Strategies for Promoting Language and Literacy in

Diverse Populations

Presented by: Jean C. Brown, M. Jeanne Wilcox, Dawn

Cosgrove-Greer, Shereen Thomas, Miriam Garlant

Sycamore Daycare and Preschool

A low income community early care and education program.

Philosophy: A place dedicated to children, where they can learn and grow in safe, comfortable, nurturing surroundings

At the Sycamore School, the emphasis is on education, responsibility, respect for each other and lots of good old fashioned fun.

Population

• Staff:

• Children:

5 Administrators 9 Lead Teachers7 Assistant Teachers2 Other (Van Drivers)

Ethnicity: 11 Caucasian, 12 HispanicAge Range: Under 20 to 60 years

85% DES, (State funded, Dept of Economic Security)15% Private PayEthnicity: Approx. 36% Caucasian, 34% Hispanic, 18% African American, 9% American Indian,

Challenges at Sycamore• Teacher turn over

• Teacher experience/interest

• Teacher lack of education

• Child turnover

• Facility limitations

• “Referee” Mentality

• Curriculum

Teachers• Turn over

– New teacher in the first two weeks– Target teacher left after 7 months– Next teacher stayed 3 weeks

• Experience/interest– Not a profession,a paycheck– Minimal experience, target b/c took a college

course– Lead teachers had a minimum high school degree

or GED. Admin. Masters degree

Child Turnover• New children daily for a variety of reasons

– Too many in a class– No teacher– Admin moved children due to age– Children moved due to behavior– Child left the area or lost funding

Curriculum• Facility had “curriculum specialist”

• Room full of options of Xerox papers accumulated by specialist

• No set or formal curriculum

• Minimal guidance

• Intermittent accountability

Facility Limitations• Proprietary family owned business

• Lack of funding

• Large numbers of employees (relatives)

• Lack of materials/toys/supplies

Sycamore Strengths

• Caring Administrator

• Diverse Population

• Willingness to make changes

• Safe Environment

Purchases with Stipend

• Stipend was larger due to need

• Teacher chose items

• Items ordered were essentials

• Items made a big difference in classroom function and management

Implementation• Weekly site visits

• Monthly meetings with CAT forms

• Re-cap discussion of what teacher was already doing, suggestions within the classroom occurrences to expand ideas

• Enhancement materials for curriculum

• Classroom modeling of goals.

• Purchasing of classroom essentials.

What worked at Sycamore•Friendly non-authoritarian approach

•Review of what was going well

•Language enhancement sheets

•Classroom modeling

•Goals devised in partnership

Sycamore

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Oral Language

Facilitate Interaction

2nd Language Acquisition

Print Awareness

Writing Skills

Phonological Awareness

Pre-Test

Post-Test

SycamoreEnvironment Print Awareness

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Play Books Cubbies Stories Signs DefinedSpace

Writing Sign-In

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Post-Test

Impressions following the one year study

• Teacher was more self-assured• Teacher had circle time activities• Less “referee” style• Teacher played with children more• Children had items to play and learn from• Children had more cooperative play chances• Many more literacy activities within the

classroom environ.

Recommendations

• Continue but require all preschool teachers at the site to attend the monthly meeting

• Use video tape of participant as training tool

• Encourage investment of published curriculum

• Facilitate carry over as originally planned, a second person to participate who is less transient.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN FAMILY YMCA

Early Childhood Development Center

SITE DESCRIPTION

•State-licensed child care facility •6:30 am - 6 pm; M-F •Ages 18 months - 5 years; 50% funded through Department of Economic Security

SITE DESCRIPTION• 4 day care & 2 Head Start classrooms

• On-site director

• Office administrator/receptionist

• Six Lead Teachers, six teaching assistants

• Janitorial staff

• Currently preparing for NAEYC accreditation

STAFF DEMOGRAPHICS

• 13 women, one man• Age range: 25-60 years• Ethnic breakdown:

– 1 Caucasian– 3 African American– 10 Hispanic

• Director – graduate degree• 2 Lead Teachers - Associate’s Degrees• All other staff - high school diplomas

