1. A solid foundation of early academic literacy for English Learner success
A Preschool -Third grade approach
for Spanish-Speaking English Learners
Laurie Olsen, Ph.D.

2. The Context
Increasing Hispanic and immigrant population in the state and nation
Lack of English and lack of strong literacy continues to be a barrier to participation, employment, education
An enduring and increasing achievement gap in K-12 for Latinos and English Learners

3. Children who start behind, stay behind….
Skills in kindergarten predict academic achievement in later years
Initial gaps in “readiness skills” between EL and English proficient children do not narrow by 3rd grade - and often grow
Initial readiness gaps between ethnic groups widen by 3rd grade

4. National & county data
High quality early childhood education reduces disparities in outcomes
Experience in preschool leads to entering kindergarten more “school ready”
Strengths in social expression and academic skills are strong predictors of academic success through 5th grade
Self-regulation (rated high by Kinder teachers) is not linked to later achievement

5. Defining generic “high quality ECE” is not sufficient
High quality ECE reduces disparities in educational outcomes overall.
BUT access is a challenge for low-income families who are not English fluent
A quality program for English Learners requires something beyond standard indicators of “quality” (safety, developmental, low ratios, partnership with parents)

6. High quality preK contributes to meaningfully higher levels of school achievement among low SES children, including low SES Hispanics -- However, there is limited impact in the area of language development!
Substantial short-term positive outcomes. But a Fade out effect of PreK and Full day Kinder (60-80% of cognitive gains dissipate by Spring of first grade - by 3rd grade mostly gone)
For English Learners, the gap narrows but does not close as a result of preschool

7. Why?
Lack of preschool models addressing the specific needs of English Learners and their families
Confusion about what the needs of English Learners are in early years
Preparing FOR Kindergarten is not enough - the two systems need better alignment and connection

8. This workshop:
Overview of research on language development for English Learners in early years
Share the SEAL model and approach now being demonstrated/piloted
Describe the implementation in two school districts
Discuss implications for the field

9. From the research:
Learning to speak and use language is a major task of the early years - development of language is wired into the human brain
There is a developmental continuum of language/literacy development in young children (birth to 8)
This window of language development is a unique opportunity for development of bilingualism
Young children engaged in two language worlds have unique needs

10. Early language development
Experiences in infancy establish habits of seeking, noticing and incorporating experience, as well as schemas for categorizing and thinking about experience
Within the first few years, nearly all typically developing children develop mastery of the basis for language

11. By age 3: children have acquired the basic rules of grammar, understand much spoken language, understand as many as a thousand words and produce several hundred
By age 4: The system of language is fairly well established; children ask questions to develop meaning about the world, which is encoded in language; vocabulary grows

12. A child’s home language is a crucial foundation for social interactions, cognitive development, learning about her world, and emerging literacy
Language of the home is vehicle for making and establishing meaningful communicative relationships, to construct knowledge and test learning
Language is a socio-emotional and cultural phenomenon - key to identity formation

13. Bilingual development
Bilingual development is a common and normal childhood experience.
Infants distinguish languages and interpret contextual cues to learn which language is appropriate within given contexts
Children with two languages show greater tissue density in areas associated with language, memory, focus - and more neural activity in parts of the brain associated with language processing.

14. Myths and misunderstandings
Learning two languages will confuse children and lead to delays or disorders
With less exposure to each language, neither will become developed fully - and they will not attain proficiency equal to monolingual children in either language

15. I. Importance of rich oral language development in young children
Verbal interaction is essential in the construction of knowledge
Producing language encourages learners to process language more deeply than when just listening or receptive.
Oral language is the bridge to academic language associated with school and the development of literacy --

16. “Early Catastrophe” The 30 million word gap
Vocabulary a child uses at 3 is predictive of language skills at age 9, and directly predictive of reading comprehension
Trends in amount of talk, vocabulary growth, systems of interaction using language is well-established by age 3
Words heard by 3 year olds:
professional families ,000
working class families 125,000
families on welfare ,000
Hart and Risley, 2003

17. National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth (2008)
Oral language development is critical to literacy… and is often and increasingly overlooked in early literacy instruction and curriculum

18. Implications for early education
Amount, degree and TYPE of oral interaction is a big factor in early years
Important to stimulate the talk that allows language learners to explore and clarify concepts, name their world, wonder and describe

