From Rogersville to Memphis: The Journey of the TN SIG Preschool Literacy Training Project

1. From Rogersville to Memphis: The Journey of the TN SIG Preschool Literacy Training Project Alissa Ongie, M.Ed. TN SIG Pre-K Project Coordinator East Tennessee State University

2. What Is the PLTP? • Part of the Tennessee State Improvement Grant – a federal grant through OSEP that wraps around Reading First services • The PLTP has worked with preschools across Tennessee • The PLTP has provided professional development to preschool teachers, parent workshops for families, and products available for free on the TN SIG website: Sig.cls.utk.edu • The TN SIG is currently in a no-cost extension period with limited funding, and will end on 6/30/2010

3. Professional Development • Training opportunities have been provided to TN SIG participating preschools in Rogersville, Knoxville, Claiborne County, Woodbury, Nashville/Davidson County, Somerville, Wayne County, and Memphis • Topics covered in professional development include preschool literacy in the classroom and at home, infant/toddler literacy, and working with children with Autism

4. How Was PD Delivered? • Workshops held at TN SIG preschools on topics requested by individual preschools • ETSU Early Childhood Summer Conference – when funding was available, TN SIG preschool staff were invited to attend 3 days of conference activities with registration and all travel costs paid for by the PLTP • ELLCO Quasi-experimental Design

5. ELLCO Experiment • We chose 10 TN SIG preschools and 10 control preschools with similar qualities (same type of program, same geographical region, etc.) • We used the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) to do a pre- and post-assessment on intervention and control preschools • Intervention preschools received feedback on their ELLCO scores and PD in the areas in which they scored the lowest on the initial ELLCO • Control preschools received no feedback or PD

6. ELLCO Experiment continued • ELLCO PD Trainings covered the following areas: • Organization of the Classroom • Contents of the Classroom • Presence and Use of Technology • Opportunities for Child Choice and Initiative • Classroom Management Strategies • Classroom Climate • Oral Language Facilitation • Presence of Books • Approaches to Book Reading • Approaches to Children’s Writing • Approaches to Curriculum Integration • Recognizing Diversity in the Classroom • Facilitating Home Support for Literacy • Approaches to Assessment

7. ELLCO Experiment Continued • After a year of ELLCO-related PD, the post-assessment was completed • Overall, intervention preschools improved their scores on ELLCO items more than control preschools • The average post-score on the classroom observation portion of the ELLCO for intervention preschools was 4.1 points (5-point scale) compared to 3 points for control preschools • The average increase on the literacy activities rating scale was .7 points (13 points max available) for intervention preschools compared to -1.9 for control preschools

8. How PD Is Impacting Participants’ Literacy Instruction in the Classroom • “I used what she showed us and used that to take what I was doing in a different direction. Made it two-fold. For example, KWL and flip chart for reading and phonics.” • “Teaching them to spell their name, using letters in different ways such as the Frog Street Press using rhyme and song to get children interested in learning to read.” • “Like when they are playing with food and they'll show me a piece of food and I'll say ‘what kind of food is this? What letter does it start with?’”

9. How PD Is Affecting Preschoolers’ Learning • “It has improved their knowledge on knowing their letters. Also it has helped teach parents the importance of reading to their children at home.” • “Children are more aware of the letters, recognition; a big portion of the children can print their names, recognize and print letters; when they are doing artwork they are more aware of what they are drawing - you can really see what they are drawing.” • “They are recognizing the alphabet more quickly, they want to listen more and are more focused. I have seen improvement in their learning.”

10. Participants’ Overall Feelings about PD Received through theTN SIG PLTP • “I think this is wonderful and I don't think there is a comparison to anything I've seen in the other school systems in terms of the early child professional development.” • “It has a lot of components like special education that we did not have with previous PD.”

11. Parent Workshops • We worked with participating TN SIG Preschools to schedule family nights with a focus on literacy • These workshops were available to families within the community • Preschools chose one of two workshops: • Family Reading – provides tips for reading aloud with preschoolers • Early Writing Experiences – provides ideas to include writing activities in the home

12. Parent Workshops continued • Preschool Literacy Toolkit: • At the parent workshops, each family received a toolkit with items to help them include literacy in the home • These toolkits are designed to follow developmentally appropriate pre-literacy guidelines

13. Parent Workshops continued • Toolkit Contents: • Family Reading Parent Flyer • Early Writing Experiences Parent Flyer • Spiral Notebook • Construction Paper • Little Sketch Book • Alphabet Pasting Pieces – many fonts • Glue Stick • Quality Children’s Book • Magic Markers • Wikki Stix • Pencil Sharpener • #2 Pencils • Chubby Primary Pencils

14. Parent Workshops continued • Parent workshops have been offered in Madison, Nashville, Woodbury, and system-wide in Wayne County (over 200 preschoolers at 3 pre-K programs) • In 2007 and 2008, a total of 692 Preschool Literacy Toolkits were provided to families, early childhood education students, and Head Start teachers

15. Products Available on TN SIG Website • Materials used with preschool teachers and families are downloadable at no cost from the TN SIG website • Sig.cls.utk.edu under Preschool Products section • Parent brochures are also available in Spanish

16. Success Stories • At a TN SIG preschool in Memphis, a licensing evaluator told the director that she had never seen more organized literacy instruction and that she would be using this center as an example for others • At a TN SIG preschool in Jackson, the classroom that participated in the ELLCO Experiment later received a 6.09 out of 7 on the Tennessee Star Quality Assessment • At a TN SIG preschool in Wayne County, the day after a tornado caused significant damage to the area, most families still attended our parent workshops held at the three pre-K sites

17. Contact Information • If you have any questions about how to use the preschool products on our website, please contact me: Alissa Ongie Pre-K Project Coordinator TN SIG Preschool Literacy Training Project P.O. Box 70434 Johnson City, TN 37614 423-439-7841 ongie@etsu.edu