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Synthesizing the Scientific Research on Development of Early Literacy in Young Children The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), with funding from the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), identified and convened the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) to conduct a synthesis of scientific research on the development of early literacy in young children. The objective for convening the NELP was to identify interventions and practices that promote positive outcomes in literacy for preschool children. |
NEW! A KEY
TO LITERACY: PARENTS TALKING WITH THEIR KIDS |
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CLOSE
EARLY CHILDHOOD ACHIEVEMENT GAPS BY READING, STORY-TELLING
Currently, Latino children represent 21.4 percent of the early childhood population and that figure is supposed to grow by 146 percent by 2050. However, relative to the size of this population, little research exists that is focused on Latino infant and child development. One such study recently released by the Harvard Family Research Project involved an examination of the characteristics and early predictors of infant development and parenting. The study’s researchers found that family engagement for all children is vital, regardless of social, cultural or ethnic group. The study also notes that there is no difference in cognitive or motor competencies between Latino children and their white peers at nine months of age. According to results from other studies, school readiness differences are found as early as at kindergarten age between Latino and white children. This finding might help point to the period in development when the divide occurs between the two groups. While few differences in parenting behaviors exist across ethnic groups, Latino families are less likely to read books and share stories with their children than parents from other ethnic backgrounds. |
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WHAT
YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE KIDS START SCHOOL The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) is the first nationally representative study that assesses early mental and physical development, the quality of early care and education settings and the contributions of parents to the lives of children in the years leading up to school. The report, which provides information on children when they were about four, finds that children with two-parent families scored higher than children with single-parent families on the overall literacy scale score, a pattern repeated in the results of letter recognition and phonological awareness. In addition, while 65 percent of children demonstrated proficiency in numbers and shapes, only 40 percent of children with lower socioeconomic status (SES) demonstrated proficiency, whereas 87 percent of children in higher SES families were able to do so. The study is intended to encourage analysis of the data by sophisticated methods, as people are cautioned not to draw causal inferences based on the results presented. |
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QUALITY
OF HOME LIFE KEY IN CLOSING OR OPENING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS
The gaps in critical home conditions and experiences of young children mirror the achievement gaps that begin early in life and persist through high school, according to results from a new study conducted by the Education Testing Service. The study’s researchers examined the factors that influence early childhood learning and found that 33 percent of children live in families in which no parent has a full-time, year-round job. Additionally, by age four, children of professional families hear 35 million more words than children of parents on welfare. According to Paul Barton, who co-authored the report, "single-parent families, parents reading to children, hours spent watching television and school absences, when combined, account for about two-thirds of the large differences among states in National Assessment of Educational Progress reading scores." The study suggests that in order to improve schools and student achievement, reform efforts must go beyond the public policy arena and focus on creating home and community environments that aid in educational development. |
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The
American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association
in the world, with more than 64,000 members. Its mission is to promote
the highest quality library and information services and public access
to information. ALA offers professional services and publications
to members and nonmembers, including online news stories from American
Libraries and analysis of crucial issues from the Washington Office. Public Library Association/Association of Library Service for Children Early Literacy Project http://www.ala.org/ala/pla/plaissues/earlylit/researchandeval/projectevaluation.htm |
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The
Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) is
a national center for research on early reading. www.ciera.org/index.html |
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USING
COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD CARE TO PROVIDE PRE-K In delivering their pre-kindergarten programs, states are taking one of two principal approaches. States are choosing to offer pre-kindergarten programs: 1) exclusively in public schools; or 2) in schools and other settings, including community-based child care... http://www.clasp.org/publications/cc_brief5.pdf |
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Still
Going Strong: Head Start Children, Families, Staff, and Programs in 2004 www.clasp.org/publications/headstart_brief_6.pdf |
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A study released September, 2004 by the Commonwealth Fund in New York
and Child Trends, based in Washington, D.C., determined that children
with less-educated mothers and in minority households are less likely
to be talked to and read to, two strong characteristics of early literacy. http://www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/chartbook_quick_download.pdf |
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UC
Berkeley researchers have found that the benefits of preschool and
other center-based programs prior to kindergarten are a large factor
in determining the success of children in school. http://www.dailycal.org/particle.php?id=16276 |
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The
Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development is produced by
the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. It is intended
for policy-makers, service planners and service providers and for
parents.
