom environments Integrate curriculum, activities and materials into classrooms and family literacy practices Integrate curriculum, activities and materials into classrooms and family literacy practices Assess literacy learning Assess literacy learning Build partnerships to support the transition of all children into formal classroom instruction Build partnerships to support the transition of all children into formal classroom instruction Support family literacy Support family literacy Provide research-based sustained professional development Provide research-based sustained professional development

COMPONENTS Professional Development Professional Development –Instruction –Child Assessment/Progress Monitoring Literacy Mentors Literacy Mentors Family Literacy Component Family Literacy Component –Family Literacy Nights –Family Literacy Resources –Home Visits Project Evaluation Project Evaluation

Project Development Year One Year One –Physical transformation of classrooms –Initiate literacy classes –Learn to mentor Year Two Year Two –Implement spiral curriculum of literacy classes –Learn to develop portfolios Year Three Year Three –Focus on examining student work to plan instruction

Three C’s of Professional Development Community Community –Professional development classes –Examine student learning Curriculum Content: Assessment and Instruction of Oklahoma ERF Benchmarks Curriculum Content: Assessment and Instruction of Oklahoma ERF Benchmarks –Oral language –Phonological awareness –Print concepts –Alphabet knowledge and writing –Listening comprehension Coaching Coaching –Implementing instructional strategies

Structure of Professional Development Classes Two groups: certified and non-certified teachers Two groups: certified and non-certified teachers Classes off campus Classes off campus Classes two times each month for 3 hours Classes two times each month for 3 hours Literacy instructor Literacy instructor Literacy mentors attend Literacy mentors attend

OBSERVATION REFLECTION ASSESSMENT PLANNING INSTRUCTION STAFF DEVELOPMENT The Continuous, Recursive, and Interactive Process of Progress Monitoring

Data Collection SystematicObservationAssessmentTasks Work Samples Data Aggregation Planning and Reflection using Portfolios Instruction Oklahoma P.R.I.D.E. Progress-Monitoring Plan

Project Evaluation Classrooms Classrooms –Before and after photos Teachers Teachers –Concept Maps –ELLCO: Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation –Focus Groups Students Students –TELD: Test of Early Language Development –PALS: Phonological Assessment Literacy Screening Parents Parents –Literacy Activities Survey

Changing the Physical Environment

Transforming a disorganized environment Transforming a disorganized environment

Setting up Centers Dramatic Play WritingLibrary

Concept Maps Early Literacy

Concept Maps Voltz, 2004 (Action in Teacher Education, v. 27 # 3) Voltz, 2004 (Action in Teacher Education, v. 27 # 3) Rated maps for variation and quantity Rated maps for variation and quantity –Variation = number of categories represented in the map –Quantity = total number of ideas

Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Literacy Environment Checklist Literacy Environment Checklist –Book Use and Availability - 20 points –Writing Materials and Display – 21 points Classroom Observation Protocol Classroom Observation Protocol –General Classroom Environment – 30 points –Language and Literacy Curriculum – 40 points Literacy Activity Rating Scale Literacy Activity Rating Scale –Book reading – 8 points –Writing – 5 points

ELLCO Literacy Environment Checklist Classroom Observation Protocol Literacy Activity Rating Scale Book Use Writing Materials Classroom Environ Curriculum Book Reading Writing Baseline - February2004 PRIDE COMPARE End of Year 2 – May 2005 PRIDE COMPARE

Focus Groups Accomplishments Accomplishments –Professional growth –Focus of the program on their roles as professionals – before the program Pre-K teachers were “considered by some to be babysitters but now they were using research- based teaching principles that can be measured and validated” –Provided roadmap for meeting state standards

Benefits Benefits –Access to resources/research-based, developmentally appropriate instructional strategies –Mentor support –Professional development classes –Progress of children –Credit towards CDA –Interact with other teachers –Peer support –Opportunity to attend professional conferences

Challenges/Concerns Challenges/Concerns –Letting go of old curriculum and ways –Over-emphasizing literacy –Leaving their assistant alone with their class in order to attend professional development classes –Having resources to sustain parent activity component after the ERF grant ends –More modeling of different types of classroom instruction by their mentor

TELD TELD: Test of Early Language Development TELD: Test of Early Language Development –Administered in English only –Not normed on our population –Assesses English language learning children need for initial success in school

PALS/AMIGOS Rhyme Awareness Rhyme Awareness Beginning Sound Beginning Sound Upper-Case Alphabet Upper-Case Alphabet Lower-Case Alphabet Lower-Case Alphabet Verbal memory Verbal memory Print Knowledge Print Knowledge Concept of Word Concept of Word Name Writing Name Writing

PALS/AMIGOS Results All scores for both groups (PRIDE and Comparison) were significantly different from pre-test to post- test. All scores for both groups (PRIDE and Comparison) were significantly different from pre-test to post- test. There was a statistically significant difference between groups on rhyme awareness. There was a statistically significant difference between groups on rhyme awareness.

What Have We Learned Childcare research is very messy. Childcare research is very messy. It has taken three years to see differences in child outcomes. It has taken three years to see differences in child outcomes. Mentoring has to be learned. Mentoring has to be learned. Early childhood educators with a strong literacy background are difficult to find. Early childhood educators with a strong literacy background are difficult to find. There is a tension among early childhood and literacy educators over DAP and purposeful instruction. There is a tension among early childhood and literacy educators over DAP and purposeful instruction.

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