EARLY LITERACY AND LEARNING MODEL

OVERVIEW

The Early Literacy and Learning Model curriculum (ELLM) is a program that provides pre-literate children with emerging literacy experiences and literacy skills training.  In a study of the program’s effectiveness, 48 classes were randomly assigned to integrate the ELLM curriculum with their existing curriculum or to only use their existing curriculum.  Assignment to the ELLM group significantly predicted achievement on follow-up measures.  Compared with children assigned to the control group, children assigned to the treatment group had greater recognition of letters and higher scores on a measure of emerging literacy.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: pre-literate children

The Early Literacy and Learning Model curriculum provides children with daily emerging literacy experiences.  Experiences include oral language, listening, and vocabulary development activities; reading aloud and emergent comprehension activities; and independent reading activities.  The curriculum also works to help children develop literacy skills, such as letter and sound knowledge, print concepts, phonological awareness, and emergent writing.

Early Literacy and Learning Model classrooms are print-rich environments that provide children with opportunities to explore, observe, and experiment with written language.  In these classrooms, children take part in whole-group literacy instruction as well as small-group activities at centers, where they use their language skills to describe, explain, and inquire.

Early Literacy and Learning Model teachers take part in professional development and a coaching system to build their skills.  Parents also receive resources and are encouraged to get involved in literacy activities with their children.

In all, five inter-related elements receive attention: classroom curriculum, family involvement, an instructional support system, working partnerships, and an ongoing evaluation research agenda.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Cosgrove, M., Fountain, C., Wehry, S., Wood, J., & Kasten, K.  (2006).  Randomized Field Trial of an Early Literacy Curriculum and Instructional Support System.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

Evaluated population: 466 four-year-old children from low-income neighborhoods served as the study sample for this investigation.  These children were drawn from 48 pre-school classes, from three different geographic locations in Florida.  These three locations represented differing degrees of urbanicity.  12% of the children studied were white, 71% were black, 8% were Hispanic, and 9% were of other racial background.   

Approach: Classes were randomly assigned to be in the treatment group or the control group.  Treatment group classes implemented the Early Literacy and Learning Model curriculum in conjunction with existing curriculum.  Control group classes only implemented existing curriculum.  (Prevalent existing curricula were Creative Curriculum, High/Scope, and High Reach.)  This is a three-year study.  At the end of the first year, post-test scores on emergent literacy achievement.

At baseline, and again, near the end of the school year, children were assessed on their emerging literacy abilities and on their ability to recognize the 52 upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.  Treatment children did not differ significantly from control children on these measures at baseline.

Results: At the class level, group assignment was a significant predictor of achievement on follow-up measures.  Compared with children assigned to the control group, children assigned to the treatment group had greater recognition of letters and greater scores on a measure of emerging literacy (TERA-3).  Small effect sizes were found.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Curriculum information and materials available at:

http://www.unf.edu/dept/fie/ellm/

References:

Cosgrove, M., Fountain, C., Wehry, S., Wood, J., & Kasten, K.  (2006).  Randomized Field Trial of an Early Literacy Curriculum and Instructional Support System.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 4

Evaluated participant grades: pre-school

Program age ranges in the guide: early childhood

Program components: early childhood education

Measured outcomes: education & cognitive development

Program information last updated on 11/4/08.