WCGMF-Discovery | Early Learning

Featured Resources

	[1] Early Literacy and Your Community: Helping Young Children with Language and Reading This document brings together information on early literacy for communities that are working to improve how young children learn to use words and read. It includes research literature related to early literacy, a description of four arenas within which early literacy programs are offered for children and families, and a list of example programs that address early literacy development. (329.2K Bytes)
	[2] Early Literacy Framing Document This report, produced by the Graustein Memorial Fund, brings together literature related to areas relevant to the discussion of early literacy. It is intended to provide the education field with a broad view of research available brought together into a cohesive programmatic framework that will help in building comprehensive early literacy strategies. The report includes a matrix of early literacy programs and indication of evaluation availability related to these approaches. The report thus serves as a call for a deep discussion of literacy development as situated within a community context of responsibility for all children. (196.81K Bytes)

Resources

	[3] Can Teacher Training in Classroom Management Make a Difference for Children's Experiences in Preschool? This report offers a preview of findings from Foundations of Learning (FOL), an evaluation of an intervention that trains preschool teachers to better support children's behavioral and emotional development. The model tested in Foundations of Learning combined teacher training in effective classroom management with weekly classroom consultation. Consultants coached and mentored the teachers in the new strategies learned in the training workshops and provided individualized support to the highest risk children.
	[4] Developing Early Literacy: National Early Literacy Panel Report The National Early Literacy Panel released a report identifying critical early literacy skills that predict later literacy outcomes, and the programs and interventions that are most effective at helping children developing them. The report also includes a guide for practitioners to translate the research into action.
	[5] Helping Your Preschool Child With Activities for Children from Infancy through Age 5 The American Federation of Teachers co-published these booklets with the Department of Education and they include practical suggestions and activities to prepare children for success in school. The booklets are available in English and Spanish.
	[6] Improving Access to Child Care and Early Education for Immigrant Families: A State Policy Checklist A technical assistance tool from the Center on Law and Social Policy (CLASP) offers policy recommendations that states can employ to tackle immigrant access to high-quality child care and early education programs.
	[7] Investing in the Early Years: A Great Return for Kids and for Connecticut (Connecticut Voices for Children) This fact sheet developed by Connecticut Voices for Children outlines the benefits of quality early care in terms of children's development and support for working families. It also makes recommendations for improving quality and expanding access to early care. (See other resources by [8] Connecticut Voices for Children)
	[9] NIEER's Preschool Matters Current and older issues of Preschool Matters are now available as individual articles that are easily accessible on the National Institute for Early Education Research website.
	[10] Pre-K Now Video: What Children Learn in Pre-K Pre-K Now has produced a 10-minute video, capturing the journeys of real pre-k children in a high-quality classroom. The video follows five children and tracks their cognitive and socio-emotional development. The stories are accompanied by interviews with the teacher, who provides more background about her students' strengths and challenges and the progress she sees throughout the school year. There are also suggestions for using the video with different audiences, including policymakers, parents, and educators.
	[11] Promoting Effective Early Learning-What Every Policymaker and Educator Should Know 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.
	[12] Early Literacy and Your Community: Helping Young Children with Language and Reading This document brings together information on early literacy for communities that are working to improve how young children learn to use words and read. It includes research literature related to early literacy, a description of four arenas within which early literacy programs are offered for children and families, and a list of example programs that address early literacy development. (329.2K Bytes)
	[13] Early Literacy Framing Document This report, produced by the Graustein Memorial Fund, brings together literature related to areas relevant to the discussion of early literacy. It is intended to provide the education field with a broad view of research available brought together into a cohesive programmatic framework that will help in building comprehensive early literacy strategies. The report includes a matrix of early literacy programs and indication of evaluation availability related to these approaches. The report thus serves as a call for a deep discussion of literacy development as situated within a community context of responsibility for all children. (196.81K Bytes)
	[14] A Stitch in Time: Calculating the Costs of School Unreadiness Written by Charles Bruner and Published in 2002 by the Finance Project in Washington, D.C. This report synthesizes the literature and evidence on early childhood development and school readiness and its relationship to future social problems and costs and presents several alternative approaches that can be used to estimate the cost of school unreadiness.
	[15] All Children Ready for School: The Case for Early Care and Education (Connecticut Voices for Children) This report is an overview of early care and education in Connecticut, discussed in the context of child development, workforce development and in relation to Connecticut’s economic competitiveness. The report considers some of the financing challenges in assuring high quality care to children of pre-school age and the state’s role in this effort. Published in February 2003 by Connecticut Voices for Children. (See other resources by [16] Connecticut Voices for Children)
	[17] Beyond Childcare Centers (Connecticut Voices for Children) A series of briefs that highlight the need for genuine system reform to achieve the goal of having all children ready for school and lifelong learning. (June 2007) (See other resources by [18] Connecticut Voices for Children)
	[19] Child Trends Research Brief (80.32K Bytes)
	[20] Connecticut Leads the Way with School Readiness and Early Reading Success (Connecticut Commission on Children) Published by the Connecticut Commission on Children, this fact sheet provides an overview of the key components of the 1997 School Readiness Legislation as well as highlighting findings from communities across the state showing that quality preschool programs translate into positive outcomes for children. (Updated in 2005) (1.03M Bytes) (See other resources by [21] Connecticut Commission on Children)
	[22] Connecticut's School Readiness Program Published by the Connecticut State Department of Education. An overview of Connecticut’s School Readiness program, including a list of the priority and severe needs communities that received school readiness grants.