19. II. Language develops in context
Young children develop language through play, social interaction, listening, experimenting with producing language - in the context of going about their lives -
Much of the early literacy curriculum is decontextualized “language arts” - phonics, letter-of-the-week

20. III. Development of the home language is crucial
Home language development is vulnerable
Children in English immersion ECE tend to lose ability to communicate in L1, prefer English, frequently develop communication problems with extended families and experience depressed academic achievement in English

21. Misunderstandings…..
Myth: there is no research base, it’s just a matter of politics and opinion
Myth: Time spent in home language is wasted time for developing English
Myth: More and earlier immersion in English is the best way to acquire English

22. Actually…..
Children have more extended and complex vocabulary and language skills if their home language is developed
Bilingual children perform better than monolinguals on select cognitive tasks
English Learners make more academic progress when they have the opportunity to learn in both their home language and English

23. Counterproductive common preschool practices
Get them into English before Kinder as a primary goal of preschool….
Ending use of home language (it is actually detrimental and disruptive to language development, family relationships and identity development)
Informal, random use of two languages

24. The SEAL Model Sobrato Early Academic Literacy Initiative

25. The Sobrato Family Foundation
Mission: “to help create and sustain a vibrant and healthy community where all Silicon Valley residents have equal opportunity to live, work and be enriched”

26. Six foundational components
Academic language and literacy in English and Spanish
Rich oral language development
Text-rich environment and curriculum
Language developed through enriched curriculum
Affirming learning environment
• Teachers and Parents working together
Preschool through third grade!

27. #1: Academic Language and Literacy in English and Spanish
• Use and development of the child’s home language will benefit the child in acquiring English (CDE “Principles for Promoting Language, Literacy and Learning in Preschool English Learners” )
……. but How?

28. Defining the language model:
PreK and Kinder: Minimum of 50% in home language - minimum of 20% of English throughout the schoolyear
Home language for rich initial concept development
English builds upon the home language
Intentional focus on the relationship between the two languages - and on “transfer”
Languages separated

29. Requires information about the development of BOTH languages
SEAL Preschool teachers use PreLAS assessment in BOTH languages
Developed typologies/profiles describing degrees of bilingualism: Spanish only; Spanish/dominant and English receptive; Balanced bilingual; English dominant, Spanish receptive; English only.

30. #2 Rich oral language development
Four domains of language: oral language is foundation
CDE Preschool Foundations
Engage children in using language
Enrich the language they hear
Work with parents on oral language development strategies with their children
Chants, rhymes, songs

31. #3: Text-rich environment and curriculum
Active engagement with books and writing (children and parents)
Meaningful interactions with print media
Talking about books contributes to comprehension, vocabulary AND to oral language
Seeing “self” in books is crucial to literacy
Purchased books for variety of genre, linked to themes, bilingual

32. #4 Language developed through enriched curriculum
Language as a vehicle for learning and expression
Emphasis on ACADEMIC language
To close achievement gap requires access to full curriculum
Equity issue
Science and the arts are powerful subjects and opportunities for language development
Thematic units

33. #5 Affirming Learning Environment
Affective filter and language learning
The HIGHEST expectations
A culture and climate of respect and inclusion - culturally responsive classrooms
Relationship between healthy socio-emotional development and sense of safety

34. Strong home-school partnerships
Linguistic and cultural congruity
Care with messages about relative worth of family languages and cultures
Literacy practices of parents are correlated with later success in English for children who are LOTE - so strengthening language practices in families is an important part of early education (encourage use and development of home language)

35. #6 Teachers and Parents work together
Education for ELs is enhanced when schools and families partner around children’s education
Parents can facilitate literacy development by using the language they know best and by using it in varied and extensive ways
School need to address barriers to involvement
Relationship between school and home is a crucial factor in healthy development of identity, and sense of belonging.