PHILOSOPHY

• Four character development values:– Caring– Respect– Honesty– Responsibility

• Creative Curriculum

PROJECT SET-UP

• Biweekly team meeting– to discuss project’s language and literacy goals– to brainstorm lesson plans for the month

• Biweekly classroom observation– ASU coach used the CAT to provide teachers with

feedback

Environmental Changes - Literacy

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Changes in Program Goals

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS : TEACHER-CHILD INTERACTIONS

• Very open, casual, comfortable relationship between teachers and children

• Nurturing and respectful

• Emphasis on “traditional” values

• Many adult-child conversations

• Sharing of personal anecdotes and stories with children

FINAL IMPRESSIONS : TEACHER-CHILD INTERACTIONS

• more open-ended problem solving• more modeling of appropriate behavior and

structured role-plays• continued rich conversations with the children –

increase focus on pre-academic concepts, using definitions and examples, direct teaching of vocabulary, etc.

Changes in Program Goals

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SUCCESSES• Interim director’s interest was a boost to the

team • Regular team meetings were beneficial • Positive response to CAT observations• Lead teacher was very responsive• Immediate growth in environmental changes

was motivating• These children were a cohesive, independent

group with good language skills.

CHALLENGES• Change of director midyear• Limitations placed on teachers due to Y

policies and budgets• Lack of communication between teachers and

administration • Problems with scheduling • Child enrollment fluctuated throughout the

year• Changes in teaching style may take more than

one year

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Obtain support of site director

• Build rapport with teaching team

• Be flexible but consistent with scheduling

• Follow teachers’ lead for focus areas –easier to start with environmental changes

• Emphasize the positive in using the CAT

• Plan for a minimum of 2 years

• Train a “master teacher” to transfer knowledge

Strategies for Promoting Language and Literacy

Native American Populations

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Scottsdale, Arizona

Tribe Composition• The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community is comprised of two Native American tribes:– Pima: “river people”– Maricopa: “people who live toward the water”– Their relationship was formed in the 1800’s to

protect themselves against the Yuman and Apache tribes

– Pima believe that they are descendents of the “Hohokam” (those who have gone, 300 BC)

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community

• Created on June 14, 1879 by President Rutherford B. Hayes.

• Located in Maricopa County, AZ bounded by:– Mesa– Tempe – Scottsdale – Fountain Hills – Metropolitan Phoenix

•  Governed by: – President– Vice President – Seven Council Members

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community

• The Community consists of: – 53,600 acres – 19,000 acres as a natural preserve– Approximately 12,000 acres are under cultivation

in a variety of crops including:• Cotton, melons, potatoes, onions, broccoli and carrots.

• Commercial development is reserved along the Community's western boundary.

“The Man In the Maze”

The legend of the "Man in the Maze" helps children understand the meaning of life. The maze depicts experiences and choices we make in our journey through life. It illustrates the search for balance - physical, social, mental and spiritual. In the middle of the maze are found a person's dreams and goals. Legend says when we reach the center, the Sun God is there to greet us, bless us and pass us into the next world.

Mission Statement of Early Childcare Center

“Our mission is to provide an educational environment that will undergo continuous refinement and reflection to support the success of the individual life-long learner. This success will be achieved by developing partnerships, setting high standards, and emphasizing responsibility and accountability at all levels.”

Program Goals• To create a regular system and method of two-way

communication• To promote responsibility and accountability at all levels• To provide opportunities for everyone to succeed• To create a healthy Community through the elimination

of social ills• To create successful partnership models to promote a

healthy community• To create a system that will develop, nurture, and

promote the O’odham and Piipaash languages and cultural values

 

Program Description• Site: Urban Native American Reservation

• Curriculum: High Reach

• Enrollment: 3-5years old

• Hours: 7a.m. to 6p.m.