It brings together articles written by internationally renowned experts on topics having to do with the psychosocial development of young children, from conception to the age of five. Each of the 33 topics addressed is explored from three perspectives: development, services and policies. In addition, for each topic there is a synthesis that provides, in a simplified format, the key points that will be most useful to practitioners and planners. This synthesis addresses three questions: What is the importance of this topic? What are the most up-to-date and conclusive data available on this subject? And what can be done to improve services, policies and research? |
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A
bibliography on Family Involvement in Early Childhood Education. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/bibliography/ece.html Parent Invovlement and the Social and Academic Competencies of Urban Kindergarten Children http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/digest/parent_involvement.html A library study done on early literacy http://www.ala.org/ala/pla/plaissues/earlylit/researchandeval/projectevaluation.htm Family Support Services Promote School Readiness http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/digest/support.html |
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This website provides tools for you to measure () and monitor () the
progress of the children you are assessing. In addition, this site
includes informational materials about the background of the assessment
model and assessment types. http://ggg.umn.edu/ |
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The
Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy's Web site was recently updated. To directly download the policy brief mentioned in the message below, titled "Even Start's Impact on Families," go to http://www.ed.psu.edu/goodlinginstitute/pdf/policy_brief_impact.pdf |
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Success
by Ten is a proposed program designed to help every
child achieve success in school by age ten. It calls for a major
expansion and intensification of Head Start and Early Head Start,
so that every disadvantaged child has the opportunity to enroll
in a high-quality program of education and care during the first
five years of his or her life. |
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EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: INVESTING IN QUALITY MAKES SENSE Nearly four out of five states invest in preschool programs. However, states' financial commitment to early childhood education, their eligibility requirements, and the number of children who actually receive care vary widely, making high-quality and readily available state-funded preschool programs the exception rather than the rule. Read more... |
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A
whole series of articles that address preschool education programs
and is on the Harvard Education webpage: http://www.hel-earlyed.org/ |
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BUILDING
STATE EARLY CHILDHOOD COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS Capitalizing on the exciting early childhood systems-building momentum sweeping the country, the National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy has released a series of 15 reports and corresponding policy briefs all geared to helping states develop their own initiatives for optimizing health, development, and well-being in early childhood. The series is available at: http://www.healthychild.ucla.edu/NationalCenter/default.asp |
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LONG-TERM
STUDY OF EARLY EDUCATION SHOWS HIGHER INCOME, LESS CRIME AT AGE 40 A landmark long-term study tracing the lives of three- and four-year-olds receiving high quality early care and education in the 1960s and comparing the results with a similar group of young children from the same area not receiving early education has been released by High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. http://www.highscope.org/Research/PerryProject/perrymain.htm |
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Individual
Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) are tools that provide
helpful information about children's growth toward socially valued
outcomes and that guide intervention decisions. http://www.lsi.ku.edu/jgprojects/igdi/What%20is%20IGDI.htm |
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Investigators
at the Universities of Minnesota, Kansas, and Oregon launched the
Early Childhood Research Institute on Measuring Growth and Development
(ECRI-MGD) in October, 1996, to produce a comprehensive system for
measuring the skills and needs of individual children with disabilities
from birth to eight years of age. http://ici2.umn.edu/ecri |
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The
Institute for Child and Family Policy (ICFP) at Columbia University
was initiated in 1999 to meet the urgent need for systematic exchange
among policy researchers and policy shapers from different disciplines.
