Early Literacy Training for Child Care Providers: A Proven Program for Success Early Literacy Training for Child Care Providers: A Proven Program for Success ALA Anaheim, California June 29, 2008

Overview 1) Study design and background 2) Assessment results and research implications 3) Overview of training design 4) Application activity 5) Questions and discussion

Project Background Library Services Technology Act Grant (Maryland State Department of Education) Goal: to develop training to help home childcare providers in Title I school districts address Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) expectations Awarded grant to design and conduct training for the school year and to assess its effectiveness with both the providers and the children in their care

Project Background 1998 report on “Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children” Establishment of Every Child Ready to your library initiative Carroll County (Maryland) Public Library’s research based project Gap in MMSR training for child care providers in 2004

Project Background Four main components of training: 1)Fall and spring workshops for providers (4.5 total hours) based on MMSR principles in all domains but focusing on language & literacy 2)Early literacy materials for providers 3)Newsletters for providers 4)Follow-up phone conversations with providers

Project Background Two assessment components: 1)Pre-post survey of childcare providers on their knowledge of early literacy development and how they fostered this development in their childcare homes 2)Pre-post assessment of the three and four year olds in their care

Method Initial Steps Contracted with Resources in Reading Collaborated with community stakeholders Identified study participants Conducted informational meetings with providers and obtained parent permission Randomly assigned providers to Treatment Group or Control Group

Method Treatment & Assessment Survey tool developed & questions reviewed for validity and neutral language Assessment chosen for children: The Early Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA)

Method Treatment & Assessment Fall visits for both groups to collect survey, answer questions, establish rapport and administer assessment

Method Treatment & Assessment Training for Treatment Group: Three hours on October 1, 2005 Training centered around the research-based components of early literacy development included in the MMSR Kit of “hands-on” materials given to providers included storybooks, puppets, magnetic letters, white boards, magic markers, etc., as well as the Ready at Five activity cards for the seven MMSR domains and a binder of written support materials

Method Treatment & Assessment Two newsletters and phone discussions provided continued support

Method Treatment & Assessment Provider Comments from Phone Conversations: “The older kids are imitating me by reading the books to the younger children, following along using their finger to point out the words.” “I try to find activities that match the children’s evaluations.” “I’ve been tickled to death with the program. Everything I pull out of the box has been helpful.” “Having new things to use from the activity kit is motivating the children and motivating me, too.” “The children love the puppets. Besides reading storybooks, I use puppets to tell little made-up stories. The children now ask, “Will you tell me a story from your head?””

Method Treatment & Assessment Spring Workshop of 1.5 hours completed the Treatment in March of Providers were encouraged to bring activities and stories to share with one another. Providers received additional materials.

Method Treatment & Assessment Spring survey tool developed and mailed to providers Spring visits May of 2006 to collect surveys and assess children with the ELSA

Provider shares language experience book she created from technique modeled in spring workshop Application from Spring Workshop

Assessment Results for Children: ELSA RESULTS The ELSA produces a raw score in four areas of early literacy development: –Comprehension –Phonological Awareness –Alphabetic Principle –Concepts About Print

Assessment Results for Children: ELSA RESULTS From the raw score, a level score is calculated for each of the four areas.

Assessment Results for Children: ELSA RESULTS Children in the Treatment Group had greater raw score gains in all four test areas. Children in the Treatment Group had greater increases in their levels of performance in all four test areas.

Percentage of children whose raw score increased by 6 or more points

Percentage of children whose level score increased by 1 or more levels

Assessment Results for Children: ELSA RESULTS Regression analysis was used to isolate the treatment effect. This allowed us to look at each test area and use statistical analysis to determine if we could attribute the gains to the effect of the treatment.

Assessment Results for Children: ELSA RESULTS Statistical significance was achieved in three of the four test areas Comprehension Phonological Awareness Concepts about Print

Assessment Results for Children: ELSA RESULTS

Assessment Results for Providers: SURVEY RESULTS Pre-post survey included both selected response questions and opportunities for open-ended response Designed to assess changes in understanding and application of key early literacy concepts

Assessment Results for Providers: SURVEY RESULTS Providers in the Treatment Group reported a higher degree of understanding of early literacy concepts and how to apply the concepts in their childcare setting.

Assessment Results for Providers: SURVEY RESULTS Treatment Group: Oral Language The Emergent Literacy Training taught me about stopping when reading a story and giving them a chance to tell part of a story their way. The training reinforced the importance of activities such as adult interactions in their pretend play and giving them more time for storytelling. Storytelling examples at workshop were helpful. Sharing of ideas of group also helped inspire ideas! Incorporate speaking in everything. Control Group: Oral Language Reading more books; using tapes and CD's. Tapes, discussions.