• Language: English

• Funding Source:– Tribal funding– Block grant – Tuition

SRPMIC Early Childhood Education Center

Staff Demographics

Child Care

•63% Child Care

•54% Head Start

•Of these 17% (7) had both

Position

•41% Lead Teacher

• 24% Administration

•17% Assistant Teacher

•12% Teachers Aid

•5% (2) Therapist

Education

•56% High School Diploma

•15% Associates Degree

•15% Bachelors Degree

•11% GED

•5% Graduate

Gender

•98% Female

•2% Male

• 37% SRPMIC

•17% Navajo

•12% Anglo

•7% Pasua-Yaqi

•7% Hispanic

• 5% Hopi

•2% Cheyenne

•2% Crow

•2% Filipino

•2% Dutch

•2 Japanese

•2% Mixed

Ethnicity Age

•17% 22- 39 Yrs

•37% 30-39 Yrs

•37% 40-49 Yrs

• 3% 50- 59 Yrs

•2% 60+ Yrs

•(Of these, 73% are American Indian)

                               

Ethnic Background of Children

• N= 15

• 53% Pima

• 27% Biracial

• 13% Hispanic

• 7% Navajo

The Bear Den’s Teacher

• Caucasian female

• 42 years old; preschool 3- year-olds

• Child care teacher

• 10 years of experience

• 3 months in current position

• 8 months in Head Start

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology

• Working on CDA

What We Worked On

• Environmental arrangement

• Improving interactional style with the children

• Fostering peer interaction

• Normal speech and language development

• Use of sound and symbols

• Embedding sounds into center activities

 

The Bear Den’s Teacher Aide• 25 years old• 2 months in current

position• She reluctantly agreed

to participate in November

• High school graduate• Very creative• Ran errands• She enjoyed music

and songs

What We Worked On

• Becoming a co-teacher

• Following the children’s lead

• Book reading

• Leading circle time

The Eagle Nest’s Teacher• Navajo female• 27 years old• Child care teacher

preschool 4-5• 6 years experience• 5 years at SRPMIC • High school diploma• CDA• Workshops and trainings• Joined the project in

December• Excellent teacher

What We Worked On

• Room arrangement

• Peer interaction

• Sound and symbol

• Incorporating sounds into the center

• Interpersonal relationships/communication

SRPMIC

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Challenges

Securing the support of key stakeholders Embracing the mission and goal of the school Responding positively to the mission through

accountability and individual work ethic Involving the home in the school process

Challenges

• Stereotypes About Native Americans– Low print environments– Poverty– Cognitive deficiencies

(Wong Fillmore, 2001)

Successes

• Print Awareness

• Writing

Successes• Book Reading• Oral Language

– Pre-test

– Post-test

• Add video clips here

What it Means to be Literate• Functional Literacy

- Speaking

- Reading

- Writing

- Comprehending

• Cultural Literacy- Knowledge of literature

- History and traditions

- Scientific and technological accomplishments of the dominant culture and one’s own ethnic/cultural heritage

• Critical Literacy- To think analytically and

creatively which uses the highest level of cognitive development

Garcia &Goldstein Ahler (1992)

Recommendations

• “School” “Non-school” literacy gap

• Mixed messages

• Ascertaining community priorities

• Lack of written language

• Decontextualization of language and storytelling

• Learning styles– Jody Marinucci 2001

Closing Thought“We risk failure by ignoring the significance

of human connectedness in many communities of color” (Delpit, 1995, p.95).

References• Delpit, Lisa. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the

classroom. New York: New Press.

• Garcia, Ricardo L. & Goldstein Ahler, Janet. (1992). Indian education: Assumptions, ideologies, strategies. In J. Rehyner (Ed.) Teaching American Indian Students (pp.13-32). University of Oklahoma Press: Norman.

• Marinucci, Jody (2001). Literacy in native american education http:si.unm.eduweb/20Journals/articles 2001/jmarinucci_jrn.htm

• Wong Fillmore, Lily (2001). Issues of language differences and literacy development: What do language minority students need? Paper presented at the UNM ESL Institute, Albuquerque, NM.

Phoenix Day Early Childhood Center

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

• Philosophy

-Children learn best when they are stimulated through experiences and not taught experiences.

-Through planned and spontaneous activities and experiences the center provides unlimited opportunities for the development of the whole child.

