Successful Literacy Programs and Models for Teachers
This list of resources is designed as a guide for those who are interested in obtaining information on current resources or models that are available in Orange County for implementation in parent/child early literacy programs. Please use the contact section of each project to obtain further information.Parent/Child Programs
| Description | Research/Resources | Contact | |
| Everyday Literacy for Families (ELF) PreK | ELF is designed to inform and engage parents in supporting literacy learning for young children. Site-based teams of early childhood educators and parent leaders are trained and supported to implement ongoing Everyday Literacy for Families (ELF) events that meet the needs of their community. ELF events model ways to connect with local library programs and other school and community-based family literacy resources. | Henderson, A.T., Mapp, K. L. (2002) New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement. Austin, TX.: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. |
California Reading and Literature Project—UC Irvine/Orange County Region Linda Clinard, Ph.D., Director (LClinard@uci.edu) Andrea Navarro, Program Assistant (anavarro@uci.edu) 949.824.2053 |
| Literacy Parties | Designed to create a connection between home and school, literacy parties can be developed to meet individual program needs. Anaheim City School District’s (ACSD) success is based on distributing solid, scientifically-based information to parents to ensure that children receive quality guidance and that parents practice intentionality when working with their children that demonstrate promising practices in the home. |
Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc.(1999) Born to Learn Curriculum, Module One and Two.
Boston University School of Medicine, Erickson Institute Research - Zero to Three, Brain Wonders. |
Gloria Martinez |
| Latino Family Literacy Project |
Birth to Three Program My First Years / Mis Primeros Años supports the notion that parents are their child's first teacher and introduces parents to concepts of language development, child development, and basic parenting skills. Program 2: Two to Five Program I am Ready / ¡Listo! Encourages parents to establish a daily reading routine by the time their child enters kindergarten. It teaches parents how to use books to teach their children early literacy skills such as letter recognition, numeracy, colors, and shapes. |
Supports the California Content Standards. |
1107 Fair Oaks Ave. Suite 225 South Pasadena, CA 91030 626.799.7341 Phone 626.799.3851 Fax info@latinoliteracy.com |
| MotherRead |
Child and Family Development Teacher’s Guide (For parents with preschool children) All lessons in each adult curriculum provide a meaning-based approach for comprehension skill development, allow teacher flexibility to individualize instruction, meet students’ personal goals, and promote group learning for social support and self-efficacy. B.A.B.Y. (Birth and Beginning Years): This curriculum uses carefully selected children’s literature and a holistic approach to teaching health care, parenting, and literacy skills to expectant and new parents. |
Scientific research findings on child development by Dr. Joseph Sparling at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center and an adult education theoretical model based on the work of Dr. Hanna Fingeret, former associate professor of adult education at North Carolina State University. |
MotherRead, Inc. Suite 7, 3924 Browning Place Raleigh, NC 27609 Phone: 919.781.2088 Fax: 919.571.8579 www.motheread.org motheread@earthlink.net |
| Raising a Reader | Raising A Reader educates parents on the importance of reading to their child regularly and from an early age. Raising A Reader has a strong multicultural and bilingual emphasis, offering books in Spanish and with multicultural themes. | Based on parents and early childhood professionals establishing a reading routine with their children. |
Michelle Torgerson 2730 Sand Hill Road, Suite 250 Menlo Park, CA 94025-7118 mmtorgerson@siliconvalleycf.org 650.854.5566 x 216 |
| Virtual Pre-K |
All About Me (CD/VIDEO 1) includes topics related to children’s discovery of their body, feelings, and place in the world.
Taking Care of Me (CD/VIDEO 2) includes topics related to children’s nutrition, health, and safety. |
Based on brain-based research, these standards-based lessons align with Head Start and the DRDP Materials developed by Chicago Public Schools. |
Janna Wright Orange County Department of Education 714.327.1082 jbwright@ocde.us https://www.virtualpre-k.org/ |
Teaching Strategies Best Practices Programs
| Description | Research/Resources | Contact | |
| Preschool GLAD | Creates a rich environment of language, ideas, and concepts. Students engage in learning at their own entry points and are given multiple ways to respond. |
Model based on EL research for language acquisition.
Based on Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky). |
Christie Baird, M.A. SEED- Orange County Department of Education 714. 327.8181 cbaird@ocde.us |
| C.I.R.C.L.E. | Training is based on the most recent scientific research and meets the needs of adult learners. These sessions are interactive and provide fun, hands-on activities. Upon return to their classrooms, participants possess a deeper understanding of early literacy development and a wealth of ideas for implementation. |
Service provider: University of Texas, SEED, private contractors.
Material Development: UT – Health Science Center at Houston. |
SEED-Orange County Department of Education 714.327.8181 CIRCLE@uth.tmc.edu |
Classroom Evaluation Best- Practices
| Description | Research/Resources | Contact | |
| ELLCO | The Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) Toolkit contains three assessment tools: a Literacy Environment Checklist, a protocol to conduct classroom observations and administer teacher interviews, and a Literacy Activities Rating Scale. | Based on work by Center for Children & Families at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC). |
Phone: 617.618.2117 Fax: 617.244.3609 Lanastasopoulos@edc.org http://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/smith-ellco/index.htm |
Terms and Definitions
The table below charts terms, practices, and research methods used in various programs.
| Term | Definition |
|
Best Practices (NAEYC) (www.naeyc.org) |
a. Appreciating childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle. b. Recognizing that children are best understood in the context of family, culture, and society. c. Helping children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust, respect, and positive regard. (Feeney & Kipnis, 1992). |
| Developmentally Appropriate Practices | a. Those practices which are both age-appropriate and individually-appropriate for each child. |
| Evidence-Based Practices (First 5 Criteria) |
a. The studies may be non-randomized, or be a well-designed randomized controlled trial showing the intervention’s effectiveness at only one single site. b. Randomized controlled trials are conducted in a laboratory-like setting c. Randomized controlled trials show the intervention’s effectiveness for students with different academic skills and socioeconomic backgrounds compared to the students in your school or classroom. d. Randomized controlled trials’ design and implementation may lack one or more elements described in the above criteria for scientifically-based practices. |
| Promising Practices (First 5 Criteria) | a. Carefully implemented, monitored, and evaluated to demonstrate effectiveness of some intermediate step(s) that leads to improved student performance. |
| Research-based Curriculum | a. Curriculum that is based on scientific research and is scientifically tested to verify effectiveness. |
| Scientific Research (First 5 Criteria) | a. Randomized controlled trials are well-designed and -implemented. A clear description of (i) the practice, including who administered it, who received it, and what it cost; (ii) how the practice differed from what the control group received; and (iii) the logic of how the practice is supposed to affect outcomes. |