Assessment Results for Providers: SURVEY RESULTS Treatment Group providers asked how helpful the professional development resources (workshops, materials, and newsletters) had been to them and to provide examples of how these resources had impacted their early literacy programs One hundred percent (100%) of the providers indicated “very helpful.”

Assessment Results for Providers: SURVEY RESULTS They have definitely rejuvenated me with ideas and excitement! Newsletters have continued to reinforce ways we can teach reading in day-to-day activities. Music is now a daily activity due to great resources. The suggested books and music CDs in the newsletters were great. It was nice especially with the books-they were excellent choices that all the children loved!

Assessment Results for Providers: SURVEY RESULTS Getting more out of reading books. Each child has learned lots of letters if not all. Enjoying the CD - dancing, and exercising and singing. Getting ideas from other providers always helps me - can expand on their ideas and be flexible in working it into my daily daycare program. Using everything in my materials box.

Study parameters Rural / suburban setting Study participants predominantly white All spoke English as primary language 26 providers (T = 15; C = 11) 51 children, aged years (T = 31; C = 20) Majority of participants in Title I school districts

Major Findings Treatment effect had significant impact on both the children’s performance and the providers’ knowledge of how to best promote early literacy in three areas: Comprehension Phonological Awareness Concepts About Print

Major Findings Most significant gain for the children was in the area of comprehension Contributing factors: Promoting oral language development throughout daily learning experiences Quality, not quantity of read aloud experiences

Major Findings Treatment effect for providers had a positive impact on: their understanding of key early literacy principles and the importance of “active learning” for children their view of themselves as professionals resulting in increased enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to try new techniques

Implications This level of professional development can improve school readiness. Treatment should produce similar results if replicated by other library systems. Longitudinal data on the treatment design would add to the research base on effective professional development for promoting early literacy.

Study Results: Year Two The treatment produced similar results with the former control group, further validating the training design. The former treatment group received additional training and resources. The children and providers continued to demonstrate growth in early literacy skills, though not at the dramatic rate of the first year of treatment.

Final Report Go to Carroll County Public Library’s website for the full report: Click on About Our Community Click on Emergent Literacy Training Assessment

Training Development

Training Development Goals to foster the providers’ ability to relate to how children would perceive and be engaged by learning activities to promote accountability for their own learning and the transfer of information to children and their parents to create a learning community where they support and learn from one another in addition to the formal training

Training Development Create an environment for learning

Training Development Key strategies –Created a binder of professional information –Developed & presented a pretend play skit

Training Development –Key Strategies Assembled take-home kits of resources to use with early literacy cards in all learning domains of the state standards –Social & personal development, math, science, language & literacy, physical development, the arts, and social studies Hands-on activities using early literacy activity cards and kit resources

Training Development Key strategies –Focused on language and literacy domain Demonstrated various techniques for reading and sharing books with children aligned with state standards

Training Development Key strategies –Focused on language and literacy domain (continued) Demonstrated techniques for developing knowledge and skills in four areas – –Concepts about print –Alphabetic principle –Phonological awareness –Comprehension Small group activity –to decide what techniques they would use to share a picture book with children –to develop extended activities relevant to the book

Training Development Key strategies –Focused on language and literacy domain (continued) Demonstrated other methods of developing language skills through puppets, flannel boards and finger plays Created glove puppets to take home to use with fingerplays and rhyming in their child care setting

Training Development Key strategies –Focused on language and literacy domain (continued) Created a reading ring to assist the providers in remembering storytime techniques and to allow children to have input on some follow-up activities

Training Development Key strategies –Music as a critical way to develop language and literacy skills Interactive activities in the workshop Mailed CDs with the newsletters Shared ways to use music with books

Training Development Key strategies –Follow-up spring workshop to share what participants learned to share what materials and activities they used and engaged in with their children to provide feedback on all aspects of the program additional training such as –Sharing their information on involving parents, –Using a tool created to help providers with continued assessments of each child in the four areas of language & literacy (Snapshots)

Application Activity

Your Turn Read-Aloud Techniques What would you discuss about the front and back covers of Grumpy Bird? Extension Activities Language Arts - This is a great choice for retelling…how would you approach this? Social / Emotional - There is an obvious connection to this domain! What type of activity would extend the message of the book? Children Learn…

Questions?

Contact Information Elaine Czarnecki: Dorothy Stoltz: ext. 733 Connie Wilson: ext. 731 Carroll County Public Library, Maryland Emergent Literacy Peer Coaching wiki wiki.carr.org/traction Click on Emergent Literacy