The program of the Institute is based on the premise that scholars
working together can address problems that would be beyond the reach
of individual researchers and together achieve results that would
be more than the sum total of their individual efforts. www.childpolicy.org/ |
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A
new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the overwhelming
majority of the media products for very young children are advertised
as being educational for kids, but there are no published studies
on cognitive outcomes for any of the advertised products, marketed
for children 0-6 years. http://www.kff.org/entmedia/7427.cfm |
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This
site from Kansas Action for Children has up-to-date information on
the status of children in Kansas. www.kac.org/index.htm |
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2005
KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK KIDS COUNT is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the U.S. This site, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, focuses on an interactive presentation of data from the 2005 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released July 27. http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/databook.jsp |
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"Report
Cites Big Cost Benefits of Preschool" Children enrolled in quality preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school, hold down jobs and less likely to be on welfare or end up in jail, a new report concludes. The report by the advocacy group Legal Momentum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Workplace Center, analyzed recent studies on the economic and other impact of good early education. http://www.familyinitiative.org/FamilyInitiativeReport.pdf |
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NEW! LEAVE
IT TO BEAVER TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES |
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The
National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) is encouraging
elementary school principals across the country to lead the way for
enhanced education at the pre-kindergarten level. The NAESP's new
report, Leading Early Childhood Learning Communities: What Principals
Should Know and Be Able to Do, was presented at its 84th annual convention
in Baltimore on April 16, 2005. According to NAESP executive director
Vincent Ferrandino, the report "offers principals valuable insights
to help them define quality in early childhood programs and engage
their communities in discussions and activities that reach beyond
the elementary campus." Read the full story at: http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=1579 |
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This
brief provides a blueprint for state and local policymakers, early
learning administrators, teachers, families, community leaders,
and researchers to use effective preschool curricula and teaching
strategies to help low-income young children close the achievement
gap in early literacy and math to be ready for kindergarten like
their more affluent peers. It is part of a series of publications
from the Pathways to Early School Success project of NCCP that addresses
the question: “What will it take to ensure that young low-income
children succeed in the early school years?” |
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Research at the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL), focuses on enhancing the cognitive, social and emotional development of children from birth through age eight. |
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Several
new reports that were on the Harvard FINE (Family Involvement Network
of Educators) website The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/ From Kindergarten Through Third Grade: Children's Beginning School Experiences Study http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004007 |
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BUILDING
THE FOUNDATION FOR BRIGHT FUTURES The first years of life are a critical time for development of the foundational skills and competencies that children will need for success in school and in life. Too often, children who enter their kindergarten classroom without these skills and competencies start behind and stay behind. http://www.nga.org/center/divisions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEF%5ED_7819,00.html |
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This
site from the National Institute for Early Education Research provides
the latest research and information on early childhood-related issues. www.nieer.org/ Excellent report on the state of pre-school preschool programs in the country. http://nieer.org/yearbook/ |
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March 2008 How
Do Toddlers Learn Language? |
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Readiness:
School, Family, and Community Connections The fourth annual research synthesis from the National Center for Family and Community Connections With Schools of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory looks at 48 research studies on contextual factors associated with children's school readiness. The report also discusses the effectiveness of a variety of early childhood or preschool interventions that include a family or community focus. www.sedl.org/connections/research-syntheses.html |
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ENGAGING
THE PUBLIC TO GET EVERYBODY READY FOR SCHOOL For communities dealing with contentious problems, public officials wrestling with tough policy choices or organizations faced with an apathetic or angry public, public engagement offers a means to: (1) Help citizens understand complex problems; (2) Involve those who are normally excluded from policy debates; (3) Promote productive public and leadership dialogue; and (4) Create momentum for change by building common ground, managing differences and creating new partnerships. To further these aims, Public Agenda had released a new discussion guide called, "Everybody Ready for School," focusing on the best ways to ensure high-quality pre-school and other school readiness programs for children. Choicework Guides support dialogue and deliberation on a wide variety of issues. They have been used by thousands of citizens looking to gain perspective on public issues. With the support of the Graustein Memorial Fund, Public Agenda created video and print discussion materials for use in community conversations nationwide. The materials are already being used in Connecticut to help communities engage on this critical education issue. http://www.publicagenda.org/pubengage/pdfs/school_readiness.pdf |
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The
Father/Male Involvement Preschool Teacher Education Program provided
teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully plan,
implement, and evaluate specific activities that encourage program
involvement by fathers and other males who serve as father figures
for school children. The evaluation of the program revealed that fathers
and males participated in parent involvement activities at a significantly
higher rate at the preschool with the training program than at comparison
preschools. http://www.promisingpractices.net/program.asp?programid=63&benchmarkid=10 |
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Study:
Preschools Should Emphasize More Physical Activity Children ages 3 to 5 should participate in at least two hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. However, a University of South Carolina public-health researcher found that many children aren't meeting that recommendation. As reported in the journal Pediatrics, the survey of nine Columbia, South Carolina, preschools shows that children are getting less than half the recommended amount over the course of a school day. Obesity among young children is on the rise in the United States, and a lack of physical activity is considered by many to be a principle cause. Read the full story at: http://uscnews.sc.edu/hlth275.html |
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FULL-DAY
KINDERGARTEN: EXPANDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES As districts across the country focus on closing the achievement gap between different socioeconomic and ethnic groups, research points to early childhood as a potent time for preventing the gap before it becomes established. Many policymakers are turning to an extended kindergarten program as part of the solution. http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/771 |