	[23] CT’s Budget Problem: Seeking Common Ground to Meet Kids’ Needs (Connecticut Voices for Children) This issue brief looks at Connecticut’s budget and some of the areas where spending has been reduced and proposes some general revenue solutions (a 38KB, 4-page document). (See other resources by [24] Connecticut Voices for Children)
	[25] Early Childhood Education- States Moving Toward Universal Coverage This brief, written by Linda Jacobson for the Education Writers Association, looks at the different public preschool models in place in several states, how services are provided, how quality is measured and ensured and suggests some indicators that may be used to measure quality. The brief also contains a section designed to help reporters ask the right questions about early childhood programs in their state.
	[26] Early Childhood Fact Sheets: What the Research Shows Published by the Early Care and Education Collaborative. This fact sheet outlines the short and long-term outcomes that have been associated with early childhood education programs through research.
	[27] Early Childhood Fact Sheets: Why Quality Matters Written by Carol J. De Vita and Maria Montilla and Published by the Urban Institute as part of the Charting a Civil Society series. This report looks at how the U.S. Military Childcare System turned its childcare program from one that was plagued with allegations of abuse and poor conditions into a model of quality and affordable care.
	[28] Early Childhood Matters: All Children Ready for School Success, Closing the Preparation Gap (Connecticut Voices for Children) This report summarizes findings from CVC’s Early Care and Education research reports. This is the first edition of an occasional series called "Early Childhood Matters." Published in July 2003 by Connecticut Voices for Children. (See other resources by [29] Connecticut Voices for Children)
	[30] Full-day and Half-day Kindergarten in the United States: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 This report by Jill Walston, Education Statistics Services Institute and Jerry West, National Center for Education Statistics describes public and private kindergarten in the United States. It includes information about the schools that offer full-day and half-day kindergarten and the children who attend these programs. The composition and structure of public school full-day and half-day kindergarten classes and the instructional practices used by teachers in these classes are described. The report concludes with an analysis of the cognitive gains of public school children who attend full-day and half-day programs. (1,452 KB)
	[31] Full-Day Kindergarten: Expanding Learning Opportunities This WestEd brief summarizes research on full-day kindergarten, provides information on state and local reform efforts, and identifies policy implications. It also touches on the characteristics of an effective kindergarten program.
	[32] Healthy Learning Environments The article, written by Theresa C. Lewallan of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, suggests that as school improvement policies are developed, school systems need to consider providing for students’ basic needs in a coordinated way and improving student health as strategies for raising student achievement. (38,821 bytes)
	[33] Investment in Education Best Route to a Stronger, Fairer Economy This report summary by the Economic Policy Institute shows adequate and effective funding of education is the best way to achieve faster growth, more jobs, greater productivity, and more widely shared prosperity.
	[34] Leadership Matters: Governors’ Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2006 This report by Pre-K Now evaluates all 50 U.S. governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia in terms of their budgetary proposals and State of the State remarks in support of voluntary pre-K for all. The report praises 20 governors who proposed increases to their states’ pre-kindergarten programs and contrasts these leaders with other governors who are trailing national trends toward providing high-quality, voluntary pre-K.
	[35] NPR: Study Backs Benefits of Preschool The journal Developmental Psychology published new research suggesting that Oklahoma's pre-kindergarten program is a success at helping kids prepare for school. Michelle Trudeau highlighted the findings on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition.
	[36] Opening the Kindergarten Door: The Preschool Difference (Connecticut Commission on Children) This report is based on a survey of kindergarten teachers in Connecticut's priority school districts. The purpose of the survey was to determine how many children in these districts enter kindergarten ready for school. The research was focused on language and literacy, math, social/emotional and fine motor skills. The study found that children with 2 years of preschool are twice as likely to be viewed as ready for kindergarten in math and language and literacy skills as their peers without preschool experience and one and a half times as likely to be seen as ready for kindergarten in social/emotional skills and fine motor skills. Children with English as a Second Language who had two years of preschool experience also fared significantly better in these areas. This report was initiated by the Connecticut Commission on Children at the request of the Connecticut General Assembly's Education Committee and supported by the State Department of Education and the Connecticut Center for School Change. (See other resources by [37] Connecticut Commission on Children)
	[38] Partnering for Success Community Approaches To Early Learning (903.02K Bytes)
	[39] Preschool Curriculum: What's in It for Children and Teachers This report from the American Federation of Teachers and the Albert Shanker Institute suggests that early, age-appropriate instruction in language, literacy, mathematics and science can have significant, long-lasting effects on preschool children's social and cognitive skills. The report synthesizes the best research on how young children learn in those academic domains and discusses the implications for improving preschool education.
	[40] Raising the Bar for High School Graduation in Connecticut: A Good Idea? (3.28M Bytes)
	[41] Set for Success: Building Strong Foundations for School Readiness Based on the Social-Emotional Development of Young Children - Executive Summary Published by the Kauffman Foundation. This report contains six papers that were part of an Exchange in Early Education event which was sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation in November 2001. Each of the papers is focused on the link between social-emotional development and later cognitive development. The papers outline the latest research on preparing young children for school success and identify strategies for practice to promote positive early relationships and intervene when children are at risk. (429.73K Bytes)
	[42] The Economic Development Impact of Early Care This paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis economist Art Rolnick notes that public investments in early education yield a 16% rate of return and are a solid economic development tool for states and localities. Links to other research papers and studies outlining the positive economic development outcomes of early care and education can also be found on the Early Care and Education Collaborative website.

