Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL): Achieving Adoption and Use of Evidence-Based

Early Literacy Learning Practices for Young Children

Carol M. Trivette Carl J. Dunst

Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute

Asheville and Morganton, NC

Presentation made at the OSEP Project Director MeetingWashington, DC July 23, 2008

Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL)gratefully acknowledges the support of the

U.S. Department of Education,Office of Special Education Programs,

Research to Practice Division(H326B060010).

Purposes of the Presentation

• Describe briefly the partners and aims of the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL)

• Describe parents’ & practitioners’ perspectives about early literacy learning

• Describe the key characteristics of the CELL early literacy learning practices (intervention model)

• Describe CELL practice guides developed to support the implementation of early literacy practices

• Describe the CELL specialized training model

• Describe the CELL generalized training

Center for Early Literacy Learning

• Partners: Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute

www.puckett.org American Institutes for Research www.air.org PACER Center www.pacer.org AJ Pappanikou Center for Excellence in

Developmental Disabilities, University of Connecticut www.uconnucedd.org

• OSEP staff

CELL Aims

• Synthesize research evidence on effective early literacy learning practices and interventions.

• Develop evidence-based practices from the findings of this research.

• Implement and evaluate the use of evidence-based practice guides.

• Conduct general and specialized technical assistance promoting the adoption and use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices.

Parents of Children Receiving Part C and Part B(619) Services

Literacy IsImportant

ECSEPractices

IEP/IFSP Objectives

PERCENT STRONGLY AGREEING WITH EACH STATEMENT

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Desired Practices Actual Practices

Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education Practitioners

Literacy IsImportant

EarlyIntervention

Practices

IEP/IFSPOutcomes

PERCENT STRONGLY AGREEING WITH EACH STATEMENT

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Desired Practices Actual Practices

Early Literacy Skills by Domain

• Speech Processing Skills Oral Language Phonological Awareness Listening Comprehension

• Print-Related Skills Print Awareness Written Language Alphabet Knowledge Text Comprehension

Oral Language

Phonological Awareness

Listening Comprehension

Print Awareness

Written Language

Alphabet Knowledge

Text Comprehension

EverydayLiteracy

Activities

ResponsiveTeaching

ChildInterests

Literacy-RichEnvironments

Overview of CELL Early Literacy Learning Model

EarlyLiteracyLearning

Outcomes

Child Interests

• All children, with and without disabilities, have interests and preferences.

• A child’s interests form the basis of CELL early literacy practices.

Interest-Based Cycle of Mastery

Mastery

Interests

Engagement

Competence

LiteracyActivities

Types of Children’s Interests

Children have different types of interests:

• Personal interests can form the basis of activities (e.g., stuffed animals, balls, action figures)

• Natural interests in talking, reading, and writing

• Situational interests are triggered by features or “interestingness” of the context (e.g., street fair, table with art supplies, new classroom play area)

Examples of Interests Across Developmental Ages

• Infants Cooing or babbling, rocking, rattles, musical

toys, grasping, bright colors, new people

• Toddlers Music, special story or book, riding toys,

colored markers, special friend, bugs

• Preschoolers Dress-up, books, pets, eating out, painting,

games, rhymes, balls

CELL Tools for Linking Interests and Activities

Everyday Literacy Activities

Everyday literacy activities provide the specific experiences and opportunities that enhance and expand early literacy learning because of the frequency with which they can occur for children with and without disabilities, and the functionality of the learning in a real life context.

Literacy Activity Continuum

Many literacy activities can be informal or formal

depending on the context and the level

of the child’s development and participation

Informal Activities Formal Activities

Responsive Teaching Strategies

• Engage the child in interest-based everyday literacy activities.

• Respond to child behaviors to maintain engagement.

• Support child literacy-related behaviors and elaborate on child responses.

Adaptations for Children With Disabilities

• Adaptations ensure that children with disabilities: Can express their interests and have them interpreted

correctly Can engage in early literacy activities Can become skillful and competent in early literacy

activities and behaviors Can master early literacy skills

• Adaptations provide just enough assistance so that children with disabilities can proceed through the same process of mastery as do children without disabilities.

Adaptation Continuum

• Adapt Environment

• Adapt Activity

• Adapt Materials

• Adapt Instruction

• Provide Assistance

Source: Cara’s Kit, Milbourne & Campbell, 2007

LeastIntrusive

MostIntrusive

Hierarchy of Intervention Practices

SpecializedPractices

Adaptations & Instructional Practices

Literacy-Rich Learning Opportunities

CELL Practice Guides

CELL Practice Guides

• What is the practice?

• What does the practice look like?

• How do you do the practice?

• How do you know the practice worked?

• Vignettes that illustrate the early literacy practice described

• Adaptations

Examples of Practice Guides by Early Literacy Domains

Phonological Awareness Fingerplays and Action Rhymes Sound Advice

Oral Language Babble On Talk Is Fun

Listening Comprehension Time to Rhyme Hear This

Speech Processing Skills

Print Awareness One for the Books First ABC Books

Written Language Scribble, Scribble Get Write on It!

Alphabet Knowledge Stamps of Approval Exploring Magazines & Catalogs

Text Comprehension Read It Again! Tuning Into Tales

Print - Related Skills

CELL Technical Assistance

• Specialized Technical Assistance

AIR, Puckett

• Generalized Technical Assistance

Puckett, PACER, UCONN

CELL Specialized TA States

• Maine• Montana• Pennsylvania• South Carolina• South Dakota• Utah• Vermont• West Virginia

EverydayLiteracy

Activities

ResponsiveTeaching

ChildInterests

Literacy-RichEnvironments

Overview of CELL Early Literacy Learning Model

EarlyLiteracyLearning

Outcomes

CELL Conceptual Model for Scaling Up

Overview of CELL Training Procedures

Preview of CELLPractices

ParticipatoryLearning

Opportunities

Reflection andUnderstanding

Use of Early Literacy Practices

Training Procedures

Relationship Between CELL Training Proceduresand CELL Early Literacy Learning Model

CE

LL

Tra

inin

g P

roce

dur

es

ChildInterests

Everyday Literacy

Activities

ResponsiveTeaching

Literacy-Rich Environments

PreviewCELL Practices

Participatory Learning

Opportunities

Reflection and

Understanding

CELL Early Literacy Learning Model

CELL Practice Adoption Process

State-Level CELL Capacity-Building Checklist

Building Capacity to Scale UpCELL Practices

• Vision

• Leadership Team

• Needs Assessment

• Outreach and Training

• Self-Evaluation

CELL Generalized Technical Assistance• Development of CELL products

• Web-based dissemination of products (NETAC e-notes)

• Presentations at regional and national conferences

• Targeted dissemination to parents through PACER and Alliance

• Targeted dissemination to TA providers through variety of TA systems for example Head Start TA system

CELL Products

CELLpapers

CELLreviews & CELLnotes

CELL Web Site: www.earlyliteracylearning.org

What you’ll find there:• CELLpapers provide background information about the conceptual

frameworks used to guide Center for Early Literacy Learning activities and the results of evaluation and research studies conducted by CELL staff.

• CELLreviews are practice-based research syntheses of early communication, language, and literacy development. These syntheses analyze and integrate small bodies of research that have investigated the same or similar practices having the same or similar outcomes.

• CELLnotes are one- to two-page summaries of the findings from practice-based research syntheses. These summaries, written in a user-friendly format, are designed specifically for practitioners and parents.

• CELLpractices and CELLtoolkits as they become available.

Conclusions