-Dedicated to serving working poor families.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

• History

-Founded in 1915, Phoenix Day is the oldest child development center in the state of Arizona.

- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation since 1996.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION• State-licensed child care facility offering

toddler and preschool programs

• 6:30 am - 6 pm; M-F

• ages 6 weeks - 5 years.

• One infant room

• Two toddler rooms

• Four preschool classrooms

• 166 children enrolled

• NAEYC accreditation

FUNDING SOURCES• United Way, corporate and community

donations, grants and DES subsides

• Private, not for profit program

• Nearly 80% of children qualify for DES childcare fee reimbursement

• A few parents pay their own tuition

SITE DEMOGRAPHICS

• Staff:

• Children:

26 females, one male•Ethnic breakdown:

1 Caucasian26 Hispanic

•Languages18 Spanish-English

Bilingual 9 English monolingual

•83% of families at or below the federal poverty level •Average annual household income of family of four, $17,922•90% of parents are employed•100% of families are subsidized by Phoenix Day•74% Hispanic origin; 15% Caucasian; 7% African American; 2% Native American; 1% Asian; and 1% multi-racial/ethnic.

PARTICIPANTS

• Preschool Class A:– 20 students enrolled– 40 maximum capacity– one lead teacher, 3 other teachers/aides

• Preschool Class B:– 22 students enrolled– 40 maximum capacity– one lead teacher, 3 other teachers/aides

STRENGTHS

• Daycare experience and Training– All had CDA certificate– 8 years experience or more at same site

• Low turn-over

• All Spanish-English bilingual

• Four adults in each class

• Strong lead teachers

• Resources & facility

CHALLENGES

• No curriculum, scope & sequence

• Some aides not taking ownership

• Inconsistent pre-literacy and writing experiences

• Inconsistent child attendance & enrollment

• Little teacher accountability for curriculum fidelity

PROJECT SET-UP

• Biweekly team meeting– Meetings were used to discuss project’s language

and literacy goals– Meeting also used to brainstorm lesson plans for

the month• Biweekly classroom observation

– ASU coach used the CAT to provide teachers with feedback

• Staff workshop on best practices in Feb., by ICRP

BASELINE OBSERVATIONS

• Play areas established

• Child artwork was displayed.

• Classrooms needed to develop literacy and print rich environments.

• Teachers needed development in language, phonological, and print awareness facilitation.

BASELINE OBSERVATIONS

Teacher 1, - Did not include phonological

awareness

- Curriculum loosely followed

- No letter of the week focus

BASELINE OBSERVATIONSTeacher 2,

•Hesitant to lead lessons or circle time

•Responsive to children

•Language-inaudible at times-rapid rate of speech

Final Observations

• Teachers expressed interested in continued partnership

• Increased oral language, pre-literacy, and writing facilitation

• 2 out 4 teachers were promoted the following year

Phoenix Day

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FINAL OBSERVATIONS

Teacher 1

• Stronger inclusion of phonological awareness throughout the daily routine

• Oral language facilitation improved

FINAL OBSERVATIONS

Teacher 2,

• Stronger inclusion of phonological awareness throughout the daily routine

• Oral language facilitation improved

• Print awareness incorporated

SUCCESSES

• Lead teachers were very responsive

• Regular meetings promoted– team building– creating lesson plans and brainstorming ideas– appreciated having scheduled time for planning – learned more about language and literacy

development

What was learned

• Teachers demonstrated implementation of strategies when provided with

- materials and tools

- time to discuss lesson plans & activities

- target behaviors were modeled

- time to discuss expectations for classroom team members

What was learned

• Learned to ask teachers how they wanted feedback

- modeling

- talking right after observation

- talking later, when teacher isn’t too busy

• Teachers needed help with team building, working together

NEXT STEPS

• Language and literacy enriched environment initiated but not well developed

• Continued training

• Use of curriculum, scope and sequence

• Teachers expressed the need for more training and extended collaboration for the following year.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Allow time for team building- developing partnerships takes time

• Trainers- Avoid being intrusive

• Help teachers train other teachers

• Help in other areas, not just with language and literacy goals

The End