USER’S GUIDE to the Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation

Miriam W. Smith, Joanne P. Brady, & Louisa Anastasopoulos

About the Authors

Miriam W. Smith, Ed.D.

Consultant, Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02458

Dr. Smith has always enjoyed working directly with young children and teachers of young children. Her work on various projects has propelled her interest in classroom environments promoting children’s early language and literacy development.

Joanne P. Brady, M.Ed.

Vice President & Director, Center for Children & Families, Education Development Center, Inc., 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02458

Recognized nationwide for her contributions to early childhood education, Ms. Brady provides leadership to complex projects focused on research, assessment, and professional development.

Louisa Anastasopoulos, M.P.P.

Project Director, Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02458

Ms. Anastasopoulos has extensive knowledge of early language and literacy development and experience managing research projects at the Center for Children & Families at EDC.

Acknowledgments

The Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Tool, Pre-K, is built on a body of work at the Center for Children & Families at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), from 1997 onward. The authors thank many early childhood practitioners and researchers for their valuable feedback that guided the development and revisions of this tool.

Introduction

Since the mid-1980s, it has become apparent that literacy development begins before children enter kindergarten. High-quality early childhood classrooms can play a significant role in nurturing children’s language and literacy skills.

ORGANIZATION OF THE ELLCO PRE-K

The ELLCO Pre-K consists of an observation instrument and a teacher interview designed to supplement the observation. The observation contains a total of 19 items, organized into five main sections:

• Section I: Classroom Structure
• Section II: Curriculum
• Section III: The Language Environment
• Section IV: Books and Book Reading
• Section V: Print and Early Writing

UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS OF THE ELLCO PRE-K

The ELLCO Pre-K is based on several assumptions regarding early literacy development and classroom conditions:

• Teachers encourage and capitalize on children’s emergent interest in language and print.
• Connections are made among children’s oral language use and their emerging literacy skills.

WHO SHOULD USE THE ELLCO PRE-K?

Potential users should have strong background knowledge of children’s language and literacy development and experience teaching in preschool classrooms. This tool can be used by:

• Researchers evaluating the quality of language and literacy practices.
• Supervisors and coaches/mentors supporting preschool teachers.
• Professional development facilitators.
• Teachers reflecting on classroom practices.

CONTENTS OF THE USER’S GUIDE

The remaining chapters include:

• Chapter 2: Effective Elements of Early Literacy.
• Chapter 3: Structure of the ELLCO Pre-K.
• Chapter 4: How to Conduct an ELLCO Observation.
• Chapter 5: A Review of Sample Items.
• Chapter 6: Using the ELLCO Pre-K for Professional Development.
• Chapter 7: Using the ELLCO Pre-K in Research.

REFERENCES

• Barnett, W.S. (2002). The battle over Head Start: What the research shows.
• Peisner-Feinberg, E.S., et al. (1999). The children of the Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study go to school.
• Snow, C.E., Burns, M.S., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children.