36. Attention to PreK - K school “transition” and beyond
Two different systems - little connection
Preparation for academic success - kindergarten “readiness” is too low for academic success
The transition itself is a vulnerable time - need strategies and policies to support transition
Period from ages 3 to eight is critical for language development

37. The PreK-3 movement
Public schools nationwide are increasingly serving more 4 year olds and even 3 year olds
Instead of how to prepare children in ECE for K- view it as an articulated and connected schooling experience
Systems based integrated approach
Move away from separate notions of ECE and K-12 - focus on alignment (horizontal, vertical, temporal)
North Carolina/ Foundation for Child Development

38. Structure of SEAL pilot
8 preschools (community based and state-funded preschools) on 4 elementary school sites in Redwood City School District and San Jose Unified School District
Cohort begins in preschool and will be followed through third grade

39. Working with the sites Components are the foundation
No “one size fits all”, exact replication model or process
SEAL Lead teams reflect on their practices, build on their strengths, identify and plan to address gaps
TWBI, ABE and SEI

40. The SEAL process
Worked closely with district to align work and support
Set up an infrastructure of support
Reflective practice - continuing throughout the life of the pilot
Deep immersion in research, access to top research and researchers in the field,
focused on data

41. Professional Development
Silvia Duque Reyes, “Side by Side”
Kathy Escamilla, “Literacy Squared” - GLAD and PreK GLAD
California Reading and Literacy Project - Transfer and Houghton-Mifflin
Strategies for oral language development through text-engagement
Grade-level and cross-grade collaboration time - BY PROGRAM and integrated across programs

42. TWBI-ABE-SEI: Basic educational principles apply across early education settings….
Language development should occur in context
Developmental/play based preschool
Emphasis on rich and “academic” oral language
L1 developed to extent can be done - and always honored
Resources for enriched environment and books/text
Parent/home/school connection
More TIME - full day programs, multi-year summer bridge programs
Small ratios
Home visits (Parents as Teachers)

43. Use and work with local resources
Schmahl Science Workshops
Bilingual Authors
Families United for Literacy and Learning
Early Childhood Language Development Institute (SMCOE) for preschool providers and parents

44. Build connections across the PreK and K-3 systems
Articulation meetings and visits PreK-K
Support families and children in transitioning between and across the systems
Summer Bridge programs engage both grade-levels working together in the NEW setting
Seek professional development, assessments and strategies that can build similar learning conditions across the grades
Through data, research & dialogue, build a SHARED VISION PreK - 3

45. The Evaluation/Research
Dr. Kathryn Lindholm-Leary
Longitudinal design following cohorts of students from entering preschool through third grade
Data points/analysis - PreK entry, K entry, First grade entry, end of third grade

46. Student Measures: Pre K
Desired Results DRDP Revise (Spanish/English)
Pre LAS (Spanish/English)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
Kindergarten School Readiness Checklist

47. Student Measures: K  CELDT Social Rating Scale
Self-Description Questionaire
Lindholm-Leary Student Attitude Scale
CST
Aprenda - Reading
STS

48. Classroom measures Preschool - ECERS-R and ECERS-E
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) - measures emotional and instructional climate
Language Use in Classroom
Staff quality and training

49. Family Context
Adaptation from ECLS Longitudinal Student and Lindholm-Leary Parent Scales - focus on language and literacy practices
Family involvement in school and child’s education

50. Between now and 2014…. Videos of classroom practices
Reflection tools/observation tools
Readers
Research updates as data on cohort becomes available
Information on replication forums
Visits to the sites

51. Implications for the field

52. Importance of EL specific models and approaches
Professional development is essential
Build capacity across the system and partners to understand and respond to EL early education needs

53. Don’t accept unforgivably low standards for kindergarten readiness
Ability to decode in a second language does not = foundation of language needed to comprehend more difficult texts in that second language
Ability to express basic needs and carry on a simple conversation is not a sufficient base for academic competency - language proficiency takes years!
Children need a sustained, consistent language development approach - focus on “academic” vocabulary, rich rich language in L1

54. Beyond “readiness”, beyond transition…
Beyond “readiness”, beyond transition…. build connections between Preschools and K-3
Collaboration time, facilitated dialogues, visits
Shared professional development
Similar, articulated assessments and strategies
Attend to disjunctures in district planning and management
Longitudinal data

55. State and local policy needs to be flexible……
No one program model fits all populations, contexts, capacities (multiple languages, homogeneous, English plus one other language, etc.)
Linguistically isolated, heavily impacted Hispanic/ Spanish-speaking communities can mount effective bilingual approaches

56. Thank you! For more information, contact: Laurie Olsen, Director
Sobrato Early Academic Literacy