[1]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_1200.pdf
[2]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_1141.pdf
[3]: http://www.mdrc.org/publications/527/overview.html
[4]: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/NELP/NELPreport.html
[5]: http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/downloads/teachers/Help-Preschool-English.pdf
[6]: http://www.clasp.org/issues?type=child_care_and_early_education
[7]: http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_181.html
[8]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_1.html
[9]: http://nieer.org/psm/
[10]: http://www.preknow.org/resource/whatchildrenlearn.cfm
[11]: http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_695.html
[12]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_1200.pdf
[13]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_1141.pdf
[14]: http://www.financeproject.org/Publications/stitchintime.pdf
[15]: http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_49.html
[16]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_1.html
[17]: http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_335.html
[18]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_1.html
[19]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_403.pdf
[20]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_347.pdf
[21]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_9.html
[22]: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/readiness/SROverview.pdf
[23]: http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_73.html
[24]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_1.html
[25]: http://www.ewa.org/docs/earlychildhoodreform.pdf
[26]: http://www.earlycare.org/wtrs.pdf
[27]: http://www.earlycare.org/wqcm.pdf
[28]: http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_47.html
[29]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_1.html
[30]: http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004078
[31]: http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/771
[32]: http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/aug04/num38/toc.aspx
[33]: http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2004/07/20040708-schweke-pr.pdf
[34]: http://www.preknow.org/documents/LeadershipReport.pdf
[35]: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4985930
[36]: http://readysetgrowctkids.org/resources/2004_kstudyfinal_coc.pdf
[37]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/partner_9.html
[38]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_404.pdf
[39]: http://www.shankerinstitute.org/Downloads/Early%20Childhood%2012-11-08.pdf
[40]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_1124.doc
[41]: http://discovery.wcgmf.org/resources/sps_resource_356.pdf
[42]: http://www.earlycare.org/